The Colville Covered Bridge


I'm going to try something a little different for this post and put all sources at the end, so if you want to know where I got the following information from, all sources will be listed at the end. If you haven't read my previous post, ignoring the blog update, I highly recommend you do as both this post and that one are very much so linked. The post I'm referring to is 'Whitney's Killer Crash', and I will include a link at the end of this post.

The Colville Covered Bridge is located on the Colville Road and spans Hinston Creek near the Harrison County line, Kentucky. These kinds of bridges had been around since the late 1700s, and were covered to protect the bridge from the weather. Many ended up being destroyed during the American Civil War through both sides burning them down, and this occured between 1861 and 1865. The Colville Covered Bridge, however, was built by Jacob Bower during 1877, which means it is one of few covered bridges left. This particular bridge is made from multiple kingpost truss supports, and was originally made from yellow poplar to give it good durability. 

The Colville Covered Bridge needed a few repairs over the years. In 1913, Louis Bower, the son of original builder Jacob Bower, renovated the bridge, and in 1937 the bridge was raised by Stock Bower, Louis Bower's son, to help avoid flood damage which could occur from the Hinkston Creek below. The bridge was then closed for a year during 1972 due to an overloaded truck causing damage, and so under Stock's supervision it was repaired. The next incident was in 1997 when, despite the bridge having been raised, it was damaged due to record levels of flooding. The flooding reached 37 feet, meaning the bridge decking was left several feet under the water. This event caused the bridge to shift and move away from the road, leaving it in a state of major disrepair. The bridge was practically dismantled and put back together with many original materials and parts being used where possible. The bridge reopened in 2001. 

Today, due to the bridges history, much of it is no longer the original bridge, and various design tweaks have been made. It is also the target of graffiti, meaning it is still in need of maintaining and repainting. 



Hauntings

Since the 1930s, there have been a few stories out there regarding the bridge. Apparently, during the 1930s, a couple were driving home from prom and missed the bridge, causing them to drown in the waters below. Another story is that an old woman had a heart attack while walking across the bridge, collapsed, and died there. There have been reports of seeing lights under the bridge, and through the planks, as though a car is under the water and shining its headlights up towards the bridge. There have also been reports of an old woman coughing and crying for help, which is possibly related to the old woman who alledgedly died here. Also, a man may have hung himself on the bridge in the early 1900s. There are reports of shadows and disembodied voices too, along with a phantom car which can be seen stationary near the bridge. 

A paranormal investigation team has investigated this bridge and discussed their findings online. They said they experienced something they couldn't see touch them, and that while they were calling out to a 'Ms. Mitchell', possibly the old woman or prom date, they got 'Sarah Mitchell' on their Ovilus device. When asking if this was the name of the spirit they were talking to, a female voice said 'yes' on their audio recorder. 

It is also said, and it is important to note I only found this one on one website, that a woman was taken to the bridge by her sister and murdered instead of being driven to her wedding as agreed. It's thought the sister was jealous of the wedding. Apparently, due to this event, if you go to the bridge between the hours of 10pm and 3am, and sit in the middle of the car, you can hear the sound of a woman crying which gets louder the longer you stay there. You may even hear a female voice. If you stay there for longer than 20 minutes, you can hear scratching on your windows. If you unlock your doors, turn your lights on, walk outside, or make any noises, then you will anger the spirit. 



Summary

1. Potentially five known spirits, two male (hanged man, prom date), three female (prom date, old woman, bride-to-be)
2. 'Sarah Mitchell' is potentially one spirit
3. Phantom car
4. Shadows
5. Touching
6. Disembodied female voices
7. Disembodied crying
8. Disembodied coughing
9. Lights seen under the bridge
10. Scratching on car windows


My Thoughts

Being blunt, I think there is very little here. Now, I have never investigated this bridge, and I haven't even visited it due to being in a different country, but I haven't been able to find much beyond urban legends with this location. I do, however, think it's worth investigating. The common trends I've found across sources are that people think this old lady and the prom dates are real. I've not found anything outside of websites discussing hauntings say this, but they are the common factor. I've not found anything else about the hanged man, or the bride-to-be. This doesn't mean they didn't happen, but it means it's less likely. 

Looking at activity, it seems this revolves around a female spirit and perhaps a car incident. I did try and find out who 'Sarah Mitchell' was, and how that team knew to ask about a 'Ms. Mitchell', and I found one urban legend about a Sarah Mitchell. The story is that in 1946 Sarah Mitchell and her boyfriend were on their way to a dance when they lost control of the car, and both died in the crash. Ever since, Sarah has been seen wandering along the road she died only and up the hill to the cemetery. She has apparently been seen by a number of drivers. Now, when I read this story, my skepticism of the Colville Covered Bridge rose exponentially. It was another urban legend, but it takes place in Kentucky, and the story pretty much matches that of the couple who died at the bridge. This issue is the location of this story is a long way from the Colville Covered Bridge. You can see the distance in the image below:



This shows the two stories cannot be the same, but that investigative team seemed to think the female at the bridge was Sarah Mitchell. Things do not add up. Now, let's compare this to the experience told in my post 'Whitney's Killer Crash'. Whitney described her and her friends visiting the bridge and conducting a ritual in their car as apparently they would see a woman standing infront of their car, or a woman would hang over their car. They heard a thud at the back of the car, and did see a woman ahead of the car. They all then experienced issues in their lives over the next couple of days, and this led to a fatal car crash. Again, you have the trend of female spirits and car crashes. They mention a hanging, and a ritual, which I only found on one website, albeit different websites. Regardless, Whitney experienced something very different from the investigators. Things still aren't adding up. So, this leads to my conclusion..


Conclusion

I think the bridge is likely haunted, but that only the story regarding the old woman may have truth to it. The car crash story is way too similar to the Sarah Mitchell one which supposedly occured miles away from the bridge, plus the hanging story has no details to it. The story regarding the old woman doesn't have many details either, but it is consistently there across websites. You also have a couple of experiences claiming a female spirit was present, along with a number of tales saying there is. You've also got to remember that the bridge isn't even the original bridge anymore. It's been destroyed and rebuilt, yes trying to use original material, but it still isn't the same bridge. You can argue the water is the connection, or that it is the area, but that means the area is haunted and not the bridge. 

So, there you have it. Until I see either a reputable investigator investigate it, or I do myself, then I believe that the Colville Covered Bridge is likely nothing more than urban legends and ghost stories. You may have one female there, or maybe a few really weak spirits as I believe they're everywhere, but nothing substantial or life threatening. 


Thank you for reading to the end of this post! I really hope you enjoyed it, although sorry for ruling this location out as being properly haunted. If you have any comments whether that be about the blog, experiences of your own, or even places you would like for me to investigate, then you can comment and follow on here, Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr, and you can email thetrueparanormal1@gmail.com for a quick response to any questions.


Sources I have used



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