The Haunting Tale of the Hangman’s Bridge in Jones County

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Who would ever think that a bridge out in the middle of nowhere West Texas would make the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up? This Hangman's Bridge just outside of Anson did just that, even the air that flows beneath the bridge is even creepier.

When I first learned of this story I heard that authorities hung a man off what was then known as the Jones County Clear Fork Bridge. He was accused of raping Mrs. Presley, an affluent Jones County resident, then hiding her body under the bridge.

A couple of days later the Sheriff and two of his Deputies found a man wandering near the bridge. After intense questioning of the man, the Sherriff came to the conclusion this man was the rapist and hung him right then and there, right off of the Clear Fork bridge.

It's believed that it is that man's spirit that is wandering around the 'Presley Bridge' as the locals call it now, looking to exact his revenge on the Sheriff and his Deputies for hanging an innocent man. I was told by Sherriff Larry Moore that "the real killer was captured weeks later committing a similar crime and maybe that's why the wind can sometimes be heard blowing on one side of the bridge, but not on the other."

The really weird and freaky abnormality that I personally experienced when I was at the bridge is that underneath it one side was hot while the other side was cool and somewhat calm. It just felt strange so I got out of there as fast as I could.

Jones County Attorney Investigator Mike Middleton told me "I've heard the stories but the old all-steel bridge was replaced with a new bridge many years ago. The old bridge remains intact about fifty feet from the county road."

Google Maps and BridgeHunter.com has the location of the old 'Presley Bridge' aka Jones County Cler Fork Bridge on CR-429. The bridge is all metal and made lots of noise it was squeaking and creaking.

Word of warning to anyone wanting to check out the bridge first off it's now off-limits to vehicles and I'm not so sure that it's on private property. Finally, no word if Investigator Middleton or Jones County Sheriff Moore had ever been on the Presley Bridge in the dead of the night.