The bridge itself may no longer be standing, but there are plenty of creepy stories floating around in Athens, Texas about a landmark that has a strange history behind it.

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Over the last several decades, stories of devil worshippers in underground tunnels and ritual sacrifice have sprung up to go along with the tales of screaming monkey ghosts terrorizing anyone who visits the area at night.

According to one legend, in the 1960s, the bridge that became known as Monkey Bridge was the location of a circus train derailment. After the accident, the performing monkeys riding in a boxcar escaped, killing their human captors before disappearing into the night, per the athensreview.com.

Another variation of the story, according to KYTX: during an unspecified time period (circa simply "long ago"), the circus was passing through Athens when a wagon tipped over, and some monkeys escaped into the woods. This legend has it that some of the animals were caught by a man named Reverend Fuller, who put them inside a cage on a piece of land he owned called Fuller Park.

Separating Fact From Fiction at Monkey Bridge

After many years of passing down the various stories of how Monkey Bridge came to be, wild tales about monkey ghosts and tunnels under the town for satanic worship became part of the legend, according to WFAA. Rumor has it that five tunnels throughout the town connect, making the shape of a pentagram.

Let's look at the facts. While I couldn't find any news stories about a circus train derailment in the area, there is a Fuller Park in Athens, which is the final resting place of property owners Reverend Medford Lee Fuller and his wife, Virginia. Fuller built the park in 1938 after his wife died, and he's still there, buried beside his wife.

The Athens, Texas Tunnels

What about the tunnels? The Tyler Morning Telegraph reports that when geologists did multiple soil surveys, they came to the conclusion that the land simply couldn't support a system of multiple tunnels, due to the composition of the ground itself. The water table is too high for a massive network of underground passageways, according to the Athens Daily Review.

However, the creepy stories of Monkey Road and the legend of mysterious tunnels persist. Described as one of the ‘spookiest places in Athens’, it would be the perfect place for a Halloween road trip to do some ghost hunting - especially if you're an animal lover.

Did You Know Texas Is One of the Top 10 Haunted States in the Nation?

Two years ago, the Lone Star State was named the most haunted state in America, according to Forbes magazine.

Texas has moved down on the list from movebuddha.com, but we're still in the top 10.

Don't be scared...scroll onward to see which state currently holds the #1 spot for most haunted in the nation.

10 Myths About Texas That Even Some Natives Believe

Everything's bigger in Texas, including the tall tales! Our state can seem pretty strange to people from far away, or even our immediate neighbors. There are several myths about Texas that range from quirky to fun and just plain ignorant and insulting, and even some people born and raised her believe 'em. Here are a few we can dispel today.

 

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