Type
Unconfirmed, but likely a vehicle bridge over railroad tracks (see Notes section, below)
Legend
This bridge is said to be the spot where “Mary Jane and her baby” were murdered one dark Halloween night. While there are few specifics, the one constant is that the baby is always murdered first. For that reason, if you go to the bridge on Halloween night, you will first hear the baby crying. When that crying stops suddenly, it will be followed by the mournful cries of Mary Jane, the mother, before that, too, abruptly ceases.
Ritual
None, but the paranormal activity is said to only happen on Halloween night.
Location
Unconfirmed, but there is a high probability the bridge in question is located on Chew Road in Lucas, Ohio (see Notes section, below).
Notes
This particular bridge is easily one of the most frustrating Crybaby Bridge to try to verify, and I think we have the Internet to blame for this mess.
Results of online searches tend to put this bridge in Mansfield, although the web site Strange USA (and assorted sites who “borrowed” their information from Strange USA) lists the bridge as being in “Chaplin, Ohio”, which does not exist. In fact, the Strange USA site mistakenly puts all their Mansfield area haunts in “Chaplin” , further confusing things. In a weird way, this error possibly helps clear up where the name Mary Jane originated from as there is a nearby cemetery, Lucas Cemetery, that is also alleged to be haunted. Locals often refer to this graveyard as Mary Jane Cemetery.
When I started digging through my files, I found that with all the people I interviewed or who had sent me e-mails about the bridge, its specific location was never given. Directions were pretty scarce, too. However, in the versions where people did supply a general location, the comments were pretty consistent:
- “It’s somewhere off of 39, heading towards Lucas”
- “A little road off of 39 that went over railroad tracks”
- “In the middle of nowhere in Lucas. It’s a little bridge over some old railroad tracks
- “A really short road near Lucas. I don’t remember anything other than the bridge being on the road it was really short”
- “It was near 39 and was a short road that went over railroad tracks. Nobody ever drove on the road”
Using those comments as a starting point, I started scouring maps. Based on my research, the only bridge I have found so far that fits that description is located on Chew Road (Township Highway 314) in Lucas, Ohio.
Chew Road is a very short stretch of road between Rummel Road (319) and Lucas Road (39). And it does indeed cross over railroad tracks. Given the amount of graffiti visible on Google Maps (the images are from June of 2012, BTW), this certainly could be a likely candidate for a location where people hang out at night…and possibly tell scary Crybaby Bridge stories to each other.
Personal Experiences
None so far. Obviously, I need some help with this one, so if you’ve been to this bridge or can confirm this is indeed the bridge in question, I’m all ears! Drop me a line at jim@strangeandspooky.com
Additional Information
Strange USA: Crybaby Bridge
The Shadowlands: Ohio
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