Type
Vehicle bridge over water
Legend
Unwed mother threw her baby off the bridge. Crying can be heard here and sometimes the ghost of the unwed mother can be seen walking along the bridge. A recent variation of the legend states that the baby was “murdered near the Tindall Bridge.”
Ritual
Not sure it classifies as a ritual, per se, but in order to hear the baby crying, you simply need to drive over the bridge between 11:30 pm and midnight.
Location
Located on Rice Road (County Road 209) in Fremont, Ohio. The bridge crosses the Sandusky River just before Rice Road dead-ends into S. River Road.
Notes
One look at the somewhat foreboding steel structure spanning the Sandusky River and visitors immediately can see why this bridge became known as being haunted. Interestingly enough, the current bridge is not original. The first bridge was actually a wooden covered bridge, which was replaced in 1915 by the structure which exists today, although there have been improvements and renovations done to this bridge over the years, most notably in 1961, when the entire bridge floor was removed and replaced with open steel grating. So far, I’ve been unable to find any recorded events involving the death of a baby on or near either the covered bridge or the one that took its place.
As for where the bridge got its name, a 1935 article in The News-Messenger states it was named after “the widow Tindall”, who operated the first tavern (near the west end of the bridge). Elijah and Elizabeth Tindall, along with their seven children left Trenton, New Jersey with plans to relocate to Ohio. Along the way, Elijah fell ill and died, while Elizabeth and her seven children–four boys and three girls–continued their journey, eventually settling down and building a family cabin which stood approximately 3/4 of a mile from where Tindall Bridge would be erected. As the Tindall children married, they acquired tracts of land near their family cabin and began farming. At one point, there were eight Tindall farms in the general area. So as soon as the bridge was built, people began referring to it as the Tindall Bridge and the name stuck.
As with the bridge itself, I was unable to find anything regarding the Tindall family that could have resulted in the bridge becoming known as a Crybaby Bridge, or even haunted, for that matter. However, I was able to find some information as to where the new variation about the baby being “murdered near the Tindall Bridge” might have originated. Granted, there’s no baby involved, but as we all know, every ghost story starts with a grain of truth…even variations.
In early July, 2019, 34-year-old Fremont, Ohio, resident, Eric Edwards, Jr. was reported missing. On Wednesday, July 3rd around 6:00 pm, the Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a man’s wallet being found near “Buchanan and McGormley Roads” (roughly 3.5 miles from Tindall Bridge). The wallet was found to contain ID belonging to Eric Edwards, Jr.
On Friday, July 5th, 2019, police discovered the body of an unidentified male, the victim of an apparent gunshot wound. Initial reports listed the area the body was removed from as “the Tindall Bridge.” Police would come to identify the body as that of Eric Edwards, Jr. and that he had been murdered. They also clarified that his body had been found “about 10 feet into the woods and 25 feet from the roadway (Darr Road) near Tindall Bridge”.
After an investigation, Jailen Rucker, 18, from Detroit, and Xavier Grine, 24, of Fremont, Ohio, were both arrested and charged with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery. In February of 2020, Rucker pled guilty to one charge of complicity to involuntary manslaughter as part of a plea deal in exchange for his being willing to testify against Xavier Grine.
COVID-19 put a halt to court proceedings, but on August 4, 2021, just days before the jury trial was to begin, Grine changed his plea, pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter with gun specifications, tampering with evidence, and having weapons while on parole. Visiting Judge Steve Yarbrough sentenced Grine to 17-20 years in prison with an additional 12-month sentence to be served consecutively for the having weapons on parole charge.
So there you have it. Now, I’m not saying the murder of Eric Edwards, Jr. had anything to do with the Tindall Bridge becoming known as a Crybaby Bridge. I think the overall appearance of the bridge itself did that. But I do believe that a real-life murder in such a close proximity to a “haunted” bridge was what allowed the tragic events of 2019 to become part of the legend. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it…until the evidence points me in another direction!
Personal Experiences
I love this bridge! I have been going out there for years and it just so peaceful although it does start to feel a little creepy there after dark. But I like to park in the little parking area beside the bridge and chill. Can’t say that I’ve ever heard or seen anything paranormal in all the times I’ve been there, though. Maybe one day!
—Stacy K.
Hands down, this is one of the creepiest bridges I have been to. Don’t go at night, is all I’m saying. The version I heard was that you need to drive over the bridge at midnight to hear the baby crying or else you could just sit down alongside the bridge in the grass and you’ll hear it cry. I’ve never heard it myself, but I think that’s because every time me and my friends went, we’d get freaked out and leave almost as soon as we got there.
—Marcus L.
Additional Information
Body found near Tindall Bridge in Fremont
Fringe Paranormal–Tindall Bridge
Fremont man sentenced to up to 20 years in killing of Eric Edwards Jr.
Historic Bridges: Tindall Bridge
LIST OF KNOWN CRYBABY BRIDGES IN OHIO Abbeyville Road Bridge Abbeyville Road Railroad Bridge Alliance Crybaby Bridge Blackrabbit Road Crybaby Bridge Brubaker Road Covered Bridge Cable Train Overpass Cedarville Crybaby Bridge Clinton Crybaby Bridge Crybaby Hill (Harris-Jones Cemetery) Crybaby Lane (Euler Road) Crybaby Tunnel Crying Bridge Crystal Springs Crybaby Bridge Egypt Road Crybaby Bridge Fudge Road Gore Orphanage Road Crybaby Bridge Greely Chapel Road Crybaby Bridge Helltown Crybaby Bridge Hyde Road Crybaby Bridge Lefevre Road Crybaby Bridge Mary Jane’s Bridge Myrtle Hill Road Crybaby Bridge Newton Falls Covered Bridge Palmer Road Crybaby Bridge Pfeiffer Crybaby Bridge Philo Crybaby Bridge Pitchin Crybaby Bridge Rogues' Hollow Crybaby Bridge Screaming Bridge Sidney Crybaby Bridge Stover Road Crybaby Bridge Tindall Bridge Wisner Road Crybaby Bridge Project Home Page I'm done with these bridges! Take me home, please!