Spooky bridge was end of the road for Jake the farmer

For today’s “Spooky Place in Texas,” we’re taking a trip to a seemingly harmless bridge between Hutto and Pflugerville near the Williamson-Travis county line.

Most in the area are already familiar with the legend of Jake, and many you ask will have a story to share about their run-ins with this spirit in need of an attitude adjustment.

According to the most popular version of the legend, Jake was a cotton farmer who lived in the area during the Great Depression. At that time, the price of cotton dropped to less than 6 cents a pound, and Jake lost everything. Maybe that’s what made Jake snap. It’s not known for sure, but legend has it Jake killed his wife and children, and when the reality of what he had done set in, he took his own life by hanging himself from that back-road bridge.

All versions of Jake’s story agree he lingers around the bridge on many nights. Some report hearing the sound of boots running across a wooden bridge along with screaming and heavy breathing. There even has been a report of someone saying, “I’m coming for you.”

So, if you find yourself on a dark stretch of road and decide to pause on that lonely bridge, you might end up with your own story of Jake to share — that is, if you make it across to the other end!