Debunking The Legend Of Crybaby Bridge

Most know that I have been interested in and have investigated the paranormal for many years (before the tv shows).  One local legend that rears it’s head each year around Halloween is the lore surrounding a bridge located a bit outside of Monmouth, Illinois.  Affectionately known as Crybaby Bridge.

Let me start by giving some background…there are Crybaby Bridges in no less than 7 states, most with similar stories of some variation of children dying at the location in a schoolbus or other means.  This one is easily debunked.  I have personally investigated it and it is 100% the topography.  You see in the picture below that the entire area is on a downward slope.  One Youtube user went even further and explained the topography like this: “The coordinates are 40.966, -90.669 and is on 60th St, South, on a bridge spanning Cedar Creek. The car moves in neutral because that bridge sits on an incline that drops it from the north side ~640ft to the south side at ~633 ft above sea level.”

This means that one side of the bridge is, literally, 7 feet lower than the other.

There are several videos that locals keep sharing around this time each year of this location.  Although at first viewing  a couple do look compelling, here is the skinny on the most shared video.  In the video, if you listen carefully, you hear the dad rub his hands together…i’m guessing from putting the “fingerprints” in the powder to mess with her.   And of course, I have alredy explained why the car DOES move on it’s own over the bridge when put into neutral.

So, to steal all of the fun from this urban legend, it is not what it appears to be.

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