Wikipedia says:
"Old Alton Bridge
Old Alton Bridge is a historic iron through-truss bridge connecting the cities of Denton, Texas and Copper Canyon, Texas. Built in 1884 by the King Iron Bridge Manufacturing Company, it originally carried horses and later automobiles over Hickory Creek at a location that once was a popular ford for crossing cattle. The bridge takes its name from the abandoned community of Alton, which between 1850-1856 was the seat of Denton County.
The heavily traveled Old Alton Bridge remained in constant use until 2001 when vehicle traffic was moved to an adjacent concrete-and-steel bridge. Prior to the new bridge, it was necessary for motorists to signal with a car horn before crossing the single lane span. The new bridge straightened out a sharp curve on both sides of the creek and provided additional travel lanes.
With vehicle traffic removed, the bridge became an important link connecting the Elm Fork and Pilot Knoll Hiking and Equestrian Trails. Today it is a popular location for nature enthusiasts and photographers. Old Alton Bridge was included in the National Register of Historic Places, July 8, 1988.
Goatman's Bridge
Locally, the bridge is known as "Goatman's Bridge", due to a legendary demonic satyr of the same name, who is popularly believed to inhabit the forest surrounding the area.
Alternatively, legend tells of a black goat farmer who moved his family to a residence just north of the bridge. A few years later, Oscar Washburn was known as a dependable and honest businessman. North Texans endearingly began to call him the Goatman. But the success of a black man was still unwelcome to many, and Klansmen in the local government turned to violence after he displayed a sign on Alton Bridge: "this way to the Goatman's".
In August 1938 Klansmen crossed the bridge and kidnapped Washburn from his family. They hung a noose on Old Alton Bridge and, after securing it around his neck, threw him over the side. When they looked down to see if he had died, the noose was empty. In a panic, they returned to his family home and slaughtered his wife and children.
Locals warn that if you crossed the bridge at night without headlights, you will be met on the other side by the Goatman. Ghostly figures and strange lights are said to appear in the surrounding woods, as well as reports of visitors being touched, grabbed and having rocks thrown at them. This legend results in the area around Old Alton Bridge being popular with paranormal societies and Halloween activities, most notably with the Ghost Adventures crew."
QDV says:
The locals really call it "The Old Alton Bridge," although we know the Goatman name and story. "Argyle Bridge" is another name, although Argyle is a few miles from here. In the general area of what is now Corinth, Alton was the county seat of Denton County from 1848 to 1856, when popular demand moved operations to Denton. By the time this bridge was built in 1884, Alton was long gone, so the name "Old Alton Bridge" is something of a misnomer, as it didn't carry traffic from Alton to anywhere. Corinth and Denton are to the north, while Copper Canyon is to the south, and the bridge crossed Hickory Creek. By 2001, the single lane bridge was no longer able to handle area traffic, and it was becoming more and more common to have to stop and toot one's horn to alert someone on the other side that they were coming across. Today, the bridge is the centerpiece of a small park, which has both hiking and horse trails.
There are plenty of tales, that if you went to the bridge and did X, Y, or Z -- flash your lights, honk your horn, leave your lights off -- you would have some kind of encounter with the goat man. It might be flashes of light, it might be screams or snarls, or it might be a headless body, searching for its head: It's never explained how this happened, unless Washburn met a fate like Black Jack Ketchum. Not satisfied in its search, the body places a goat head atop its shoulders and menaces those whom it encounters. Some tell a simpler tale, that Washburn's ghost will push them around a bit if found to be in a bad mood, occasionally taking on the form of a satyr. If anything, visitors probably have more to fear from drunken vandals, who have targeted the bridge from time to time. Brush can hide the bridge from view, so visit during the daytime and be safe.
A Texas Historical Marker provides some background about this Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, which is also on the National Register of Historic Places:
Completed in 1884 to span the Trinity River tributary of Hickory Creek, this bridge was built as an important link between the two economic centers of Dallas and Denton. The bridge was one of eight authorized for construction by the Denton County Commissioners Court in 1882. The span was constructed near the small town of Alton, which had served as the county seat from 1851 until 1857, with the hopes that the bridge would bring life to the declining community. However, Alton never regained its viability and the community gradually disappeared.
Records show that the bridge was constructed from a kit provided by the King Iron Bridge and Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio, which was a major supplier of bridges throughout Texas and North America. The bridge is approximately 145 feet in length and consists of a main span and two secondary spans. The main span is an iron, six panel pratt through truss, and is 108 feet long. A latticed guardrail runs the length of the main span, and the bridge's deck is fourteen feet in width.
The structure saw heavy horse-drawn and then vehicular traffic for more than 100 years, until construction of a new concrete bridge adjacent to the iron bridge was completed in 2001 and the Old Alton Bridge was closed. Denton County citizens encouraged the retention of the bridge, and the structure has been restored and incorporated into a series of parks and horse and hiking trails, ensuring that it will continue to be used, while serving as a reminder of Denton County's transportation history.