By Tim Binnall
A newly unveiled historical marker celebrates the legend of a North Carolina bridge that is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young woman. Located in the community of Jamestown, spooky stories surrounding the site have reportedly circulated among residents for decades. According to area lore, back in the 1920s, a young woman named Lydia died tragically on the bridge in a car accident and, since that time, multiple motorists have allegedly encountered her spirit seemingly stuck at the spot in the form of a phantom hitchhiker. Detailing one particularly chilling witness account, paranormal author Amy Greer recalled that "she just looked, as they put it, just horrifying. and so they took off. They didn't even allow her to get into the vehicle and go with them."
The eerie tales have become so ingrained in the community that the location has come to be known as Lydia's Bridge and, this past Friday, it's place in Jamestown lore was commemorated by way of a plaque presented to the public. Declaring that "since the 1920s, apparition of a young woman has been seen hitchhiking here, only to disappear when drivers come to her aid," the marker is the brainchild of paranormal podcast Carolina Haints and comes courtesy of the Pomeroy Foundation, which is an organization aimed at celebrating and preserving community history in localities across America. As part of its 'Legends and Lore' program, the group has celebrated an array of such unique accounts, including two previously unveiled markers devoted to the Lake Champlain 'monster.'