Exploring the Creepy Abandoned Bridge Near Wichita Falls, Texas
Just off FM 368, halfway between Iowa Park, Texas and Holliday, Texas, an abandoned bridge sits forgotten in a rundown Burnett Park.
Part of the allure of the dilapidated structure is its solitude. It seems so bizarre to place a bridge here, for the daily 2016 commuter. The urban legends about this site, and the actual scary events that have happened here, make the old abandoned Burnett Park bridge a truly creepy and intriguing place.
So what history does this old bridge hold? As it turns out, the footprints of early and new coming settlers as well as Indians once walked this bridge.
The Red and Wichita Rivers posed hazards for travelers to the area in the 19th century. Nearby Wichita Falls even received its name by Native Americans explaining the river as they passed through, calling it "wee chi tah" meaning "waist deep." The construction and delivery of the bridge (circa 1917) gave settlers an easier means to travel, as it was the only way to cross the river prior to the construction of the farm-to-market roads in 1949.
For many years, the notable Burnett family lived on the east side of the bridge in which the park is named after. Tom Lloyd Burnett, the founding father of Iowa Park, was the son of Samuel Burk Burnett.
With the introduction of new roads and the new bridge on FM 369, there wasn’t much use for the old bridge beyond the 1970s.
Now, the park sits off to the side and overlooked for the most part. After the body of a young Wichita Falls woman was discovered here, more has been done to upkeep the area.
Demolishing the bridge isn’t feasible and many can agree it is a piece of history. Even given the dark past, this bridge has a story to tell and much potential.