Thursday, October 6, 2011

New Photos of the "Ghost of Bellamy Bridge" - Marianna, Florida

Bellamy Bridge
I've added several odd new photos to my pages on the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge. Set on the Chipola River north of Marianna, the story is one of Florida's best known ghost legends.
The new photos were taken in September and show some unusual anomalies on and around the old bridge structure.  Check them out at: www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamybridge.

If you aren't familiar with the tale, it surrounds the 19th century death of a young woman named Elizabeth Jane Croom Bellamy. According to the legend, she died in a tragic wedding night accident after her luxurious gown came into contact with an open flame.  She was horribly burned and died within a few days, her last words a promise to her young groom - Dr. Samuel C. Bellamy - that she would love him, "always."

Bellamy Bridge near Marianna
Bellamy buried his bride on the plantation of his brother, Dr. Edward C. Bellamy, near today's historic iron frame bridge structure. He later became an alcoholic and eventually committed suicide. The story holds that Elizabeth's restless ghost roams the swamps around the bridge at night, supposedly looking for her long lost husband.

The true story of Elizabeth Bellamy is quite a bit different from the legend, but the evolution of the tale from events surrounding a prominent early Florida couple to today's popular ghost story is a fascinating story in and of itself.

To read the complete story of the ghost, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamybridge. Be sure to follow the link there to the In Depth version of the story.

You can also read more about the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge and an array of other Northwest Florida legends in my book: Two Egg, Florida: A Collection of Ghost Stories, Legends and Unusual Facts.

It looks at a variety of stories, including the naming of the unique little community of Two Egg, Florida; Two-Toed Tom, Northwest Florida's demon-possessed alligator monster; the Fiddling Ghost of Boynton Island; the Washington County Volcano; Liberty County's Garden of Eden; the Bible of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Marianna, and others.

The book is also available as an instant download for Amazon Kindle by clicking here: Kindle Version: Two Egg, Florida.

2 comments:

  1. I visited the bellamy bridge years ago and took pictures of the beautiful area-when I got home and looked at the pictures in one of them there was a white figure running near the bank!!the ghost is still there!!

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