The unfortunate story of Bill Sketoe has been passed down through many generations of people in Newton, Alabama. It is a story of cruelty and death and has had lasting implications for over 150 years. Alabama HWY 134 Bridge was not built until the 1970s, but the residual spiritual energy still haunts the site. Here is the legend of Sketoe’s Hole Haunted Bridge in Alabama.

Bill Sketoe was a minister in the 1860s who was lynched by a group of townspeople in Newton, Alabama.
Arkyan / Wikimedia Commons
No one knows for sure why this event took place; some say it was because he was a Confederate deserter. Others say he was aiding the Union somehow.
As Sketoe passed over the original bridge that ran over the Choctawhatchee River, he was grabbed by a group of men and taken into a nearby forest.
Ebyabe / Wikimedia Commons
He was beaten and dragged through the sand, and his killers tied a rope around his neck.
The legend of “Sketoe’s Hole” is due to the fact that Sketoe was too tall to hang from the trees in the area.
Ebyabe / Wikimedia Commons
Because of this, his attackers had to dig a hole underneath his feet so he could hang properly.

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This became one of the most popular ghost stories in Alabama. The hole that was dug for Sketoe would never remain filled.
Ecjmartin1 / Wikipedia
People have tried to fill it with dirt, garbage, debris. It is almost immediately cleared and emptied.
When the new bridge was built in 1979, the hole was covered by cement and is no longer visible.
Ecjmartin1 / Wikipedia
However, the horrible dread from Bill Sketoe’s murder still hangs over the area like a fog.
A memorial was erected for Bill at the site where he died. His ancestors still maintain the area and make sure he is not forgotten.
Ecjmartin1 / Wikipedia

Did you know about the legend of Sketoe’s Hole Haunted Bridge in Alabama? Let us know in the comments. Alabama HWY 134 Bridge is located in Newton, Alabama. Although the hole has finally been covered, Sketoe’s spirit lives on.

If you love all things haunted and creepy in Alabama, check out Fort Morgan, one of the most haunted places in the state.

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