When most people hear the city of Stewartstown, PA they immediately think of Hex Hollow, also known as Rehmeyer’s Hollow which was the location of the infamous Pow-Wow murder. But, few know about the impact of another Pow Wow doctor on the other side of town. Within the dark forests of the street known as Valley Road lives another soul of a woman named Dorothy who protects the land from evil spells.

In 1885 in the town of Stewartstown the iron industry and railroad systems were beginning to flourish. The engineer Jacob H. Linville along with the Keystone Bridge Co. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (owned by Andrew Carnegie) were ready to begin work on their next big project, including the expansion of the railroad through town. But due to the limited funding the project received, the town sought to purchase a salvaged bridge to use over the top of Valley Road. They found a small bridge that was a perfect fit that would stay in use through the early 1990’s. It was later decommissioned and added to the register of historic places.

But according to readers the bridge has a more interesting historical background. According to legend the salvaged bridge was the leftover piece of an overpass where a terrible accident occurred. Users told us that the bridge once laid over a small stream in western PA. One day a small family, including two small children, went to have a picnic by the stream. As they approached their location, they began to slow down the car to traverse the small bridge. After-all, the bridge was a single lane wide. Little did they know that a truck was speeding through the woods and approached the overpass from the opposite direction. The truck flew across without any concern and hit the family car straight on. Nobody survived the accident.

Valley Road Bridge Today

Out of fear of another crash, the bridge was removed and replaced with a wider version. It was purchased by Stewartstown and converted into the Valley Road Bridge which stands today. As a result of the deaths, the bridge carried along the spirits of the deceased. Those who lived on the road would hear voices, see spirits and even hear the sound of a crash. But that’s where a woman named Dorothy came into play. See Dorothy was a kind and gentle woman who lived on the road. Locals believed that she was a woman of many talents, who secretly practiced Pow-Wow, a local magic full of healing and wisdom. It was believed that she was responsible for keeping that spirits at bay. She was even chief librarian at the local Mason-Dixon Public Library.

But Dorothy passed away in late 1992 and was cremated. A marker with her name was left in the woods. From that point on, strange activity has begun to re-occur. In fact, in January of 2015 deer carcasses were found in the stream near the bridge without any predator tracks or signs of people. Believed to be a maleficent spirit, locals warn that the woods and the bridge are haunted. Those who wrote to us said that they have heard disembodied voices and seen shadowy figures walking throughout the valley in the middle of the night. Maybe it’s the family that lost their life? Or maybe the bridge addition opened a portal to something more sinister.

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Susan Davis

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It’s neither a scary story nor a true story, but it certainly did grab my interest! Some pieces are true. Dorothy Davis indeed was the head librarian and co-founder of the Mason Dixon Public Library (with Ann Blevins). She was also my mother! and she certainly did not practice Pow wow. Other commenters to this story can verify the facts of the bridge. The story is a rather sweet nod to my mother, but it’s nevertheless sheer fiction.
3 years ago
Matt

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I’ve lived up the street from the bridge my entire life and like Paul said the only thing unusual is the old cars that were parked in the woods. They’ve been there since i was a kid in the early 80’s (probably longer). The only part of the story that is (sort of ) true is the librarian lived on the road near the bridge (But i never heard she was a pow wow practitioner) . My dad new her pretty well and we’d sometimes stop and say hi.
3 years ago
Shaun

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Yeah..I submitted a review before..forgot to select how many stars..definitely did not want to select 3!
3 years ago
Shaun

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Unfortunately I have to agree, although it would be cool to have a local spook spot. The bridge was built in 1870, then torn down and rebuilt in 1885. Girders were added to the bridge in 1920. As for the haunting (s)? There are no known records of any deaths, or anything remotely associated with stories like that.
3 years ago
Anonymous

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I traveled this area frequently. A huge thing that this story lacks is factual information. If the original bridge was purchased in 1885, vehicles wouldn’t have crashed on it as they only came to fruition in that year. Additionally, there were NEVER any”findings” of anything! Story is 100% FALSE!
3 years ago
Paul

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Completely false, firstly the bridge was installed in the 50’s it’s from the nearby NCRR not western PA and this is an active railroad bridge that’s in current use. I grew up next door to this which replaced a now back filled trestle there is nothing haunted going on and not a factual piece of information in this. The creepiest thing on deer road is a rusted out old Hudson on the side of the road.
3 years ago

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Haunted Places, Legends and Ghosts

Valley Road Bridge : Stewartstown, PA

Valley Road Bridge : Stewartstown, PA

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