JACKSON COUNTY, FL.: It’s spooky season! While many aren’t familiar with The Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail, a half-mile walking path outside Marianna in Jackson County, Fla., you should be. It leads from a parking area on CR 162 to the historic Bellamy Bridge over the Chipola River.
The Northwest Florida Water Management District, Jackson County Parks & Recycling and the Friends of Bellamy Bridge opened the trail on November 1, 2012. It offers a chance to see the plant and animal life of the Upper Chipola River floodplain and draws people of all ages, including those drawn by the bridge’s ghost story. Daytime visits are open to everyone, while after-dark visits are arranged with a guide by calling (850) 693-1580 and leaving a message.
Historian Dale Cox said the steel-frame bridge is the oldest of its type still standing in Florida and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The crossing itself has been documented since 1686, meaning people have been crossing the river there for more than 300 years.
Most visitors come hoping to see a ghost. According to local legend, Elizabeth Bellamy, known as the burning bride, caught fire on her wedding night, ran from the house in flames and died. Her spirit is said to haunt the bridge as she waits for her husband to return. Whether or not a ghost is real, the legend has become part of Jackson County’s history.
Newly finished footbridges, or elevated boardwalks, now make the trail accessible during high water. Cox said that without them, he would not have been able to reach the bridge that day.
Cox is also working on a new documentary about the bridge and its history, set for release on October 30.
