A National Register iron truss bridge over the Chunky River near Meridian, tied to the legend of a murderous innkeeper hanged from its span and said to still walk the riverbank by lantern light.
Stuckey's Bridge Road, Meridian, MS 39301
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free public access via the gravel county road
Access
Limited Access
Remote gravel road, river crossing, no improved paths
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1901 · National Register of Historic Places (1988) · Mississippi Landmark (1984) · Historic iron truss bridge over the Chunky River
Stuckey's Bridge crosses the Chunky River along a remote gravel road southwest of Meridian, Mississippi, in Lauderdale County. Records in the Lauderdale County archives document a contract to build a bridge at this crossing in 1847, and historians estimate the first bridge was completed around 1850, when the location served as a main route across the river.
The original span was replaced in 1901 by an iron truss bridge built by the Virginia Bridge and Iron Company, the structure that stands today. The bridge reflects late nineteenth and early twentieth century engineering practice for rural river crossings in the region.
In recognition of its historical and engineering significance, the bridge was designated a Mississippi Landmark on August 4, 1984, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 16, 1988. It remains a noted local landmark, though the surrounding road is rural and lightly traveled.
The bridge's enduring fame, however, comes less from its engineering than from the folklore attached to it. The legend of "Old Man Stuckey" has circulated in regional storytelling and folklore collections for generations, and the site was featured on the Travel Channel's Most Terrifying Places in America in 2018.
Sources
The legend of Stuckey's Bridge, as recorded in folklorist Alan Brown's collections and repeated across regional travel and ghost-lore sources, tells of a man called Stuckey who operated an inn near the river crossing. In the story he is sometimes described as a former member of the Dalton Gang. As travelers lodged for the night, Stuckey is said to have robbed and murdered them, burying the bodies along the riverbank, until he was finally caught and hanged from the bridge above the very spot where he had hidden his victims.
It is important to note that this narrative is folklore, not documented history. According to Wikipedia and other sources, there is no historical evidence that the Dalton Gang ever passed through Meridian, nor that a man named Stuckey was a member of the gang or operated such an inn at this site. The "Stuckey" of the legend should be understood as a folkloric figure rather than a verified historical person.
The paranormal claims tied to the bridge are likewise recounted as local lore. Visitors report hearing a sudden splash in the river beneath the bridge, said to echo the moment Stuckey's body fell into the water when the rope was cut. Others describe seeing a figure carrying a lantern along the river's edge, glimpsing something walking on the bridge, or catching sight of a body hanging from the span. These accounts are anecdotal and unverified, circulated through ghost-tour culture, regional folklore books, and the bridge's 2018 appearance on the Travel Channel's Most Terrifying Places in America.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Drive the remote gravel road southwest of Meridian to reach the 1901 iron truss bridge spanning the Chunky River. The bridge is a Mississippi Landmark and National Register site, and daytime visits allow safe inspection of the historic structure and riverbank setting.
Local lore draws visitors to the bridge after dark to listen for the reported splash beneath the span and watch the riverbank for a lantern-carrying figure. The road is remote and unlit; bring flashlights and travel in a group.
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