Vermont’s most famous ghost never existed — but tourists love her bridge anyway

Nancy Wolfe Stead’s Fabricated Emily Ghost at Gold Brook

Vermont’s Gold Brook Covered Bridge wasn’t haunted until two locals made it so.

In the early 1970s, Nancy Wolfe Stead and Hazel Carlson cooked up a ghost story about “Emily” to scare kids swimming nearby.

Their timing was perfect – America was in the grip of occult fever after “The Exorcist” hit theaters. The tale stuck when Stowe Tours added it to their route, turning a joke into a tourist draw.

Soon, the bridge had so many ghost hunters that the town had to ban night parking. This historic 1844 Howe truss bridge now stands as proof of how quickly made-up folklore can feel ancient.

Vermont’s Oldest Covered Bridge Had No Ghost Stories Before 1970

Gold Brook Bridge showed up in Stowe, Vermont in 1844, making it the state’s oldest covered bridge. Folks called it Emily’s Bridge for years, but nobody told ghost stories about it.

The bridge just sat there over Gold Brook, doing its job without any spooky tales until around 1948. Even then, people only vaguely mentioned it might be “haunted” without any specific stories.

The bridge stood for over 125 years without a single ghost story on record.

Scary Movies Sparked America’s Ghost Obsession

Americans went crazy for supernatural stuff in the early 1970s.

The Exorcist hit theaters in 1973, scaring everyone and starting a nationwide ghost and demon craze. People bought ouija boards, told ghost stories, and looked for haunted spots in their towns.

Vermont tourism folks noticed this trend and started thinking about how the state’s old buildings and covered bridges might pull in visitors looking for spooky thrills.

Two Local Women Made Up Emily From Scratch

Nancy Wolfe Stead and her friend Hazel Carlson sat around one day around 1972 and cooked up the Emily ghost story.

They weren’t trying to trick historians or start a legend – they just wanted to scare teens who swam near the bridge.

Years later, Nancy admitted the truth: “Each of us added our own line to the story, and boom, it just took off. But it was just made up.”

Neither woman checked any historical facts before spinning their tale.

The Fake Ghost Story Got A Tragic Backstory

The women created a story about Emily, a heartbroken girl who supposedly died in a carriage crash at the bridge. They said she waited for her lover who never showed up for their planned elopement, then killed herself.

The tale had all the right elements for a good ghost story – young love, tragedy, and unfinished business. They kept details fuzzy so nobody could easily fact-check them.

Soon, locals whispered that Emily haunted the bridge, forever looking for her lost love.

Teenagers Spread The Tale Like Wildfire

The Emily story caught on faster than Nancy and Hazel ever thought it would. Teens told it at parties, adding their own spooky bits with each retelling.

The local swimming hole near the bridge became the place for brave kids to test their courage after dark. “It took off and went crazy,” Nancy later said.

Each storyteller added new details, like scratches on cars, strange sounds, or ghost sightings until Emily became the bridge’s permanent resident.

A School Newspaper May Have Planted The Seed

A high school project from 1969 might have set the stage for Emily’s story. A student wrote an article for the school paper claiming to use a ouija board at the bridge.

This happened a few years before Nancy and Hazel created their ghost, but it already linked the bridge with spooky vibes.

The student’s project shows how different people added pieces to the growing legend, even before Emily had a name or backstory.

Tour Guides Turned A Joke Into A Business

Valerie Welch saw money in the Emily story and added the bridge to her “Stowe Tours” business. What started as a prank to scare local kids turned into a money-making attraction.

Tour guides told the tale with confidence, making visitors think it came from real historical events.

The bridge became a regular stop for tourists wanting to feel something supernatural, and guides happily collected fees for sharing the made-up story.

Gift Shops Started Selling Emily Souvenirs

Vermont’s tourism folks jumped on the Emily bandwagon with both feet. Guidebooks listed the bridge as truly haunted.

Gift shops sold Emily t-shirts, postcards, and ghost-hunting gear.

Visitors from New York, Massachusetts, and beyond drove hours to visit the supposedly haunted bridge. Local restaurants and hotels got more business from the increased traffic.

The made-up ghost story became a key part of Stowe’s tourism marketing, bringing in real dollars.

Ghost Hunters Kept The Neighbors Awake

As Emily got more famous, nighttime crowds at the bridge grew. Ghost hunters showed up with cameras and recording gear, hoping to catch the non-existent ghost.

College students held loud parties at the site. Paranormal teams did overnight stakeouts.

The quiet rural bridge turned into a hotspot for late-night activity.

Neighbors complained about noise, trash, and trespassing as Emily’s popularity brought unwanted attention to their quiet community.

The Town Finally Cracked Down On Ghost Tours

By 2013, Stowe officials had enough of the ghost-hunting chaos.

They passed rules banning nighttime parking near the bridge and sent more police patrols to the area. Residents complained that ghost tourists kept them awake, left trash behind, and damaged the historic bridge.

Town leaders found themselves stuck – the Emily legend brought in tourist money but created problems for locals. The bridge’s sudden fame forced officials to handle an issue they never saw coming.

A Fake Ghost Story Became Real Vermont History

The Emily legend shows how quickly modern folklore can take root and spread.

A story completely made up in the 1970s now appears in books about Vermont’s “authentic” ghost stories.

Despite the creators publicly admitting they invented Emily, tourists still visit hoping for supernatural encounters.

The bridge transformed from a historic landmark into a paranormal attraction in less than a generation. Emily may not be real, but the impact of her story on Stowe’s culture and economy certainly is.

Visiting Gold Brook Covered Bridge (Emily’s Covered Bridge), Vermont

Gold Brook Covered Bridge is on Covered Bridge Road where it meets Gold Brook and Stowe Hollow roads in Stowe. This 48.5-foot bridge from the 1800s carries regular traffic and has been on the National Register since 1974.

You can read about the Emily ghost story on an information board there – locals made up this legend in the early 1970s. There’s limited parking nearby, and Stowe banned overnight parking at the bridge in 2013.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• This Vermont colonel’s disobedience helped save the American Revolution
• New York sentenced these Vermont vigilantes to death – they ended up as Revolutionary War heroes
• The lost French village of Hocquart: Vermont’s first European settlement