The tiny ghost town of Spring Ranch, Nebraska, in Clay County, is rather unremarkable save one detail: it was the site of the only known lynching of a female in the state. Today you’ll see a cemetery, some building foundations, and a bridge that’s said to host the spirits of Spring Ranch’s most well-known former inhabitants.
Spring Ranch was established in 1870 and became a moderately successful little town that never accrued more than about 100 residents.
NE State Historical Society
In the 1880s, local widow Elizabeth Taylor and her brother Tom Jones owned much of the land in and around town.
YouTube/Tonya Pohlman
Land disputes and grudges with other landowners led to a somewhat contentious relationship between the siblings and other Spring Ranch residents.
YouTube/Tonya Pohlman
The tensions reached a fever pitch in 1885 when Elizabeth and Tom were accused of barn burning and murder.
YouTube/Tonya Pohlman
The details of the alleged crimes are somewhat buried in history. The prevailing theory seems to be that Elizabeth shot and killed a trespasser on her property, and the siblings burned another landowner’s barn.
YouTube/Tonya Pohlman
The two were convicted in the court of public opinion before they could be tried in real court. On March 15, 1885, Elizabeth Taylor and Tom Jones were beaten, dragged from their home, and hanged from the local bridge.
YouTube/Tonya Pohlman
Although the bridge itself has been replaced since then, it stands in the same place as the original. Believers say that the spirits of Elizabeth and Tom can be heard in the night, screaming and begging for their lives.
YouTube/Tonya Pohlman
Elizabeth and Tom’s bodies are buried in the nearby Spring Ranch Cemetery. The bridge and the cemetery draw quite a few ghost hunters and history buffs who seek to experience a bit of chilling Nebraska history firsthand.
YouTube/Tonya Pohlman
Spring Ranch is located in Clay County. If you want to visit, the easiest way is to point your GPS to 40.40651, -98.24841 (the coordinates of the cemetery) or 40°26’14.7″N 98°14’25.2″W (the coordinates of the historical marker). You’ll find the bridge not too far away on the county road.
NE State Historical Society
YouTube/Tonya Pohlman
Have you ever visited the haunted Spring Ranch bridge? Did you encounter any ghostly sights or sounds? Tell us about it in the comments!
If ghost hunting has made you hungry, check out the famous burgers at the Barrel Bar in nearby Hastings.
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Address: Spring Ranch, NE, USA
