A photo of the Salem-Shotwell Covered Bridge in Lee County, Alabama. It was taken by M.L. Devall in October 2007.
The Salem-Shotwell Covered Bridge, also known as the Pea Ridge Covered Bridge, is a locally owned wooden covered bridge that spans Rocky Brook in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is located halfway down Park Road (formerly the east end of 7th Avenue) at Opelika Municipal Park, which is off North 5th Street in the city of Opelika. Coordinates are 32°39′33.46″N 85°22′52.94″W (32.659294, -85.381372).
During its time over Wacoochee Creek, the Salem-Shotwell Covered Bridge was said to have been haunted by children who were killed in a motor vehicle accident near the bridge a number of years ago. The original bridge was the site of a tragedy when a woman and her two children were crossing it in a car and the bridge collapsed. All three were killed.
Urban legend has it that if you put candy on the bridge’s edge at night, by the light of your car headlights you will see the ghost children come to collect the candy.
Many locals state though that no such incident ever happened. There was a girl who was strangled on the bridge, confirmed by local police officers who had worked the crime scene.