By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
So how does a Caledonia resident end up writing about a haunted bridge in Algoma Township?
“Years ago, a friend asked if I’d heard of the legend,” said Russell Slater, author of “The Algoma Ghost: The Legend of Hell’s Bridge.” “I had not. He suggested I look into it, which I did. I found the legend to be very interesting and ideal material on which to base a modern horror story.”
The story of Hell’s Bridge, which is a metal bridge located off of Friske Drive crossing the Ceder Creek in Algoma Township, is a pretty well-known story having been featured in a number of local and national stories and various websites. According to the urban legend in the late 1800s, a man named Elias Friske murdered seven children and then threw their bodies in the stream. He blamed it on the devil. The townsfolk tried to hang Friske near the bridge for his crimes but the rope snapped with his body falling into the river never to be found.
Slater’s story has more of a modern-day twist. Because of the story of Friske, a group of thrill-seeking teenagers go to visit the bridge only to disappear in thin air. It leads to paranormal investigator Birgil Doxey to probe into the mystery only to uncover the truth to the town’s dark past.
“I’ve always enjoyed writing horror fiction,” Slater said. “Once I began researching the legend, a modern story began formulating in my mind.”
Slater said he did quite a bit of research on the legend and he utilized details from paranormal investigation groups who’ve reported strange happenings at the location such as odd sights, smells, and electronic device’s batteries draining rapidly.
But is the legend true?
“All of my research indicates that the legend is in fact, just a legend and not based on any historical truth,” Slater said. In fact, according to Michigan’s Otherside website, the U.S. Census has the Friske family in the Algoma area around 1910 and there is no one by the name of Elias Friske. Also the legend refers to the Rogue River but the bridge actually crosses Cedar Creek.
Regardless if it is true or not, the legend continues with people still visiting the bridge at midnight to see if they can hear “the laughs of the devil.”
“A certain portion of the population likes to be scared, they desire stories about things that go bump in the night,” Slater said, adding it is why people visit haunted houses or go on thrill rides. However, with a book, people tend to be on safer ground.
“People can suspend disbelief and give themselves over to a frightening experience, within the confines of safety. They know no actual harm will come to them, but that racing heart is what they crave. Unlike thrill rides or haunted houses, readers do not have to ‘ride it out’ with a book. If it gets too spooky, they can always put it down.”
Slater’s book “Algoma’s Ghost: The Legend of Hell’s Bridge” is available through a number of outlets include Schuler Books & Music. Slater has written a number of other Michigan-based books including “Acipensor: The Green Lake Monster,” “Pumpkin Patch Pandemonium” and “War for West Michigan.” He is also the founder and president of Peninsulam Publishing, which specializes in stories based in Michigan. For more, visit peninsulampublishing.com.
