Within the urban sprawl of St. Louis lies a remote area called “Zombie Road”. Urban legend tells a variety of eerie tales which include being host to ritualistic and occult practices which spawned inhuman and demonic entities while other tales tell of those who met their peculiar demise and still roam this desolate road in the afterlife.
With centuries of erosion forging a traversal path through the bluffs along the “River of Death”, (so named by those who use to call this their home centuries ago) this area has seen many come through its natural carved corridors to a crossable ford in the River below. Its flint enriched bluffs offered an abundance of the raw materials necessary to make the tools and weapons needed for survival through time.
Some say this is called Zombie Road because the railroad workers who once worked here rise from their graves at times to roam about. Some insist that they have heard old time music, seen anomalous moving lights, and other ghostly sightings from that forgotten era. Another tale tells of a patient nicknamed “Zombie” who escaped from a nearby mental facility never to be seen again. His blood
soaked gown was later found lying upon the old road later named after him.
Other tales include one of an original settler who met their demise upon the railroad tracks. Another includes a pioneer who lost his wife in a poker game then went back to his homestead and took his own life. Many still report seeing these lonely spirits even today.
During the age of Prohibition, a nearby town housed speakeasies and the summer homes of well known gangsters.Tales tell of individuals who were dealt a bad hand by such public enemies resulting in their permanent placement within the ground or bordering river, never to be seen again.
The bordering river has tragically been the resting place of many throughout the years.Children and adults alike have taken their last living breath within its dangerous waters before being found washed up on its shores. Even to this day, several children meet their demise along these treacherous banks.
The railroad still says “Death hath no mercy”, as many have met their final fate upon its tracks. Local lifelong residents can still remember multitudes of tragic occurrences dating back to the 1950’s. One of these occurred in the 1970’s when two teens were struck by an oncoming train. Some of the local residents were used in search parties to find the dozens of body parts scattered about the area.
During the 1990’s, a mother and her five-year-old child were crossing a bridge when an oncoming train struck them. The mother’s last action was pushing her five-year-old child off the bridge. The engineer was able to stop the train and save the child, although the mother was killed. This, though still tragic, is one of the happiest endings to a story this area will ever provide.
More recently, this area has become refuge for those wanting privacy to practice the occult and other rituals. Who can really know what true doorways to the darkness or unknown have been opened here. This area is also a popular beacon for teens looking for thrills. In the 1970’s, groups of teens engaged in a popular practice called “huffing”, or inhaling dangerous chemicals with the intent of a high, on this road especially. One group of teens were using a can of cooking spray to huff and one of the boys fell unconscious and took his last living breath. Other such drug related deaths have been noted to take place on this road as well over the years.
During the 1960’s, a couple in their late teens were on top of the bluffs overlooking the road below. The male somehow lost footing during the fall and caught his face in a fork of a small tree growing out from the side of the bluff. His face and scalp remained while the rest of him fell to his death upon the road below. This being the most gruesome of deaths on the high bluffs, others have also met their deaths attempting to climb them as well.
The area has also seen its share of suicides and murders. In the 1970’s, a hunter stumbled across a car still running at the end the road. Closer inspection revealed a hose running from the exhaust pipe to the inside of the car with the driver slumped over the steering wheel.
One can agree that there is no lack of legends or tragedies surrounding this area which can explain the bizarre and eerie encounters of those who visit. Missouri Paranormal Research (now a division of Paranormal Task Force, Inc.), investigated this area on several occasions. Its visits converted many true skeptics into true believers of the paranormal. Within an hour several people in the team were surprised and frightened to see a human sized shadow figure descend upon them from a small bluff nearby, then run onto the road, stop, then disappear into the darkness of the night. Throughout the night, others heard unexplained voices, were touched by the unseen, and witnessed the unfathomable. This was one night that concluded that this urban legend may not be just a string of stories after all..
On a side note - if you live in the St. Louis area (or are just exploring), be advised that trespassing in this area is INCREDIBLY dangerous. Many people have been critically injured looking for thrills here. If you do really want to go, make sure you’re in a group and have the necessary supplies in case of injury and have a way of calling for help. Be safe!
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