A Florida Ghost Story
Legend holds that the ghost
of a young bride haunts this
old Florida bridge.
Samuel Bellamy Home
The mansion built by Samuel
Bellamy was a landmark in
Marianna for more than 100
years.
The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge - Marianna, Florida
ExploreSouthernHistory.com - The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge, Florida
Bellamy Bridge
This Florida landmark is the setting for one of the
state's best known ghost stories.
A Northwest Florida Ghost Story
The story of the ghost of Bellamy Bridge is
one of Florida's most intriguing tales. The
legend holds that the restless spirit of a
young woman named Elizabeth Jane
Bellamy roams the picturesque swamps
bordering the Chipola River near Marianna
on particularly dark and foggy nights. The
wife of one of Florida's early economic and
political leaders, Elizabeth is buried in an
overgrown family cemetery near the skeletal
remains of one of a century old iron frame
bridge known locally as Bellamy Bridge.

The bridge is located on private property and
cannot be accessed by road, but the Chipola
River is a state canoe trail and boaters pass
beneath the historic structure daily.

As the story goes, Elizabeth was the beautiful
young bride of Dr. Samuel C. Bellamy, a
prominent Jackson County planter, politician
and an examiner with Florida's Union Bank.
The two were scheduled to be married in the
back yard of a beautiful mansion built by the
doctor in Marianna, but in the hours following
the wedding, tragedy struck. Elizabeth, the
story tellers say, was either dancing with her
new husband or reclining to rest in a
comfortable chair (stories vary), when her
long gown suddenly came in contact with
either a candle or an open fireplace. The rich
material burst into flames and, before her
husband or any of their guests could react,
Elizabeth ran screaming from the house.

Overcome by the flames, she was horribly
injured. After lingering near death for several
days, she finally died and was buried in the
Bellamy family cemetery near the future
Bellamy Bridge site. But, according to the
legend, the grave was unable to contain her
interrupted love for Samuel. A spectral figure
dressed in white soon began to appear at
night along the banks of the river, prompting
local belief that it was the ghost of Elizabeth
Bellamy.
It is a fascinating story, but is it true? Actually,
the truth behind this unique and tragic Florida
legend just may surprise you. To learn more,
please click here to visit our page on the True
Story of the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge.

Also be sure to click here to check out our
page showing a photograph taken by
historian Dale Cox that some think shows
the real ghost of Bellamy Bridge!

Bellamy Bridge is no longer accessible by
land, but spans the Chipola River north of
Marianna. The river is a popular canoe trail
and flows directly beneath the old bridge.

Please click here to see additional pictures
of historic Bellamy Bridge.
Copyright 2009 by Dale Cox
All rights reserved.
Bellamy Bridge
The historic bridge is no
longer accessible by land, but
spans the Chipola River north
of Marianna. The river is a
popular canoe trail.
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