The legend of the bloody bucket bridge in the town of Wauchula, FL, dates back to around the Civil War. Allegedly, a recently freed enslaved person who also acted as the local midwife was smothering babies immediately after birth and telling the families they were stillborn. She would carry the deceased babies and buckets of birthing blood and fluids to the bridge, dump the buckets in the water, and bury the remains around the bridge.
The stories go on to say her conscience began to get to her or that her madness grew. She saw her bucket fill with blood all on its own, over and over. She also heard the cries of countless babies every time she neared the bridge. One day, she lost her footing, fell into the river, and drowned. They say if you go to the bloody bucket bridge during a full moon, the river runs red with blood.
