(Old) Solomon Bridge-Haunted? Traditional Cache
Team Smallville: This one has run its course.
(Old) Solomon Bridge-Haunted?
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache is located in Solomonville, Arizona. Now, folks just call the town Solomon. It is a very tiny town in Southeastern Arizona close to Safford. A drive through "main" street will reveal old, decrepit buildings once used as a main center of commerce in the Gila Valley. I believe Valley National Bank (now Bank One) opened their first branch here. Don't forget to stop by the La Paloma for a great bit of Mexican food!
The cache is actually located south of the town. It is hidden in the ruins of the old Solomon Bridge. The reason I chose the location is to tell visitors about its "haunted" history. Old timers will tell you many versions of the ghost story, but I will only share three with you...
Version 1- The old bridge crossed the San Simon River. Stories have it that a woman lost two of her children to the river. In dispair, she also drowned herself. Her ghost is said to haunt the old bridge. If you go to the site at midnight, you can hear her moaning and wailing for her dead children. By the way, the woman's name is Mona.
Version 2- This version is a little more gruesome. A woman, angry at her lover, brutally kills her 2 children and throws them in the river. She then kills herself in front of her lover. It is said after dark that if you get out of your car, lock it, and run around it three times, the locks will open by themselves. Another twist has the woman's ghost grabbing your legs from under the car or grabbing your shoulder after you run around.
Version 3- A mean and nasty troll lives under the old bridge and if you stopped your car on it he would get you.
You can pick your favorite version when you visit the site. The old bridge is gone, so I am guessing the ghosts are as well. Please let us know if any of these scary things happen to you!
To get to the cache from Safford, Arizona, go south on Highway 191 until you get to the Solomon Road turn off. (There is a stop light here.) Turn east and travel about 4 miles. From there you are on your own. Other than the history, there really is not much to see. As a matter of fact, some short-sighted individuals have used the area as a dumping ground for all sorts of garbage. If you remember, take some garbage out with you. The cache is a well hidden camouflaged cookie tin and has the standard goodies. There is one special prize for the person who finds the cache first. I found a bunch of old railroad spikes at the first cache I ever hid (Red Knolls 1) so I decided to make them "first find" rewards. Please take the spike if you find the cache first!
Enjoy!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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