A Friendly Ghost Haunts This Bridge in Maine, Hoping to Share a Beer With You

When most people think of a good ghost story, it will almost certainly come with a frightening twist. After all, Maine is home to the 'Master of Horror' himself, Stephen King, and many of his works involving the supernatural don't put a kind spin of ghastly encounters.

But there is one long-told ghost story in Maine that has nothing to do with evil spirits. Instead, you could argue it's the friendliest ghost in the state, a young chap just hoping you'll stop by and share a pint with him.

The Haunting of the Goose River Bridge in Rockport

For decades, there have been reports of ghosts sightings along and under the Goose River Bridge in Rockport, Maine. According to Seeks Ghosts, the history of the haunting dates back to the early days of settlement in Maine.

Back then, Goose River was a village without an army, and often found itself in the crosshairs of invading British armies. One resident, William Richardson, repeatedly worked with other villagers to outsmart invading troops, and celebrated their small victories with pitchers of ale.

William Richardson's Tale Turns Dark

News spread in 1783 that the war with the British was over. Celebrations took place, and nobody had a better time than William Richardson. Unfortunately, it was Richardson's enthusiasm at sharing a pint that cost him his life.

As the tale is told, Richardson carried a pitcher of beer through the streets of Goose River until he reached the bridge. There, he encountered three men who were British sympathizers. Richardson was attacked and left for dead on the Goose River bridge, the pitcher of beer still in his hand.

Richardson Became Known as the "Pitcher Man"

The first haunting encounters came in the 1950s, where two separate incidents were reported. A teen couple reported that they spotted a seemingly transparent man approaching them with a pitcher of beer in his hand. Years later, a similar incident was reported with the sighting under the bridge.

The couple reported that the ghost, beer in tow, seemed friendly versus angry. The description in those two sightings earned Richardson the nickname of "Pitcher Man". There have been several more sightings over the past few decades, prompting the town of Rockport to post a 'no trespassing' sign from sunset to sunrise.

Unless you really want to have a beer with a ghost, of course.