Fisherville, KY

Do NOT attempt to walk on or near the trestles at any time for any reason! The fences near the top on either side are there for your protection, do NOT try to climb the fence. The geography of this location makes it impossible to hear a train whistle until it is too late. Trains go by frequently--two went by during the 20 minutes we were there placing this cache. Dozens of people have tragically died there, either from being struck by a train or from jumping off the trestle to avoid a train. These deaths are NOT an urban legend; they are real. There is a white cross there to represent where someone died recently.

The story of the Goatman of Pope Lick began as early as the 1800s. One version claims that the Goatman is a ghost of a boy who attempted to cross the trestle with his pet goat. Both were killed by a train and it is said that at night you can see a lantern's glow moving back and forth across the tracks. Some accounts claim the Goatman pushes people off the tracks; others that he is trying to warn those foolish enough to cross. Still others go so far as to say that he hypnotizes his victims and leads them out in front of on-coming trains.

Witnesses claim the Goatman is covered in white fur, others say that it has the body of a man/boy and the head of a goat. It is said he wails in response to the train whistle. Many area farmers claimed the Goatman mutilated their sheep. The best known story claims that a Boy Scout troop was camping near the trestle and the Goatman screamed and threw rocks at them until they fled.

Still skeptical? A Google searches will confirm our tale. Also, a short independent 1988 film called The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster by Louisville filmmaker Ron Schildknecht is available at some branches of the Louisville Free Public Library.