About 12 miles north of Wichita, Kansas sits the small town of Valley Center. Now having a population of a little more than 5,000 residents, the settlement was born in 1872 on the banks of the Little Arkansas River. Located along the ever important railroad, the town grew to include a post office, three stores, two blacksmith shops, a grain elevator, and several homes by the early 1880’s.

Though now a bedroom community to nearby Wichita commuters, one of biggest attractions in this quiet town is that of the haunted Theorosa Bridge, also known as the 109^th Street Bridge and the Crybaby Bridge.

On an old country road three miles north of town on Meridian Street, this old bridge spans Jester Creek at the intersection with 109^th street.

There are several legends about the haunting of this bridge all based on a baby drowned in the creek below. Today, the bridge is a simple concrete bridge that normally no one would pay any attention to, except for the legends.

The first legend tells of settlers who were passing through the area in the late 19^th century when they were attacked by Indians and a baby named Theorosa was kidnapped. Her grief-stricken mother was said to have left the wagon train to search for her missing daughter and reportedly continues to look today as her mournful cry can still be heard calling out for her child.

Another legend has it that a skirmish between the cavalry and an Indian tribe living by the creek occurred about this time. In this version, an Indian woman is stabbed and her baby is dropped into the creek and drowned.

Yet another tale suggests that a woman named Theorosa is a young woman who has an illegitimate baby and drowns it in Jester Creek to hide her shame. Later, overcome by guilt, she drowns herself in the creek as well.