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Showing posts with label Utah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Utah. Show all posts

History & Haunting of Fort Douglas, Utah

One of the oldest US Army posts in Utah, Fort Douglas was established in 1862 on a rise overlooking Salt Lake City. Colonel Patrick E. Connor and his CaliforniaNevada Volunteers were ordered by the military to build the fort with two primary objectives — guarding the overland mail and keeping an eye on the Mormons and any secessionist activities. Other tasks included protecting the area from Indians, guarding the transportation routes crossing Utah, and aiding road survey parties.

Commanding the Military District of Utah, Colonel Connor supervised Army operations in Utah, Nevada, and part of Wyoming. He and his troops first arrived in October, 1862, living in hastily made dugouts covered by tents. The post was first called Camp Douglas, in honor of the recently deceased Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas.

One of the few instances in which the troops saw action in the Indian campaigns was Colonel Connor’s 300-man campaign in the fall and winter of 1862-63 against marauding Shoshoni, Snake, and Bannock in northern Utah. In January, 1863 he dealt a severe defeat to the Shoshoni Chief Bear Hunter in the Battle of Bear River.

When the Civil War ended, Regulars replaced the Volunteers and soon talk of Mormon succession ended. The fort became a major supply center for the busy cavalry during the 1870s, and 1874 to 1876, the fort was almost completely rebuilt of stone. In 1878, Camp Douglas became Fort Douglas.

During the Spanish American War and World War I, the fort was used as a training base, and in both World Wars it served as a POW camp for enemy soldiers. After World War II, the Army began to slowly divest much of its acreage to the adjacent University of Utah. However, it continued to serve reserve forces for several decades.

On October 26, 1991, Fort Douglas officially closed, though the Utah National Guard maintained control of the Military Museum and the southern portion of the fort, including the historic buildings on Soldiers Circle, which continues to be used as the headquarters of the 96th Army Reserve Command and as a base of operation for U.S. Navy and Marine Reserves.

Today the fort is designated as a National Historic Landmark, includes a museum inside one of the old stone barracks, the still active 1863 cemetery, and numerous buildings. Grouped around the parade ground, stone buildings dating to 1875 include the old headquarters building, post office, stables, chapel, barracks, and officer’s quarters. The post cemetery includes the bodies of soldiers killed in the Battle of Bear River.

Though Fort Douglas’ rich history should be enough to entertain any visitor, some may be looking for another entirely different experience – the paranormal. Yes, Fort Douglas, like many forts across the American West, is said to be haunted.

The Fort Douglas Military Museum, housed in an 1875 building that was once called home to some 50 infantry soldiers, has served a variety of functions over the years, including being utilized for office space, a fire station, a mess hall, a post office, and supply storage. A century after it was built; however, it became a military museum in 1975.

The fort’s most famous resident ghost is the spirit of a Civil War era soldier who is fondly called “Clem.” Most often sighted at the museum, the ghost was given his name by a local Boy Scout Troop who, after spending a night in the museum, decided “Clem” was a scary name for the ghost. In any event, numerous reports have been told over the years of this dead soldier’s activities.


Fort Douglas Military Museum,

Numerous reports from staff and guests alike tell of Clem’s activities. Several people have seen the full-body apparition of the old soldier appearing in various places before quickly disappearing. Others have reported that they have felt spirit breathing on their necks. Yet more tales report the sounds of footsteps on the stairs when no one is there, other unexplained noises, and objects that inexplicably seem to move by themselves.

Some who have seen the spirit describe him a stocky man with dark hair and a beard, dressed in a Civil War Federal uniform. Some speculate that he may be the spirit of one of the many men who committed suicide at the fort. Clem has also allegedly been spied in the Mariott Library of the University of Utah.

Every year, during October, the museum hosts an event in Clem’s honor, telling the stories of this lively apparition, who has been investigated by paranormal groups on a number of occasions.

Though Clem is the most famous ghost of the fort, there are other reports of strange happenings on the grounds.

At Carlson Hall, which houses the history department and the ethnic studies program, a young woman who allegedly committed suicide in the 1930s, has been seen walking around the building all dressed in white. She is also blamed for the service elevator’s frequent malfunctions.

At the Humanities House on Officer’s Circle, a young girl is said to roam the building and others have reported seeing a floating face.


Fort Douglas Cemetery

In Chapel Glen, there have been a number of reports of a ghostly woman dressed in purple who has been spied in a gulley.

And of course, the cemetery is said to have its share of ghosts as well. The still-active military cemetery houses not only regular soldiers of the fort, but also those who were killed in the Battle of Bear River and German, Italian and Japanese prisoners of war. Here, visitors have reported hearing the footsteps of someone or something that isn’t there.

The fort is located on the University of Utah campus at the northeastern edge of Salt Lake City.

More Information:

Fort Douglas Military Museum
32 Potter Street
Fort Douglas, Utah 84113
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The White Lady of Spring Canyon, Utah

Due west of Helper, in Carbon County, Utah is Spring Canyon, a one-time coal-mining mecca now filled with ghost towns. Here, along this rugged path, surrounded by mountains, boulders, mining remnants, and the crumbling remains of once thriving buildings, roams an ethereal white lady.

Before the mysterious “white lady” and the many coal miners who lived in this canyon, the area was long occupied by the Fremont Indians, who left behind numerous rock art panels. Other larger occupants, namely dinosaurs, also left their marks in abundant large footprints which have been found in many of the area coal mines.

Carbon County changed dramatically; however, when the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad began to seek a route from Denver to Salt Lake City in the 1880s.


Utah Railroad in Spring Canyon, Utah by Harry Shipler, 1927.

As the railroad opened up the area, coal was discovered and by the late 19th century, the county was filled with coal mining camps. As prospectors continued to search the region for coal, more was discovered in Spring Canyon and the first mine in the district was established in 1895 at Storrs. Over the next several decades, numerous mines and small settlements sprouted up in the canyon, including Standardville, Rains, Peerless, Mutual, and Latuda.

Throughout the decades the Spring Canyon District was called home to over 2,000 miners, businessmen, and their families as the mines extracted almost 43 million tons of coal from the rugged hills through the 1960s. Though the mines brought people and prosperity to the region, it also brought tragedy and violence in mining explosions and major strikes. But, when Spring Canyon’s heydays were over, it left behind only memories, scattered mining remnants, fading ghost towns, and legends, the most famous of which is that of the White Lady.

Persisting for years, the legend has numerous variations that have been told of who this mysterious woman might have been. Though her identity may always be in question, it is interesting to note that a century ago, women and mining equaled bad luck to virtually every miner in any type of mining camp. The superstition, having its roots in Europe, was very strong among immigrants, which tended to make up the vast majority of miners of the time. These miners believed that disaster and tragedy would follow if a woman visited a mine and could cite instance after instance of “true” stories that had occurred. Though outsiders believed these instances were purely coincidental, the miners didn’t think so and became extremely agitated if a female even got near a mine shaft, causing almost as much nervousness in the mine workers as did ghosts or Tommyknockers.


Carbon County, Utah Miners, 1919

Given the superstitious nature of the coal miners, it is not surprising that the legend of the “White Lady” has been told for so many years.

The woman was believed to have lived in Latuda, which is about seven miles west of Helper on Spring Canyon Road. The mining camp, which got its start in 1917 when the Liberty Mine went into production, once boasted numerous homes, a post office, a school, a company store, mining offices, and about 400 people.

One version of her history says that her husband was killed in the mine and his body was never found. Another says that both her husband and a son were killed in a mine accident, leaving her alone with an infant daughter. The tale continues that her baby was later kidnapped, thrown into a wash and drowned. Afterward, the woman lost her mind and soon died.

Yet another version alleges that she lived in Peerless, another mining camp situated just about three miles west of Helper that thrived from 1917 to 1930. This account says that after her husband died from blood poisoning and, as his death was not mining related, she and her infant child received no compensation and were destitute. Instead of allowing her baby to starve, she drowned it, lost her mind and was institutionalized in a mental facility. Later she escaped returning to Peerless, where she later died.


Latuda about 1940

Another report says that she herself was killed in a rockslide in Latuda, while an additional story says that her child was killed in an avalanche and she later committed suicide.

A final tale says that after her husband was killed in a mine accident that the company refused to give her full compensation and after a confrontation with mine officials, she was so angry and driving so fast, that she drove off the narrow road and was killed.

Though the truth of her life will probably never be known, for whatever reason, she continues to make her presence known in the canyon. Some say she seeks revenge against the mining company or against those who kidnapped her infant daughter. Dressed all in white, others say that she continues to search for her lost child, specifically in the canyon wash. Interestingly, this sounds very much like another popular legend – that of La Llorona, who has been seen haunting rivers and streams, also looking for her lost child, throughout the southwest for centuries.


Various low walls and foundations dot the entire length of Spring Canyon

In any case, numerous sightings of the spectral lady in white have been reported throughout the years. Some of the earliest accounts say that she was known to float around the entrance to the mines, luring miners into their vast depths, ensuring certain disaster. Other tales are not so sinister, saying that instead of enticing them into the mines, she would appear to warn them to leave in order to avoid some kind of accident.

Allegedly, she has been seen several times around the Latuda mine entrance, inside the mine, and near the old Liberty Mine office. By the 1960s, the legend was so well known that teenagers often came to the Latuda mine office at night to tell ghost stories and catch a glimpse of the spectral lady. On one occasion, though there is no evidence that the ghost ever appeared, the teenagers’ visit resulted in disaster when one of them blew up the building, resulting in his imprisonment.
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Brigham Young University / Library-Music Section - Provo,Utah

In the Reading Room of the Music Section of the Library there is always a moaning noise that sometimes sounds like voices. Also, the room is always extremely cold or extremely hot. In another part of the Music Library, the Harp room, a mysterious chair, called the "ghost chair" by some appeared out of nowhere and the librarians can't account for where it came from. There is also a room in the back called the Music Recordings Archives where rows and rows of old records lie practically untouched and students often get scared or spooked in this room.
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Rock Canyon - Provo,Utah

The history on this place is that dozens of rock climbers have died right at the mouth of the Canyon, where the huge rocks start, there has also been one or more killings up there and some satanic rituals have been performed up there.  People have heard noises, and have actually seen a 70's/80's dressed man standing on a rock peek, then proceeding to run/glide down the ROCK mountain at a faster then normal pace. When leaving you can feel a presence trying to follow you.
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Sand Ridge Junior High School - Roy,Utah

There are nine ghosts and one is a little girl who can be heard talking to people on tape recorders. Then there is a boy from Roy High who walks back and forth from each school. The schools are right next to each other. One of the boys got sucked into a moving train with his bike. A couple of them were in car accidents. Teachers after school can hear children playing in the gym and feel breathing on their necks. Orbs and floating wisps are seen in the auditorium, and cold spots and strange activity happen.
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Salt Lake City Cemetery - Salt Lake City,Utah

It is a little above on the south side a little above 1150 East and 335
North inside the Salt lake city cemetery. It's this lady Lilly's
tombstone that says, "Victim of the beast 666" You get the chills when
you read it for yourself.
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The McCune Mansion - Salt Lake City,Utah

Doors locking that don't have locks on them, cold spots, as the owner drives
away he looks into the rear view mirror and sees lights going on and of
all through out the unoccupied house. The mansion is haunted by a
little blonde girl, about 11 or 12 years old. She has been seen walking
in and out of the big mirror on the west wall. She has been seen
walking the rooms and been known to rearrange items and indeed lock
doors. People that have seen her say that she look like a young girl
depicted in a painting hanging the house. Lights come on at all hours
of the night and witnesses have seen footprints that begin and end in
the middle of the room.
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Pioneer Museum - Salt Lake City,Utah

Strange things have been observed in the Pioneer Memorial Museum by the Utah
State Capitol surveillance camera.  Authorities reported the
specter of what appears to be a woman's face first appeared in the
early morning hours of October 10th 2007 in the motion cameras. 
The image lingered on the camera for about five minutes but, when
officers investigated, they found no sign of life in the museum. Since
this time, the face appeared three or four nights of a seven or eight
day period.  Camera lens were cleaned and other explanations were
speculated, but no conclusion as to the face has been made.
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The West Temple and 2nd South Area - Salt Lake City,Utah

Banks, hotels, and The Capitol Theatre have all witnessed ghosts and have had poltergeist activity. The area has been the location of several murders including the deaths of the Emanuel David Family where a woman threw her children off the 12th floor of an Area Hotel. People have heard the screams of a little girl saying "Mom don't make me do it."
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Old Tooele Hospital - Tooele,Utah

This hospital was open in 1953 for the Tooele Army Depot. Later open to the public. It was closed down around 2001. There have been many EVP's recorded, orbs and shadow figures in photos, and curtains opening and closing by themselves along with many other strange things. There are several entities that roam these halls and a little girl has been seen and
heard. There have been several ghost hunts at this location where a lot
of evidence has been collected. The hospital has been turned into
Asylum 49 Haunted Hospital, a haunted attraction for October. They also
do public ghost hunts.
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Lake Powell - Utah & Arizona state line,Utah

Lake Powell is an artificially created lake. Prior to it's being damned, it
was an ancient riverbed canyon with Prehistoric Native American figures
etched into the rocks. It was sacred to many different tribes and
reportedly many people had died and been buried there. After the canyon
was turned into a lake, many people have drowned or died in mysterious
ways while recreating at the lake. It is also said that flute music can
be heard playing, along with laughing and crying.
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