Caitlyn Hilton

Paper 2: A Folklore Collection

Instructor: Elisa Stone

Haunted Hive

Hauntings in the Beehive State.

Utah, well known for our giant salty lake, our amazing snow, jello desserts, fry sauce,

and oft referred to as “the Mormon State” by out of towners. Of all the things that Utah is

known for, ghosts don’t usually make the top of the list. However, those who live here know

differently. It seems that every second building you come across has a story behind it along

with its own unique ghost. Ghost tours make their way through several Utah cities, and many

haunted locations embrace the lore and become haunted house attractions for those brave

enough to enter. Recently while watching a popular TV show called Ghost Adventures I saw my

beloved state on TV yet again. The show had been called to Utah on more than one occasion by

the time this episode was filmed, and this wouldn’t be the last visit the crew would be making.

One of the hosts, Aaron Goodwin, made a comment that made me smile “what’s up with

Utah?” he asks, following up with “there’s some weird stuff here” (season 16 ep 5). I smile

because there are so many more prolific places in Utah that these loud, eccentric men have yet

to explore. They don’t know the half of it.

Utah folklore has a long and haunted history, with more stories and locations than I can

count. I didn’t fully realize the amount of lore I was dealing with when I choose this project, to

select only a few places to write about is a difficult task. Realizing I was in over my head, I

turned to my friends, family, and Facebook to ask: “What is the most haunted location in Utah
that you have ever been?” I took common answers and researched them to find the folklore

behind the locations, as well as the truth. I listened to personal stories, followed up on tips

given to me by others, and thought about my own experiences and travels within the state.

Eventually I was able to compile the collection bellow, some of the most haunted locations in

the Beehive State.

The Bundy Effect:

It seems as though any decrepit house or ominous looking location in Utah is slapped

with Ted Bundy’s name. Two of the most famous “Bundy” locations in Utah are known as “Ted

Bundy’s Cave” and “Ted Bundy’s Basement”. However, unbeknownst to most Utah natives,

neither location has any connection to the infamous serial killer at all. The Legend of Bundy’s

Cave states that one of his victims was kept in the cave and then after she was killed, dumped

outside of it. They say that this is where she was found and if you listen inside the cave you can

hear her screams. The victim that is most often named as the “cave victim” is Laura Ann Aime.

And though Laura was found in a Canyon, she was found near the bank of a river and nowhere

near a cave. There is no evidence, nor any history linking Ted Bundy or any of his victims to the

cave but this hasn’t stopped it from becoming a paranormal hotspot. I interviewed a high

school student who claimed he had a frightening experience in this cave. Michael Jonegejan is a

student at Herriman High. He and a few friends decided to head out to Bundy’s Cave one

afternoon after viewing the house he used to live in. Michael says that the atmosphere around

the gave felt uncomfortable to begin with, but it wasn’t until he started to head down into the

cave that things got spooky. Michael and his friends started hearing whispers from inside the

cave, and though they can’t say for sure it was ghosts, Michael and his friends couldn’t see
anyone else in the cave ahead of them or behind them. They didn’t make it far into the cave

before the atmosphere and the whispering became too much for them and they left.

Bundy’s Basement was introduced to me though Grimm Ghost Tours. The Grimm Ghost

Tours offer a tour known as “Outer Reaches”, it takes you to a variety of places around the Salt

Lake Valley that are said to be haunted. I have been on this tour twice now, and it was the first

time that I went when we were allowed to get out and explore this location. As we stood in

what remained of a houses foundation our attention was directed to a gaping doorway that had

stars leading down into the earth. We were told that we were standing in what remained of Ted

Bundy’s cabin, and that the doorway we were looking at was all that was left standing. Our tour

guide, whom went by the moniker of Lola Bottomy warned us against going into the basement

but reminded us that we were adults and could do so at our own risk. Lola on to remind us of

Ted Bundy’s horrific crimes, leaving us to wonder what poor spirits could haunt these ruins. It’s

easy to see why a doorway leading to only a basement in the woods could be labeled as

haunted. As I researched for this paper, I came across a startling discovery, yet again Ted Bundy

was in no way connected to the house in the woods, or any of its remains. There is only one

address connected with Ted Bundy in Utah, the home he rented in the avenues of Salt Lake

City. The basement in the woods was just a piece of local lore, lore that I had been spreading

for a few years now. I decided to reach out to Grimm Ghost Tours via the email on their

website. I felt It was only fair to give them a chance to tell their side of the story. While I did

receive a brief email from them stating they would “look into it”, they have yet to contact me

with further information.

Kays Cross:
 In my introductory paragraph I mention watching a show called Ghost Adventures. One

of the Utah locations that they visited came up several times when I asked around for haunted

hot spots. Kays Cross, in Kays hollow, in Kaysville. This is one of the more mysterious locations

that I researched, given that a lot of information of the cross is just speculation. Ghost

Adventures gives us the narrative that the cross in Kays Hollow was built to honor a cult leader

known as Krishna Venta. However, according to my research, the exact reason for the crosses

construction is unknown. While the Krishna Venta theory is a plausible one, the cross was most

likely built by a man with the last name of Kingston. Kingston was known to be a polygamist and

was also known to have ties with Venta Krishna. However, some say that the construction of

the cross was simply to honor Kingston’s family. These are the two most likely theories, but a

third story still lingers. The story most often passed from high schooler to high schooler is that

the polygamist Kingston killed his wives and buried them around the cross. The very cross that

he had constructed was to serve as a marker for the graves of his seven wives. It was after he

finished the burials of his wives that he committed suicide by hanging in a tree nearby.

In 1992 Kays Cross suffered a terrible accident, somebody blew the cross up using

dynamite. Though it no longer stands tall as the cross it once was, pieces of it remain as a

marker of its location. Though the cross is on private property, it has not stopped folks from

venturing to this haunted location in search of ghosts. It is said that the cross is guarded by

spirits and if you make it past the spectral guards the cross its self is said to be home to both a

female and male prescience. There is still question as to who these main haunts may be, kin of

the Kingston’s? Or perhaps Krishna Venta and one of his followers? Due to all the publicity

surrounding their unique landmark, the current owners decided to open the cross to the public.
The catch? The cross now functions as a haunted walkthrough with an “escape room” element

where you have to avoid security guards sent to catch you. There are also basic tours, but no

matter how you choose to visit the cross you must pay the price which will set you back about

$15 general admission.

Inn on the Hill:

The historic Inn on the Hill located at 225 State Street in Salt Lake City, is a beautiful and

looming red brick mansion. Based on looks alone, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to guess that this

English manor might be housing a few spirits. Unlike locations like Kays Cross and This Is the

Place, who embrace their spooky history and even make profit off of it, Inn on the Hill doesn’t

like to talk about their less-then-alive residents. Surrounded by well-known Haunted Locations,

the Inn still manages to keep a low profile. Those who work at the inn know differently though

and have experienced quite a few ghosts. Adrienne Howell worked as an inn keeper for the Inn

on the Hill for a few months between 2007-2008, during this time she had her fair share of

spooky experiences. Adrianne recounts a night she spent working at the inn during the spring of

2008: “. Any time someone came into the Inn, the automated door system would say, "back

door" or "front door", so you know to go out and greet whomever it is. I was sitting at the desk

on Facebook on this particular evening when I heard, "back door". I thought the family I had

been waiting on had finally arrived, so naturally I began to speak to whomever was coming

through the door. However, when I went out the back door was open, but no one was there. It

wasn't too weird because it was windy anyway. I shut the door and went back to the

computer. Five minutes later I heard "Front Door". "Hello and welcome." I went out and

again, the front door was open with nobody there. Ten minutes later I hear, "back door". "Hi
and welcome to Inn on the hill." Again, no one. I shut the door because, yet again, I thought to

myself it's windy and the doors suck. Five minutes later I hear, "back door". Nobody was

there. I locked the door because we have a doorbell that professionally lets us know when

someone was there, just-in-case. I figured the doors were opening because it was so windy but

at that point, I was a little anxious, something felt weird. Not two minutes later the automated

door system alerted me the front door was open. I was a tad nervous to go out but prayed it

was the family, but no one was there again. I walked to the front door, poked my head out,

shut it hard and pulled the handle to make sure it was closed all the way. As I walked back from

the front door to the office - which was a pretty good walk for a mansion - I heard a little girls

faint laugh”. Adrienne mentions that when she asked her manager if the inn was haunted, she

was told “yes, it is, but we don't really talk about that honey".

Though I can’t seem to find anything much of anything online alluding to hauntings at

the inn, that doesn’t mean that nothings there. After all, the Inn does have a long and storied

history. After its construction in 1906 it would later be converted into apartments and then

legal offices in the 1970’s. The inn remained that way until 1998 when it was first converted

into a bed and breakfast, and in 2004 it was restored to its former glory and continues to

function as a bed and breakfast today. If you doubt the Inns lowkey status as haunted, you can

always book a stay and find out for yourself.

Nuns in the Canyon:

You can find Saint Ann’s Retreat has gone by many names in its lifetime. It’s been known

as Hatches Camp, Pine Glenn Cove, Forrest Hills, Saint Ann’s Retreat, and it’s almost always

been called haunted. According to the book Ghosts of Ogden, Brigham City and Logan Saint
Ann’s Retreat had an innocent start as a simple summer cabin for a Utahan business man and

his family. After this is was transformed into a getaway for the rich and famous, and then it

transferred hands to the catholic church. The Retreat ended its run as a children’s summer

camp sometime in the 1980’s. So where do the hauntings come from? To find this out I had to

turn to local legend. According to lore, during its time as a nunnery something dark happened.

Some say the nuns were running an abortion clinic, another story tells of a specific nun giving

birth and drowning her baby out of shame before committing suicide. Yet another story centers

around a nun trying to hide her baby, only to have it wind up dead at the hands of her superior.

None of these stories can be authenticated, yet people have sworn they have seen the ghost of

a nun wandering about and the cries of a child coming from inside the now empty swimming

pool. It was these legends that led a group of kids up the canyon in 1997 and they got more

than their fair share of scare. It wouldn’t be a ghostly nun scaring anybody that night, as

unbeknownst to the kids Saint Ann’s was under patrol for trespassers. On this specific night

there were three guards on duty, when they came across the teens, they tied them up together

by their necks. The guards then told the kids they were going to kill them, they threatened

them with their guns and claimed to have a bomb. The teen agers were assaulted, and one teen

was even groped. While the guards did face their day in court, and were found guilty, some

believe that the guards were not acting alone. The story of the guards doesn’t come from the

men themselves, but other people who are aware of the legends surrounding Saint Ann’s.

These people believe that the guards were possessed, perhaps by a no-nonsense nun

protecting her territory. Whatever the real case may be, if you find yourself up Logan Canyon
make sure to steer clear of Saint Ann’s. Whether its ghosts, rouge security guards, or a fine for

trespassing, fair warning has been given to stay away.

Hair-raising Heritage

The last location that I looked into is considered by many to be Utah’s most haunted

location. This Is The Place Heritage Park is located at 2601 Sunnyside Ave S, Salt Lake City, and it

boasts “over 50 historic homes and structures” (“About us”). With all that history, easy to see

how This Is The Place could be haunted. The most commonly reported ghosts include: The

ghost known as The 19th wife whose real name is Ann Eliza Webb, one of the wives of

prominent church leader Brigham Young. The 19th wife is said to be seen I the Brigham Young

Farmhouse on the staircase, which oddly enough she was said to have hated during her life.

Also spotted in the farm house is one of Brigham Young’s sons known as John and even

Brigham young himself. Both the men in the farmhouse have been seen in various spots, they

don’t seem to be held down to one room or location in the house. Mary Feilding Smith, sister in

law to another famous church leader Hyrum Smith, has been spotted at The Smith House

where she allegedly shakes her finger at passersby from the doorway. Legend has it that she

remains upset that her house was placed facing the wrong way after being moved to the park.

There also seems to be an abundance of children ghosts running around. The children ghosts

are often credited with disembodied laughter, dancing in the dancehall, wandering the

cemetery, and throwing parties in a house known as the Jewkes-Draper house.

This is The Place Heritage Park if fully aware of their haunted status and have gone so

far as to embrace it. Every year during October the park transforms into a terrifying walk

through haunt. As guests are guided through the park and several of the historic houses on the
premises, they are greeted by actors dressed to scare. Workers at the park don’t seem to shy

away from sharing stories either, This Is The Place was by far the location with the most lore

and first person accounts.

Bibliography:

 “About Us.” This Is The Place Heritage Park, www.thisistheplace.org/general-info/about-

us/.

 Blanco, Juan Ignacio. Marcus Robinson | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers,

murderpedia.org/male.B/b1/bundy-ted-victims.htm.

 Grim Ghost Tours. Outer Reaches Tour. April 2014 and again October 2016.

 Hilton, Layne B. Personal Interview. 25 November 2018

 “Home.” Haunted Kay's Cross, www.kayscross.com/#tickets

 Howell, Adrienne. “Re: Inn on the Hill”. Received by Caitlyn C. Hilton, 27 November

2018.

 Jones, Jennifer. Ghosts of Ogden, Brigham City and Logan. Haunted America, a Division

of the History Press, 2017.

 Jones, Jennifer. “Kay's Cross – Polygamists, Cult Leaders & Satanic Panic.” The Dead

History, The Dead History, 31 Aug. 2018, www.thedeadhistory.com/kayscross/.

 Jonegejan, Michael. Personal Interview. 25 November 2018.

 “Kay’s Hollow”. Ghost Adventures, season 16, episode 5, Travel Channel. 14 July 2018.

 “Kay's Cross.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Nov. 2018,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay%27s_Cross.

 “We're guilty: St. Anne's defendants accept plea bargains,” USU Digital Exhibits,

accessed November 26, 2018, http://exhibits.lib.usu.edu/items/show/5762

 Webmaster. “St. Anne Nunnery's Has a History of Haunting.” The Utah Statesman, 29

Oct. 2004, usustatesman.com/st-anne-nunnerys-has-a-history-of-haunting/.

 Weeks, Andy. Haunted Utah: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Beehive State.

Stackpole Books, 2012.