Dee Halverson was recently hunting ghosts in the desert mountain canyons and valleys east of Park City, Utah. He was searching for memories of Grass Creek, a thriving town that once had over 500 residents, a school, church, and railroad station from 1860, but totally disappeared in about 1965.There is almost no evidence of the huge coal mines and boarding houses, and the numerous company homes on that property. The local folks made memories here: The kids used to ice skate a couple of miles to the one-room school house, and ride their horses along the train tracks the 1/2 hour it took to reach the wild, booming silver mining town of Park City. There they tied up their horses on Main Street while they visited the movie theater for a matinee.
The residents took in homeless people, giving food, board and often work to get them on their feet. There were romances, feuds, deaths and births. But although they made memories, nobody kept them. They aren't written down anywhere. There are very few photos, no scrapbooks, letters or journals. The history is as blank as the landscape.
Outlaws had hideouts in the vicinity, and fortunes were discovered and lost on a daily basis. But who? How? The stories are no less interesting just because we haven't heard them. The ghosts can't hide from this history detective.
Outlaws had hideouts in the vicinity, and fortunes were discovered and lost on a daily basis. But who? How? The stories are no less interesting just because we haven't heard them. The ghosts can't hide from this history detective.
Have some ghost towns to haunt or some ghosts to be busted? Heritage Associates specializes in dead people. Contact us in Salt Lake City, Utah at 801-532-2561.
