Spooky Urban Legends Plentiful in Logan
They’re spooky and they happened right here in Logan.
Urban legends are the things nightmares, not to mention countless horror movies, are made of, and Logan has plenty of its own.
In the Fife Folklore Archives, located on the bottom floor of the Merrill-Cazier Library, lie numerous tales collected by folklore students that tell the stories of crying grave markers, hidden tunnels and a haunted nunnery.
One of the most popular urban legends around campus is the story of a statue in the Logan Cemetery. The story goes that after Cache Valley resident Mrs. Crosquist lost all her children, she spent most of her life tending their graves. Eventually she passed away and her husband erected a memorial of her likeness over the graves of her children so she could continue her watch over them. Supposedly, on moonless nights, people can reach out to the statue’s face and feel the tears running down.
Like many urban legends, however, there is more than one variation of this story. Some of the stories found in the archive collections states the tears are actually blood and if someone circles around the grave marker three times chanting “weep woman weep,” ghostly cries can be heard coming from the grave.
Another well-known site of urban legends is St. Anne’s Retreat, located eight miles up Logan Canyon. As the legend goes, the haunted nunnery was opened in the ’50s by a group of Catholic nuns and used as a vacation home and a summer camp. Some of the documents found in the Fife Folklore Archives claim one of the nuns was impregnated and to keep it a secret, she drowned her baby in the pool after its birth.
Other legends say the retreat was used as a secret abortion clinic for unwed mothers. Either way, what is left is the story of a woman dressed in black who wanders the grounds weeping as an infant cries in the background.
If that doesn’t induce chills, a real-life occurrence at the retreat might.
In October of 1997, The Herald Journal ran an article about a group of teens who had decided they wanted to see the ghost for themselves. They snuck into the nunnery, where they were caught by three watchmen on duty. Since they were trespassing, the watchmen confronted the teens, chased them to an empty swimming pool, tied up and threatened with shotguns until the police arrived. Whether it’s due to overactive imaginations or the spooky walk across campus after late-night study sessions, there are plenty of on-campus urban legends to go around as well.
Addie Davis, a USU graduate, said before the old library on the USU campus was demolished, she and her friends used to hear stories about a woman in old-fashioned clothing who roamed the premises.
“I had heard a bunch of stories where people saw a lady on the top floor late at night,” Davis said, “but we never saw her until one night when I was studying. She was dressed in old clothes and floating around.”
While most students hope to never run into ghosts, there are some who go looking for them.
According to several urban legend accounts found in the Fife Folklore Archives, exploring the old tunnel system that lies beneath the school has become a draw for adventurous students. People say they have seen lights flash on and off as well as voices and strange growling noises.
Other urban legends around town that are in the archives include ghostly sightings at the Caine Lyric Theater and a ghost seen at Logan Regional Hospital. Although these tales were far less documented than the others, many people report seeing the ghost of a child in the Lyric Theater after hours.
For those looking to spice up their Halloween, there are plenty of hot spots to be found. However, students should be aware of possible danger and avoid breaking any laws. After all, it’s all fun and games until someone gets chased down and tied up in an empty swimming pool.-amanda.m@aggiemail.usu.edu