The haunted past of Logan
Laughter comes from an empty room. The lights flicker. Something falls. A child runs through the hall, then disappears into thin air. Stories such as these, those of spirits trapped on Earth, are often shared throughout the month of October.
One group of passionate storytellers has taken it upon themselves to join in this effort of sharing stories of the great beyond. Members of the Bridgerland Chapter of the Utah Storytelling Guild come together each year in Logan, to share bone-chilling tales of suicide, murder and tragic accidents that have supposedly left the spirits of those involved to dwell on Earth.
Ted Erekson, a professional storyteller and member of the guild, said they share different stories each year, though the story of Everett, who is a permanent resident of the Caine Lyric Theatre, tends to be told year after year.
The story, as Erekson tells it, goes like this: a man named Everett was cast to play the second gravedigger in Hamlet. Everett wanted to make the best of the role, and got all the laughs, even though he did not have any lines. The actor playing the first gravedigger was jealous and murdered Everett one night after performing at the theatre. Many since have reported out of the ordinary experiences, such as hearing laughter when they messed up lines, seeing someone walking on the catwalk, or even seeing blood stains on the stage.
Erekson shared that a small fire once started backstage during a performance, and the audience and actors say they saw a young man run across the stage in Shakespearean garments, put out the fire, then disappear.
Erich Olschewski, who was house managing at the Caine Lyric Theatre during the tours on Oct. 14, shared that he experienced the lights in the basement flicker on and off without explanation.
For those scared of ghosts, don’t worry “The ghosts here, at least as far as we can tell, are harmless,” Erekson said.
Other stories told this year include the haunted tree cursed by a supposed witch, a young boy named Scoot who haunts the area around the Crepery, and the ghost currently haunting the location that used to house the Thatcher Opera House.
DeAnn Johnson, an assistant with the ghost tours, said that while some of the stories may seem hard to believe, they are all documented and based on facts.
“Part of the folklore and the storytelling is the ‘is it real or is it made up?’ but every story is based on facts,” Johnson said. “Something people have shared. It may have been from a family member passed down through four generations. Like Everett here. We’ve got the playbill. We’ve gotten notes from the actors that were with him, so they’ve been able to document that something really did happen.”
Those interested in hearing these stories for themselves can attend a ghost tour any Friday or Saturday evening throughout the month of October.
Visit logandowntown.org/ghost-tour.html for more information or to buy tickets.