October 2019 | Vol. 16 Iss. 10
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IS THE OLD MILL HAUNTED? By Cassie Goff | cassie@mycityjournals.com
W
hile driving along the Big Cottonwood Canyon Road at night, the frequent curves of the road and the sparse street lighting provides a feeling of unease. Almost directly at the halfway point of the road, the faded rooftop and bricks of the Old Mill come into sight. Its age gives it character, even though it looks like any part of the building could fall off or apart at any moment. Drawing near, the light from the night sky falls in eerie directions. It’s the only thing in view, aside from the trees and other plants along a nearby trail. The only thing that can be heard is the hum from car engines and the slight sound of water running from the nearby creek. Hopefully. It has been rumored that silhouettes of ghostly humans can come into view through the glass-less windows, and that the faint sound of a dog’s bark may be detected. Whispers of the Old Mill being haunted have been heard for years. Many individuals; residents, neighbors, workers, and visitors; have reported doors opening and closing on their own, lights being turned on and off long after the building was disconnected from electricity, cold spots, a woman’s voice, a barking dog, and generally eerie-ness. The Old Mill’s history does suggest a sort of strangeness. It was originally built as the Desert News Paper Mill by the Desert News Company. Construction of the mill began in 1881, designed by engineer-architect Henry Grow, and completed in 1884. The mill was a 110-acre site, with the main building measuring 85 by 160 feet, with an additional 65-foot wide addition. It was three stories high, with a basement. During construction, some of the granite used to construct the mill was left over from the construction of the Salt Lake Mormon Temple. The mill was originally powered by a waterwheel. Remnants of the concrete head gate can still be seen on the hill East above the mill, even though the tank
The Old Mill on Big Cottonwood Canyon Road is speculated to be one of the most haunted places within Cottonwood Heights. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)
was removed in the 1950s. The Desert News Paper Mill thrived for a few years, according to an advertisement published in 1887, it had “the best facilities in this line of any house in the territories” for newspapers, books, and records. It had a machine room, engine room, rotary boiler room, and an extension for a chemical and cutting room. Soon, however, the mill’s operations became too costly. After attempting to sell the mill for a two-year lease failed, it was sold in 1892 to trustees of the Granite Paper Mill Company. In 1893, many members of the Butler family worked
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for the Granite Paper Mill Company. Leander ‘Neri’ Butler, was one of the most unfortunate Butlers. In 1893, his face and hands were badly burned by the flash of a shorted circuit in the mill. Afterward, he had an accident in the canyon that resulted in a crushed shin bone. Then in 1918, he lost his life in an electrical accident. This is where it gets weird. During the last week of March, the mill reported that it had the most successful run in its bumpy history. The manager at the time, George Lambert, allowed for the thirty employees to have a long weekend, perhaps as a reward Continued page 12 for a job well done. During
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