.png)
The Benson Grist Mill
- Melissa Dawn
- Nov 30, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 9, 2023
The Benson Grist Mill is reportedly haunted by several spirits in the Tooele Valley, Utah. My husband and I decided to take a day trip to the old Mill, and here's what we found!
I had recently moved to Utah from Canada to marry my husband and become an American citizen. One of our pastimes was to visit historical sites and museums. Knowing that I am keenly interested in folklore and things that bump in the night, my husband suggested we see Benson Grist Mill, which is reportedly haunted. We watched the episode of Ghost Adventures, where Zak Bagans and crew stay overnight to tackle the dark forces on the property, so that was it, I was in for the trip!
History of Benson Grist Mill
The Mill was built in 1854 by Mormon LDS apostle Ezra Taft Benson. Church president Brigham Young instructed Benson to construct the Mill to supply a growing community of incoming pioneers. The Mill was built out of wood with a stone foundation, providing the area with ground corn and wheat for flour. It is strategically located next to a spring-fed pond and ran as a mill until 1940 when it remained closed for over forty years. The Mill sat in disrepair until 1983 when a restoration committee took it upon itself to repair it, and it opened to the public at the end of the 1980s.
Ghosts & Ghost Hunters
Although it is clear that the Mill is believed to be haunted, I have yet to trace back to initial reports of paranormal experiences. The folklore around the Mill is that two figures haunt it. One of the little girls named Alice died from drowning in the pond by the primary Mill. The other is that of a millworker who is a hostile and angry figure to encounter. Phenomenons such as a red mass caught on camera floating around the grounds, dark and foreboding energy around the Mill, a disembodied voice saying "hello," being touched by an unseen hand, and unexplained EMF readings have been reported.
In October of 2021, Ghost Adventures released an episode of their investigation at the Benson Grist Mill. Although the show used overdone theatrics by our very entertaining hosts, it was also interesting to note three buildings of interest as declared by the workers there:
The actual Mill itself
The little schoolhouse
The Barn
We visited two of the three locations, but the barn was closed off for public visits, so sadly, we didn't get a "feel" for it the way the Ghost Adventures crew did. It would be worth watching G.A.'s footage of the barn to see the layout. However, we will discuss the actual Mill and the small schoolhouse and what feelings we experienced!
The Benson Grist Mill Experience
The actual Mill that was the central area of processing the corn and wheat into flour was very busy on this particular Saturday. We went in, and a group of young teenagers were joking about it being haunted and attempting to scare each other by hiding and making ghostly wails. So, initially, it wasn't easy to get a sense of the Mill. After a while, it quieted down, and we had the place to ourselves for a bit. Upon entering the Mill, there was an area to the left where I felt someone staring at me intensely. I didn't think anything malicious was there, just someone watching, somewhat concerned. I visited the Mill twice when it was less busy, and I felt the same in the same area. (See video footage below).
What is evident about the Mill is the exceptional creaking that happens at almost every step one makes. I could see people easily being spooked by natural wood creaks if they were to spend the night investigating. In the video footage I took, you can hear me exclaim that an area is "sketchy," by that, I mean creaky, old, and unstable feeling. You go up two levels above the ground floor to the top, and it was up at the very top that my husband started to feel very uncomfortable. Is it possible there is an aggressive male up there? It is. We had to leave because the feeling was so intense for my better half! So, if you're ever there, go to the top and let me know what you feel!
The Wee Little School House
We hiked out of the Mill through the back area and came across some smaller buildings, including a tiny white with blue trimmed schoolhouse featured on Ghost Adventures. It is small with little desks. I felt rather cheery in this building. I didn't sense any foreboding or hostile entities at all. If there is a ghost in there, it does not mean anyone harm. In GA, they saw a shadow outside the schoolhouse and tested the spirits by setting up a checkerboard. I don't know exactly how that is supposed to work. I prefer to sit silently and get an impression. I did not sense anything evil or shadowy, but rather a very. Light feel to the building. If I were spending the night there, I would feel differently.
The Barn & Beyond
As I said, we did not get to venture into the barn. We walked up to it and attempted to look into the windows. It appears to be used to store equipment. They cleared it out for Ghost Adventures to film their show. My husband had the sense that spending the night in there would be a terrifying experience. I agree, and that's precisely what happened with Zak Baggins and the crew. Perhaps that rather ornery millworker lurks amongst the machinery protecting his turf.
Several other buildings on the site have some paranormal history attached to them. But I had a rather strange experience, not with a structure, but an antique sewing machine in one of the buildings. I doubt it's original to the historical site, but I was flooded with strange feelings whenever I was near it. I'm sure many of you who are into the paranormal know that spirits can haunt items. Benson Grist Mill's historical site has many items donated as decor that probably come with spectral energies of their own.
It's also worth mentioning that many of the buildings on the site have been donated and moved there from their original site, So they aren't directly linked to the Mill. Several buildings are not originals either; they are recreations or rebuilds of structures that belonged to famous historical families. If you're paying attention, you can sense the difference.
History Is Alive
If you're a history paranormal field trip buff like me, you'll appreciate visiting The Benson Grist Mill. It's free entrance, and you'll surely get an authentic sense of Utah history going through original structures such as the Mill itself. A note to ghost hunters or thrill seekers: The creaks are probably not ghosts, and if you take pictures of orbs, they're likely dust, as it is very dusty in most haunted areas. Just get relaxed and quiet and see what senses you feel. There are presences there, but they are faint and easily missed if you're not very present with the past!
SOURCES:
Comments