Cryptid Hauntings

Come with Cryptid Hauntings as we explore the haunted nature of one of natures most puzzling mysteries in southern Utah. The Silver Reef Ghost Town.

Thank you for listening to Cryptid Hantings.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Cryptid Hauntings, Mike, Mark, Pam, and Chris dive into the chilling legend of the Black Eyed Kids — mysterious children who appear at doors, windows, and lonely roads asking for simple favors. With completely black eyes and an overwhelming aura of dread, these figures are said to follow strange rules, needing permission before entering a home or vehicle. The family explores firsthand accounts, including the 1996 encounter by journalist Brian Bethel that helped bring the phenomenon into modern folklore. They examine the eerie patterns in the children’s behavior, clothing, and the lingering fear reported by those who survive an encounter. Are the Black Eyed Kids demons, spirits bound by ancient rules, or something even more unsettling — something that looks just like us?

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Send your own ghost story for a Listener Tale

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: cryptidhauntings

YouTube: @cryptidhauntings

TikTok: @cryptid.hauntings

Credits

Host: Michael, Chris, Mark, and Pam Gardner

Writer: Michael Gardner

Editor: Pam Gardner

Special Thanks: Thank you Tonya for letting us take over the basement of your home.

Sources

https://moniquesnyman.com/hall-of-horror-black-eyed-children/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/black-eyed-children-urban-legend

Romano, Aja (31 October 2012). "The definitive guide to creepypasta – the Internet's 'scariest' urban legends". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 21 November 2014.

Come with Cryptid Hauntings as we discuss the haunting of the Great Salt Lake by nothing more than a humble whale.

Thank you for listening to Cryptid Hantings.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Cryptid Hauntings, Mike, Chris, Pam, and Mark explore the history and reported hauntings of the McCune Mansion in Salt Lake City. They begin with the fascinating background of Alfred W. McCune—a railroad builder, mine operator, and politician—and his wife Elizabeth, a prominent suffragist and church leader, before diving into the mansion’s extravagant $1 million construction in 1901. The home later served as a music school, a BYU extension center, a dance academy, and eventually became a private event venue after restoration from tornado damage in 1999. Listeners hear chilling reports of a young girl seen dancing in the third-floor ballroom, footprints appearing mysteriously, mirrors acting as portals, and spirits moving objects throughout the house. The episode closes by questioning whether tragedy, renovation, natural disaster, or echoes of the past may have awakened the mansion’s lingering spirits.

Join the Community

Send your own ghost story for a Listener Tale

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: cryptidhauntings

YouTube: @cryptidhauntings

TikTok: @cryptid.hauntings

Credits

Host: Michael, Chris, Mark, and Pam Gardner

Writer: Chris Gardner

Editor: Pam Gardner

Special Thanks: Thank you Tonya for letting us take over the basement of your home.

SORCES:

Elizabeth McCune – Utah Women's Walk

Alfred McCune Home - Wikipedia

Rachel's SLC History: The McCune Mansion's Haunted History

Alfred McCune Home Facts for Kids

McCune Mansion | Utah Historical Markers

Virginia Tanner, Led Children's Dance Group - The New York Times

The Haunting at McCune Mansion - Salt Lake City, Utah

https://www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/utahs-most-haunted-the-ghosts-of-mccune-mansion/amp/

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/experiences/utah/most-haunted-place-on-earth-ut

Want to dig deeper into the history and legends discussed in this episode? Here are some accessible sources and starting points:

🐺 Werewolf History & Lore

Encyclopaedia Britannica – “Lycanthropy”

A clear overview of where the word and belief come from, including mythological and historical context.

“Werewolf” – Wikipedia

A broad, easy-to-navigate summary of global werewolf folklore and how the legend evolved across cultures.

“Werewolf Trials” – Wikipedia

Covers real historical cases where people were accused and executed for allegedly being werewolves in medieval Europe.

American Werewolf-Type Legends

Michigan Dogman – Wikipedia

An overview of reported sightings, legend history, and how the Dogman became part of modern American folklore.

Beast of Bray Road – Wikipedia

Details the Wisconsin sightings from the late 20th century and journalist Linda Godfrey’s investigations.

HowStuffWorks – “Is the Dogman Real?”

A balanced look at Dogman reports, cultural influence, and skeptical explanations.

Regional Traditions

Rougarou – Wikipedia

Explores the Cajun and Creole werewolf tradition in Louisiana and its role as a cultural cautionary tale.

The Converse, Texas Werewolf

KSAT (San Antonio) – “The Tale of the Converse Werewolf”

A local news feature covering the legend, its origins, and why it still circulates in South Texas folklore.

WerewolfPage – Converse Werewolf Legend

A classic cryptid retelling that preserves one of the most complete versions of the story.

MySanAntonio.com – Haunted Stories & Urban Legends

A regional collection that includes the Converse Werewolf alongside other South Texas legends.

Books & Deep Dives

Linda S. Godfrey – The Beast of Bray Road

One of the most influential books on American werewolf-type cryptids, written by the journalist who helped popularize the legend.

Barry Jean Ancelet – Cajun and Creole Folktales

Explores Louisiana folklore, including Rougarou traditions, from a cultural and historical perspective.

A Note on Folklore

Many of the stories discussed in this episode come from oral tradition, regional legend, and eyewitness accounts. While some historical context is documented, others persist because they are experienced, shared, and remembered — not because they were ever meant to be proven.

Share Your Story

Have an encounter or story you’ve never told anyone?

📧 [email protected]

📱 Instagram & TikTok: @cryptid.huntings

Mike Gardner and his family hosts explore the chilling phenomenon known as the Hat Man, a shadowy figure reported by many people during sleep paralysis and other altered states. The episode explains how sleep paralysis works and why it often produces terrifying hallucinations, including shadow figures and feelings of dread. They highlight the eerie consistency of Hat Man sightings across different cultures, mental states, and even psychedelic experiences. The hosts discuss possible explanations ranging from neurological misfires to interdimensional or supernatural theories. The episode closes by inviting listeners to question why so many people report seeing the exact same silent figure watching them in the dark.

Cryptidz Wiki – “Dalby Spook (Gef the Talking Mongoose)”

An overview of the Dalby Spook legend, including reported behaviors, witness accounts, and later explanations.

Source: Cryptidz Wiki, Dalby Spook

https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Dalby_Spook

National Geographic – “Gef, the Talking Mongoose of the Isle of Man”

A historical deep dive into the Gef phenomenon, including cultural context, primary sources, and analysis of the claims.

Source: National Geographic History

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/gef-talking-mongoose-isle-of-man

Buckland, Raymond. (2005). The Spirit Book: The Encyclopedia of Clairvoyance, Channeling, and Spirit Communication. Visible Ink Press. p. 144. ISBN 978-1578592135

Episode Summary

Gef the Talking Mongoose was a mysterious entity reported in the 1930s by the Irving family of Dalby on the Isle of Man, who claimed a mongoose spoke to them from inside their farmhouse walls.

Gef described himself as an “extra, extra clever mongoose,” an earthbound spirit, and a ghost in animal form, displaying knowledge of events beyond the home.

He allegedly warned the family of visitors, kept watch over the property, and accepted food offerings like biscuits and bananas in return.

Journalists and investigators visited the farm, some claiming to hear Gef, though physical evidence such as hair samples was later linked to the family dog.

To this day, the case remains debated as either an elaborate hoax or one of folklore’s most playful and enduring mysteries.

Join the Community

Send your own ghost story for a Listener Tale

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: cryptidhauntings

YouTube: @cryptidhauntings

TikTok: @cryptid.hauntings

Credits

Host: Michael, Chris, Mark, and Pam Gardner

Writer: Michael Gardner

Editor: Pam Gardner

Special Thanks: Thank you Tonya for letting us take over the basement of your home.

Episode Summary

The west desert is a little too quiet. Out in the middle of nowhere sits Dugway Proving Grounds. Are they really testing high tech, top secret equipment there or is it all just an alien conspiracy.

References

UFO sightings at Dugway Proving Grounds investigated by the Utah UFO Hunters, reported by Tooele Online.

https://www.tooeleonline.com/articles/news/ufo-hunters-report-strange-lights-at-dugway/ Tooele Online

Reddit thread showing green flashing lights near Dugway, sparking local discussion.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SaltLakeCity/comments/1ogma3g/green_light_flashing_across_the_mountains_any/

BLM info on Dugway Geode Beds, a quartz-rich area near Dugway.

https://www.blm.gov/visit/dugway-geode-beds Bureau of Land Management

Archived info on the West Desert Test Center / Dugway military facility.

https://web.archive.org/web/20051112184230/http://www.wdtc.army.mil/ Wayback Machine

AirNav listing for Michael Army Airfield (KDPG) at Dugway Proving Ground.

https://www.airnav.com/airport/KDPG AirNav

Utah Geological Survey on the March 18, 2020 Magna earthquake near Dugway.

https://geology.utah.gov/map-pub/survey-notes/the-ugs-response-to-the-march-18-2020-magnitude-5-7-magna-utah-earthquake-and-aftershock-sequence/ Utah Geological Survey

Historical weather data for June 2004 (context for sightings).

https://weatherspark.com/h/m/2694/2004/6/Historical-Weather-in-June-2004-in-Midway-Utah-United-States Video Highlight

Join the Community

Send your own ghost story for a Listener Tale

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: cryptidhauntings

TikTok: @cryptid.hauntings

Credits

Host: Michael, Chris, Mark, and Pam Gardner

Writer: Michael Gardner

Editor: Pam Gardner

Special Thanks: Thank you Tonya for letting us take over the basement of your home.

CRYPTID HAUNTINGS — SHOW NOTES

Episode Title:

The Screaming Bridge of Spanish Fork Canyon

Podcast:

Cryptid Hauntings

Host:

Michael Gardner

Episode Length:

Episode Description

Spanish Fork Canyon is a place most Utahns drive through without a second thought — until something makes them slow down.

In this episode of Cryptid Hauntings, we explore the legend known as the Screaming Bridge, a story tied to decades of documented accidents, fatalities, and unexplained experiences in one of Utah’s most dangerous travel corridors.

Listeners have long reported hearing screams, sobbing, or emotionally charged sounds near bridge crossings late at night. Others describe sudden chills, radios cutting out, children asking who’s crying, or an overwhelming urge to leave the area immediately — often before they even know the legend exists.

We examine the canyon’s history of wagon accidents, early bridge fatalities, railroad deaths, vehicle crashes, and modern tragedies, and discuss how repeated trauma can give rise to powerful place-based folklore.

This episode balances humor, skepticism, and historical fact while asking a simple question:

When a place remembers loss, how does that memory get passed on?

Sources & Further Reading

Historical & Geographic Sources

Utah State Historical Society — Spanish Fork Canyon History

Utah County Pioneer Journals & Early Settlement Records

Utah Historical Quarterly — Transportation & Canyon Travel Accounts

Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) — Canyon Infrastructure History

Railroad & Transportation History

Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Historical Archives

Library of Congress — Railroad Expansion in Utah

UtahRails.net — Spanish Fork Canyon Rail History

Accidents & Public Safety

Utah Highway Patrol — Historical Traffic Safety Reports

Utah County Newspaper Archives (1890s–1980s)

Deseret News Archive — Spanish Fork Canyon Accidents

Salt Lake Tribune Historical Archive

Listener Call to Action

Have you experienced something strange in Spanish Fork Canyon — or anywhere in Utah that left you unsettled?

📧 [email protected]

📲 Instagram / TikTok / Facebook: @CryptidHauntings

The San Rafael Swell isn’t haunted by ghosts or monsters in the usual sense—and that’s what makes it unsettling. This episode explores a landscape that resists human presence: twisted geology, unreliable water, vanishing roads, and a silence that feels intentional. From Indigenous knowledge of the Swell as dangerous transitional ground, to failed settlement attempts, ranching losses, uranium camps, and recurring reports of being watched, the pattern is consistent across centuries. Nothing attacks. Nothing follows. People simply leave. This isn’t a story about a creature—it’s about a place that enforces boundaries and reminds us that not every mystery wants to be solved, and not every land welcomes visitors.