Did The Devil Kill Someone In Utah?

I have never been afraid of the word quirky. Some people might consider me to be in that category, and I'm just fine with that. So, because I don't mind quirky things, I did a recent Google search on the “quirkiest” places in Utah and got some interesting results.

Utah.com has listed the 10 most bizarre places in Utah and while I won't go through the entire list, some of the places seem like they would be worth a visit.

The first bizarre place on the list, is a place I've been to, and don't really consider it all that bizarre. Many people in the state know the story of Thistle, Utah. It was a small railroad community up Spanish Fork Canyon in Utah County. In April 1983, it was destroyed by a massive landslide, one of the most costly natural disasters in U.S. history at the time. The slide blocked the Spanish Fork River, creating a dam that flooded the town, submerging homes and railroads. The town was abandoned and is now called a ghost town, but to my recollection, I don't hear of many ghost stories that come from Thistle. If you know of any, be sure to leave them in the comments.

But number 2 on the list did pique my curiosity. It seems that someone believes the Prince of Darkness has “done somebody in” here in the state of Utah. At least according to a headstone in Salt Lake City.

Lilly E. Gray’s gravestone in Salt Lake City’s cemetery, inscribed with “Victim of the Beast 666,” has fascinated and perplexed visitors for decades. The cryptic message has led to widespread speculation, with many linking it to satanic themes or conspiracy theories.

While it's fun to speculate, Gray, who passed away in 1958, had her cause of death listed as “natural causes.” If Satan had been involved wouldn't that be considered un-natural?

Many theories center around Lilly's husband, Elmer. He was a reclusive figure, and may have been responsible for the "Victim of the Beast 666" message, as some speculate it reflected his own views or paranoia. Elmer had a history of eccentric beliefs and grievances against the government, and some think the inscription was his way of expressing his frustrations.

According to the list, the closest bizarre spot to us in southern Utah is over by Fishlake. About a mile south of the lake is a forest of Aspen trees, or so I thought. Turns out is Aspen tree. I don't know how it all works, but due to what they call cloning, the Pando (Latin meaning “I spread:) tree spreads out over 106 acres and is said to be the largest and most dense organism ever at over 13 million pounds. The folks in the Fishlake National Forest say that this is the best time of the year to go visit Pando.

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Sounds like it might be time for a little fall road trip.