North Temple… On The “Other Side”
When I moved to Salt Lake City and into the apartment complex on North Temple I knew something was amiss about this street. I’m not referring to the homeless or criminal element, this is something much-curiouser than a drug-deal or a stumbling drunkard. No, I’m hinting at the possibility of a HAUNTED NORTH TEMPLE!
Once I was situated here I went into investigation-mode. My “spider-sense” was tingling and I was hell-bent on getting to the bottom of this caper. I began taking late night (after 1am) frightful-sojourns along North Temple, west of the North Temple Bridge.
The first few nights I simply wandered about puffing my chest to make myself look more intimidating, while surveying my surroundings for anything more-out of the ordinary than usual. I will say this, North Temple is the most off-putting place I have ever investigated, and I’ve been known to sneak into abandoned “haunted places” and wade into “monster infested waters” at night for fun.
After a few nights of this and making myself seen, I began my inquiry.
Now, I don’t know how reliable these first set of stories are, but they are important to point out. One night I approached a gentleman named Jeremy. He was sitting in front of the vacant building next to the McDonalds. He claimed to have heard stories referring to a “floating-half-man” that has been seen hovering near or on the Jackson/Euclid Trax-stop. He had never seen it himself, only heard others talk about it. A group of individuals in the 7-11 parking lot were very eager talk about supposed “Shadow People.” These are dark detail-less masses or energies that shaped like humans. There is a lot of lore surrounding these beings and they have been “seen” roaming around this area. One sighting was near the intersection of North Temple and 1000 West. A couple were walking along the South side of the street saw what looked like a person lying in the middle of the road. At first they thought it was someone that was hurt or passed-out, but as they approached it it ever-so-gracefully, and (without moving its arms and legs) lifted itself off the ground and floated off through the wall leading into the fairgrounds.
As I write this I am sitting inside the Mestizo Coffee House, a favorite “haunt” of my own and home of many uncanny events. A few of the Mestizo employees have opened up to me regarding some of the extraordinary occurrences that have been witnessed over the years. There are tales of strange noises, voices resonating from the gallery section when no one, but the closing-employee is present. There have also been strange visual sightings.
One night, close to closing time, one of the customers was sitting and reading at a table in the back corner of the cafe, when in the right of his peripheral vision he saw a “small gray humanoid,” “approximately three and a half feet in height standing next to his table.” “Its two small hands were holding on to the edge with its head peering over” as if to see what he was reading. The customer turned to look and at the… thing and “shwish-Swoop!” It was gone! All he saw was a gray flash as whatever it was rushed off, disappearing into the back hallway. I’m calling gnome!
November 2016, Mestizo had closed for the day and one of the male employees was finishing up his nightly duties. He left the kitchen for a few minutes and upon returning he found one bare, wet footprint at the entrance of the kitchen. He searched the cafe to see if anyone else was left in the cafe, he was alone. He took a photo of the print with his phone. This was no isolated incident! A couple that live in the apartments that are connected to Mestizo had a similar experience. In June of 2017. One morning they woke up to find a moist, three fingered hand-print at the foot of their bed. It was a small hand with thin fingers. They put a quarter next to it for scale and took a photo of it. They didn’t report any negative feelings or presence and neither have the Mestizo employees.
Whatever being or beings at this location seem to be very benign. One might theorize that these prints that have been left are little more than “their” way of say “hello.” Well, word on the street says owner-less voices can be heard arguing in the kitchen of the local Arctic Circle, and only during the month of December… I’m gonna go check it out!
Danny B Stewart is an “anomalogist” -a scientist of anomalies- and a Performance Artist, Lecturer, and Professional Storyteller. He’s also pretty sure North Temple’s Homeless population think he’s off his rocker.
