Posted in Utah Abandoned, Attractions, Creepy January 24, 2018 by

The Story Behind This Ghost Town Cemetery In Utah Will Chill You To The Bone

If you’ve ever visited the ghost town of Grafton, you’ve probably wandered through the little cemetery there. Have you ever seen or heard anything strange? Some say that the cemetery is haunted, and considering its history, there are plenty of reasons why those who are laid to rest there aren’t resting peacefully.

The little town of Grafton was founded by pioneers in 1859, and settlers there immediately encountered problems.
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Flooding from the Virgin River forced them to move the town a mile upriver in 1862, and things never got much better. After a couple decades of hardship, the little town was almost completely abandoned by 1890, though a few families stuck around for several more decades.
During the time that people lived in Grafton, many also died. As many as 84 graves fill the Grafton Cemetery, though some are missing headstones.
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The mid-1800s were a tough time to survive in this desolate country. Some deaths occurred from disease, such as tuberculosis, others from accidents. The infant mortality rate was high back then, and the graves of babies are scattered in amongst older residents.
1866 was the worst year in Grafton, with 13 deaths that year.
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Robert M. Berry, his wife Isabella Hales Berry and Robert's brother Joseph S. Berry were all killed by Indians on April 2, 1866.
Tragedy struck two Grafton families in January and February of 1866, when six people died of diphtheria.
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The York family lost three children, ages ten, five and three in January. Sarah Ann Brookfield and her two daughters, ages five and seven all died of the disease in February.
On February 15, 1866, two young girls died in a tragic accident.
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When the swing they were playing on broke, Loretta A. Russell, age 14, and her friend Elizabeth H. Woodbury, age 13 both died.
The Grafton Cemetery also contains the graves of several Paiutes who lived in or near the town.
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With so many tragic deaths, it should come as no surprise that many visitors have reported hearing and seeing strange things here.
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Some visitors simply report feeling uncomfortable while walking amongst the headstones, but others have creepier stories.
Some who visit this cemetery late in the day, or when the weather is overcast, say that they've heard babies crying, the laughter of children and even chilling screams.
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A woman is occasionally seen here, wandering amongst the headstones. She's wearing a calico dress, her hair is up in a bun and she appears to be sobbing. People originally think that she must be in costume as part of the ghost town, but as they approach her, she disappears into thin air.
You can visit the ghost town of Grafton to see the cemetery for yourself.
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It's located just south of Zion National Park. Click here for the Google map.

What do you think? Is the Grafton Cemetery haunted?

For more haunting Utah stories, take a look at the 14 most terrifying places in Utah.

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