Old Tooele Hospital

You may be already familiar with the Old Tooele Hospital as Ghost Adventures performed an investigation there. But is this hospital to fall in line with others like Waverly Hills and Linda Vista? It all began in 1873. Samuel F. Lee constructed a home for he and his family to live in Tooele, Utah. After living there for forty years, the Lee family moved out in 1913. The structure, then, was turned in to a home for the elderly. Many locals dubbed it the “County Poor House”. It was later seen for its hospital potential.

With a few minor adjustments, the new hospital opened in 1953 for the Tooele Army Depot. It provided better accommodations for visitors including individual restrooms and a morgue as the old one had only but a designated room to hold the bodies until a local mortuary could pick them up. After the new state-of-the-art hospital was built in the county and the Old Tooele Hospital reverted back to an elderly home (This portion of the history is rather conflicting. I've found two different versions that are too similar to tell at this point which one is correct. I welcome any clarification from anyone who knows or has visited this location). While Ghost Adventures may have reintroduced Old Tooele Hospital to the public, it did initially achieve fame as the film site for two movies: The Fastest Indian and Stephen King’s The Stand. Then, officially closing in 2001 and remained empty until 2006. Today, it is the site of the Asylum 49 haunted attraction every year and numerous ghost hunts.

Is it haunted? Many believe so. Of those who have investigated the location, evidence collected included pictures and videos of orbs, shadows, mist, apparitions, and various other unidentifiable anomalies. Who could be haunting the hospital? There are a few candidates. Supposedly, there is a former nurse named “Maria” who guards a spiritual portal and warns the recently deceased to stay away from it. Another entity is believed to be a former patient named “Wes”. In life, he suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. Story goes the confusion he struggled with from his condition latched on in to his afterlife. He is known to stay close to his room and the outside hallway. He is also known to have a friend of a darker nature that tags along with him.

There are supposedly tons more spirits that haunt the hospital including that of Samuel F. Lee who roams the location with his young son Thomas. The boy is believed to be between the ages of six and eight and is known to be playful. He enjoys playing pranks on visitors.

Public ghost hunts are available to those who choose to pay for the privilege. Go to the website http://www.asylum49.com for more details. However, I suggest you DO NOT trespass on to the property as you will be arrested and prosecuted.

Comments

Unknown said…
actually its May 2002, as my granddaughter was born there as the last baby there
Anonymous said…
I grew up in Tooele and the legends are true.

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