Utah is well known for its many ghost towns and hauntings. While the town of Layton is not a ghost town by any means, there are plenty of stories of creepy occurrences and spooky sightings. Despite the beautiful location, the deaths and subsequent hauntings of Hobbs Hollow are some of the creepier tales.
Settled in the late 1800s by the Hobbs Family, the place nicknamed Hobbs Hollow was relatively quiet until an earthen dam was finished in 1920 to create a reservoir. Used by local farmers for irrigation, it was also a popular spot to picnic and fish. Police have warned against swimming in the waters almost since its creation, however, and for good reason.
On August 6th, 1944, three military men decided to cool off in Hobbs' waters. The survivors reported they were swimming across the reservoir when Private William C. Opey began calling for help. Private William Smith swam to his friend to try and help him but soon became too exhausted to keep both of them afloat. He had to use his remaining energy to swim to shore, and Private Opey disappeared under the water.
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Dynamite was eventually utilized to try and find the drowned man.
After dragging the bottom of the lake to try and find the body, officials resorted to blasting the water with dynamite. The concussive force was supposed to shake the body loose from any weeds or sediment keeping it under, and eventually, it worked. Pvt. Opey’s body was recovered three days after he went under.
Five more people have drowned in the lake since then. They’ve all been male and under the age of 20. All were swimming with friends when they seemed to lose their stamina and slip under the water. One was a locally renowned athlete, and yet even he was bested by the dangerous waters.
The ghost stories have been around since the 1970s.
After the news of the drowned athlete began circulating around the town of Layton, other stories began to be whispered about Hobbs Hollow. Some people began to report seeing strange lights in the water after sunset. Others who walked the nearby paths late at night swore they could hear someone in the water calling for help, but never saw anyone when they went to investigate.
It was an 11-year-old boy who had taken his dog for a walk on one of the three paved paths that navigate the shores of Hobbs Reservoir. When he didn’t return home after three hours, a search was conducted. The dog was quickly found at the edge of the water looking out over the lake, the boy’s body later recovered not too far from shore.
Despite the stories, it is still a favored fishing spot.
Swimming is the only aquatic activity that has been banned at Hobbs Hollow. Fishing and kayaking are still encouraged, and many prize fish have been caught in the seemingly tranquil waters. The common theory as to why this deep lake is so dangerous to swimmers is that it is still used for irrigation, and an undertow caused by the releasing of water is strong enough to pull even the best swimmers under. While that may explain the deaths, there is still no explanation for the haunting voices forever crying out for help.
If you want to visit the reservoir to take advantage of the lovely scenery, be warned: people have reported their electronics glitching and losing power the closer they get to the water. Or have you already visited Hobbs Reservoir? Was it for the fish or to try to spot a ghost? Let us know in the comments! And if you’re still not feeling the heebie-jeebies, try reading about the other hauntings keeping people awake in the town of Layton.
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