(Photo Credit: Eric Jones)
LOGAN, Utah- The Hatch family began building their cabins in Logan Canyon in 1910. They included small playhouses for children and, unusual for the time, a swimming pool.
The family occupied the cabins in Logan Canyon for years, but by the 1950s, they were vacant and had been vandalized repeatedly. They were donated to the Catholic church, and for several years they became St. Ann’s Retreat. The property was sold again in 1992 and it’s changed hands several times since. Now the property is for sale again, and there’s new interest in its history.
Over the years, a number of legends grew up surrounding the property, including a persistent story about a pregnant nun and a drowned baby. Retired Utah State University folklorist Randy Williams says prejudice toward a minority religious community in Cache County may be responsible for keeping that circulating in the community.
“People in Cache County still know that legend, and people, especially youth, still tell it. And most adults will have knowledge about at least one version,” Williams said.
Williams contributed to the creation of an online exhibit at the Utah State University library, detailing the history of what’s called Hatch’s Cabins as well as St. Ann’s Retreat.
The cabins were the scene of a serious and very real incident in 1997 when about 40 trespassers on the property were held at gunpoint by three men who were acting as caretakers. The trespassers were cited, but the three men were arrested and charged with aggravated assault.
While the cabins themselves are private property, now surrounded by fences and barbed wire. But the land belongs to the U.S. Forest Service. District Ranger Jennefer Parker is hoping any future owner of the property will allow more public access.
“Our intention for the Forest Service would hopefully be to maintain the historic character of that site and that there be some type of public benefit to that site being on national forest land,” Parker told KSL Newsradio.
Realtor Eric Jones says there are several potential buyers interested in the property. The asking price is $700,000.