The Cottonwood Paper Mill is an abandoned stone structure located at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was built in 1883 under the direction of Henry Grow. Workers used paper making equipment brought in from the old Sugar House Paper Mill to grind logs from nearby canyons into pulp. During its operation, the mill could yield up to 5 tons of paper per day.
On April 1, 1893, a fire broke out among its indoor stored stockpile of paper. Many hearing the alarm thought it an April Fools' Day prank. All that remained following the fire was a stone skeleton.The structure was partially rebuilt in 1927 for use as an open-air dance hall, known as the Old Mill Club, and remained so until the 1940s. In the late 1960s, rock bands played there on Friday and Saturday nights. It was also used in the 1970s and 1980s as a haunted house and a craft boutique. It was condemned by the city of Cottonwood Heights in 2005.
Whispers of the Old Mill being haunted have been heard for years. Many individuals — residents, neighbors, workers and visitors — have reported doors opening and closing on their own, lights being turned on and off long after the building was disconnected from electricity, cold spots, a woman’s voice, a barking dog and general eerie-ness.
