Few places have sparked as much public intrigue as Skinwalker Ranch. Dubbed as the most paranormally active place in America, the ranch has books and tv shows in its honor. We can learn much by looking at the ranch owners over the years. When did that haunting begin? What is the nature of the hauntings? Most importantly, what do UFOs have to do with it? The history goes back long before the United States itself. Native Americans tell of legends of terrifying creatures whose names they wouldn’t even say aloud. Today we investigate if the stories might be true or just an unbelievable cash grab.
The History of Skinwalker Ranch
The infamous ranch is located in Uintah County in eastern Utah. Since its establishment, the land has passed between four owners. The first and longest-running owners were Kenneth and Edith Myers. The couple owned the land from 1934 to 1994 and never reported anything strange during their time there. The subsequent owners, however, were not so fortunate.
Terry and Gwen Sherman owned and operated the ranch for just two years from ’94 – ’96. The Shermans reported paranormal activity, including UFO sightings, ghost sightings, cattle mutilation, strange sounds, etc. The experience was so harrowing for the couple that they sold it after just two years on the property.
The individual to whom the Shermans sold Skinwalker Ranch was Robert Bigelow. The millionaire business tycoon purchased the land in hopes of studying the events therein. As an avid paranormal enthusiast, real estate was a dream opportunity to open a research facility to study strange phenomena. Bigelow owned the ranch for 20 years, from 1996 to 2016. Finally, he sold the ranch to another millionaire investor and current owner, Brandon Fugal. Like Bigelow, Fugal is using the land to study the paranormal. Brandon’s studies provide an exciting reality tv twist, though.
The Paranormal Activity on the Ranch
Skinwalker Ranch is famous for the paranormal events that occur there. The possibilities are many. To start, the ranch sits smack in the center of UFO alley, a region of the United States famous for its wide array of UFO sightings. In addition to aliens, the ranch is known for poltergeist or ghost activity. Seismic activity and other strange magnetic field fluctuation are recorded on-site as well. A few other events include a giant bulletproof wolf, weird lightning, odd sounds, and cattle mutilation. But, of course, what makes it famous is the beasts known as Skinwalkers.
What is a Skinwalker
Native Tribal legends tell of a cursed group of shamans that bears a name that most tribal people won’t even say out loud. The name roughly translates to “with it, they go on all four,” which describes how the shaman walks on all fours with the chest facing upwards and head dangling down. Somewhere along with the line, people have dubbed these Skinwalkers because they walk in that strange fashion and do another peculiar thing.
According to the mythology, these monsters will take the faces of their victims and attach them to their front. Once this is done, these creatures can mimic that person’s voice. The beast will then call for help using that person’s voice to lure its next victim in. Yeah, it’s pretty messed up.
The History Channel
The current owner of the ranch, Brandon Fugal, is funding his studies on the ranch by creating a reality tv show that is currently airing on the History channel. Out of all the intrigue on the ranch, this might be the lynchpin. Many critics point out that the original owners lived on the property for 60 years and never experienced any of the events described today. Some theorize that the Shermans created this tale to allow the Shermans to sell the land to Bigelow. Fugal is attempting to squeeze profit from the ground by creating a tv series about paranormal activity.
Conclusion
The events at Skinwalker Ranch are some of the most phenomenal to occur anywhere on earth. However, given the history of the experiences of the past owners and the use of the two most recent owners, it is hard to believe that the stories told are true. The one saving grace for the legend of the ranch came during Bigelow’s ownership. After years of running a public research firm on the land, the government shut Bigelow’s public company down and contracted as a shadow organization to continue its studies. While the results of those studies are classified, the very existence of the studies begs the question; what did they want to know?
Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning and laughing a lot while you do, you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode right now!
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