Farmer John’s Meat Packing Plant

farmerjohnsmeatThere’s a legend surrounding the old Farmer John’s meat packing plant, just a few blocks away from my home. It’s said that the old factory is haunted by several ghosts.

The story I was told went like this:

In 1964, the owner’s two young children were reported missing. The kids had last been seen in the factory, and their nanny and father both confirmed that they had been brought in for a quick visit. The nanny left the children for a short break, and when she returned, they were gone. The factory was shut down to look for them, but no trace was found. After a week, police determined that foul play was likely.

Shortly thereafter, a warrant was issued for the arrest of their uncle. The man in question had been declared mentally unstable. Police reported finding human remains in the factory, namely the meat processing and cut rooms.
Two days after the warrant, a massive recall was issued from the plant. The official reason given was "meat contaminants, human in nature", and customers were strongly urged not to consume it.

Shortly after the recall, the children were declared officially dead and their father had committed suicide in the boiler room. The children’s bodies were never fully recovered.

farmerjohnsmeat1Ten years later, the new owners called police to report trespassers, claiming they had seen children running around. Frantic employees later reported seeing a man throwing two children into the meat grinder, then vanishing. No trace was found of the reported action, but both employees gave separate, identical accounts.

In 1984, twenty years after the children vanished, the body of their uncle was found hanging from the exact spot their father had killed themselves in, with "I killed them" carved into his chest. It was also reported that the grave of the father was dug up, and that the carvings on the newest body were inflicted post-mortem.

It is said that during the month of October, the ghosts of the children can be seen running around, and on the anniversary of their disappearance, you can occasionally see a man dumping two small bodies into the meat grinder. On the 31st, in the boiler room, you can see the ghosts of the two men who hanged themselves.

The plant was officially closed in 2001, and later revitalized into a haunted house. I’m skeptical that these events actually happened, given that fact, but I can’t deny that the place has a creepy feeling to it, and there was a major meat recall in October of 1964. I have also seen the ghosts of the children, but this may be due in part to hearing this legend before visiting the site.

Perhaps these events did happen. Perhaps they are a ghost legend started by the haunted house company. Either way, it makes for a good, creepy Halloween tale.

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April from Tucson, AZ

*photo credit: http://jsmexploration.wordpress.com/2010/03/20/farmer-johns-meat-packing-plant/