This episode digs into a notorious local legend from Soda Springs and Hooper Springs, tracing the story behind the so-called Hooper Ghost and the 1925 murder of Frank E. Thirkill. Tracy, Casey and Kaid are joined by Galen Wilson and Jen Schaefer, who bring family history, newspaper clippings, and firsthand community memory to the table. What starts as a Halloween-season ghost story turns into a detailed look at local history, genealogy, and how a tragic event became folklore.
Key topics
- In this episode, Galen Wilson explains the Hooper Ghost as a real family story, not just a spooky tale, and identifies the man behind it as Frank E. Thirkill Jr.
- Jen Schaefer reads from an old newspaper article describing the murder of Thirkill by farmhand Warren Lowry on Christmas night in 1925.
- The group discusses how the story was passed down through family members, including Aunt Lula, Hattie, and other Thirkill descendants.
- Tracy and the guests connect the legend to actual places in Soda Springs, including Hooper Springs, the Thirkill home site, and the cemetery.
- They describe how local history and preservation efforts in Pocatello and Soda Springs help keep these stories alive.
- The conversation highlights the role of Dr. Kackley, who appears in the original report and later in the effort to investigate the crime.
- Galen shares how the story faded from public memory, then resurfaced through FamilySearch records and family submissions.
- Jen talks about visiting the original cabin site and how the location, now partly collapsed, still carries a strong sense of history.
- The episode also touches on how tragedy, family ties, and local folklore blended into the Hooper Ghost legend.
- Tracy frames the whole discussion as a Halloween-season local history segment with a murder mystery angle.
Timestamps
00:00 - Ghost hunting aftermath and setting up the Halloween story
02:16 - Local history tour and preserving downtown Pocatello
04:39 - Introducing Galen Wilson and Jen Schaefer
05:08 - The Hooper Ghost story from Hooper Springs
06:05 - Discovering the ghost was a real family member
07:29 - Frank E. Thirkill Jr. and the Thirkill family connections
09:52 - The 1925 newspaper article and how the clipping survived
10:22 - Reading the headline and opening of the murder report
12:10 - Details of the attack on Frank Thirkill and his wife Hattie
14:04 - Hattie escapes with her baby through the snow
15:14 - Lowry’s suicide and the recovery of the body
16:42 - Background on Lowry’s employment and prior life
20:15 - Finding the burial site and cemetery records
22:10 - FamilySearch records and adding the story to the memory page
23:03 - Visiting the cabin site and the property owner’s concerns
24:25 - What the cabin looks like now and why it matters
25:52 - Connecting the family tree across generations
29:50 - Cemetery locations and the Thirkill family block
31:20 - Reflection on the tragedy and the community response
32:18 - Dr. Kackley role as doctor, investigator, and coroner
35:55 - Reading the death certificate
38:16 - Why the Hooper Ghost story faded from memory
40:28 - Early family memories of the Thirkill story
41:20 - How the Hooper Ghost legend lived on through local warnings
42:03 - Clarifying the ghost’s identity and the final details of the case
02:16 - Local history tour and preserving downtown Pocatello
04:39 - Introducing Galen Wilson and Jen Schaefer
05:08 - The Hooper Ghost story from Hooper Springs
06:05 - Discovering the ghost was a real family member
07:29 - Frank E. Thirkill Jr. and the Thirkill family connections
09:52 - The 1925 newspaper article and how the clipping survived
10:22 - Reading the headline and opening of the murder report
12:10 - Details of the attack on Frank Thirkill and his wife Hattie
14:04 - Hattie escapes with her baby through the snow
15:14 - Lowry’s suicide and the recovery of the body
16:42 - Background on Lowry’s employment and prior life
20:15 - Finding the burial site and cemetery records
22:10 - FamilySearch records and adding the story to the memory page
23:03 - Visiting the cabin site and the property owner’s concerns
24:25 - What the cabin looks like now and why it matters
25:52 - Connecting the family tree across generations
29:50 - Cemetery locations and the Thirkill family block
31:20 - Reflection on the tragedy and the community response
32:18 - Dr. Kackley role as doctor, investigator, and coroner
35:55 - Reading the death certificate
38:16 - Why the Hooper Ghost story faded from memory
40:28 - Early family memories of the Thirkill story
41:20 - How the Hooper Ghost legend lived on through local warnings
42:03 - Clarifying the ghost’s identity and the final details of the case