Oct 30, 2023 - Culture
The dangerous, destructive and elaborate Halloween pranks of yore
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We at Axios love pranks, and it's hard to outdo the Halloween mischief of the early 1900s.
- But the tricks frequently got destructive.
Our favorites: In 1912, pranksters in Ogden somehow moved two of the blacksmith's wagons to the roof of his shop and perched a police detective's chair on top of a pole. Someone also moved an entire chicken coop to another person's yard.
- The next year, students at the U., loaded and fired a Civil War cannon that was in a machine shop on campus. The blast reverberations shattered 15 windows and could be heard around the East Bench.
- The many accounts of overturned outhouses also gave us a chuckle.
Yes, but: Some of these pranks were really dangerous.
- Tricksters soaped and greased streetcar tracks, causing cars to slide downhill, and blocked the tracks, injuring drivers. In 1918, a boy died after being dragged by a train whose conductor didn't realize he'd hit a person because the tracks were strewn with dummies and other obstructions.
- Bridges and traffic signals were sabotaged, causing serious injuries in some cases.
- Some Salt Lake kids lassoed a police officer as he was riding a motorcycle in 1910 while others burned down a barn.
- Also: Animal cruelty is never cool.
Tell us: What were your proudest (or most shameful) Halloween pranks?