Polygamist Pyramids, Saloons & Ghost Towns: Utah’s Hidden History & Outlaws

Hey BOLO subscribers, this week, I took a trip back in time—both in history and in my own career—out to the Utah desert near the Nevada border. I revisited Modena, a ghost town with a polygamist past, and Stateline, a long-abandoned outlaw hideout.

Once a bustling railroad town established in 1899, Modena is now a quiet relic of the past. But beneath its dusty roads lies the Righteous Branch polygamist group, also known as The Pyramid Group for their pyramid-shaped temple hidden deep in the desert. With around 200 members, this community has distanced itself from other polygamist sects like Warren Jeffs’ FLDS, claiming their plural marriages are fully consensual among adults.

While driving through the area, I couldn’t help but feel echoes of my time investigating cult activity with the Utah Attorney General’s Office. The gated-off community had an eerie feel—men emerging from houses, vehicles shifting, and watchful eyes following my every move. A local deputy warned me that wandering around might not be the best idea.

Stateline: Gold Rush & Outlaw Justice

Deciding to move on, I headed 25 miles north to Stateline, a forgotten gold rush town that boomed in 1894. It once held a population of 300 souls, but when the mines ran dry, so did the town. It didn’t just house miners, though—cattle rustlers and outlaws prowled the canyon, including Nate Hansen, who met his fate when an angry settler posse gunned him down while reclaiming stolen cattle.

Exploring Stateline was like stepping into an Old West time capsule. I wandered through crumbling saloons, old mines, and even stumbled upon a herd of wild horses. Though the outlaws are long gone, the ghosts of the past still linger in the rusting remnants of the town.

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See you at the next crime scene!