by Deb Anderson
Alamosa-the Luther Bean Museum is the site of a UFO sighting that left a horse named Snippy dead with unusual holes in the ground around the body. On September 9,1967, the three year old gelding was found with all the flesh on its neck and shoulder carefully removed and the internal organs were missing, yet the rest of the carcass was intact. The hoof prints of two other worse is turned away from Snippy’s tracks, and headed back toward the ranch house. No other tracks were found around the carcass.
Brown’s Park-Brown’s Hole-the ruin of Butch Cassidy’s cabin where he and the wild Bunch hit out is rumored to give visitors. Sensations of being drawn back in time by the powerful emotions of the individuals who rode through this Valley. Brown’s Park is in the extreme northwest corner of Colorado in Moffat County, near Maybell, Colorado.
Central city-the Masonic cemetery is said to harbor the ghost of a lady in black satin dress that has been seen placing blue Columbine flowers on the grave of John Edward Cameron. Cameron died of “heart paralysis” on November 1, 1887 at the age of 28. A beautiful woman in black attended the funeral and reappears every April 5 and November 1 to put flowers on his grave. No one knows who she is, but she is rumored to be a ghost of a former lover who committed suicide after Cameron wed another woman. On November 1 (no year given), over a dozen people gathered at the grave hoping to get to glimpse of the ghost. Then at sundown, she appeared and lay flowers on the grave as two men tried to grab her, she vanished over the top of the hill. Ever since people been trying to catch the faithful wraith on Cameron Monument.
Chivington-Sand Creek-After fierce fighting here on November 29, 1864, the phantom of the gray wolf appeared to Cheyenne women and children to lead them to safety. Colonel John Chivington led the Third Colorado Regiment in the bloody attack on Chief Black Kettles camp at Sand Creek. The mysterious animal escorted the few survivors all the way to another Cheyenne camp near the forks of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers. Sand Creek is also rumored to have a phantom teepees and the sounds of children and women that appear in the fall near November 29. Chivington is 28 miles north of Lamar in Kiowa County.
Colorado Springs-Black Forest hauntings-Paranormal activity in a two-story log cabin began when Stephen Lee purchased it in 1992. Lights flashed through it sounded like people stomping across the roof and they would hear chains rattling. One night they awoke and heard orchestra music. Strange things started happening every day. Their two boys complained of weird lights and shadows in their rooms. Lights and appliances started turning off and on by themselves and pungent odors burned family members eyes and throats. The sheriff stopped responding to their pleas for help so the leaves hired private investigators to try to find out what was going on. They noticed that photographs and videotape taken in certain locations of the property had strange light streaks running through them and sometimes translucent faces appeared on the film. To this day red, yellow, and white forms are seen and recorded as well as apparitions of an old lady, a little girl, a burly man dressed in 1800s clothing, and a “flying dog” not to mention hundreds of forlorn faces seen floating in the mirrors of the house. So far, there are 4000 photographs and 400 videotapes supporting the validity of this case. The Black Forest area is directly east of the Air Force Academy, the haunted property is in El Paso County 15 miles north east of Colorado Springs. ( Www.haunted-places.com)
Dead Man’s Canyon-Colorado Springs-this can it is haunted by the ghoulish Phantom of a man with an ax in his four head. The ghost of William Harkins has haunted the area since 1863 when he was murdered by a gang of Mexican religious fanatics. Over the years dozens of people have reported being chased by the angry phantom near his cabin on Little Fountain Creek. Some have fired bullets at his ghastly shade and one mother struck him in the ear for scaring her son. It took a few seconds before she realized the man with an ax in his head was a ghost. Dead Man’s Canyon is 10 miles south of Colorado Springs, follow Highway 115 through the canyon toward Canon City.
Cripple Creek-the Dunn Building-This building is to be a funeral parlor, but Mrs. T. F. Dunn turned it into a boarding house. Her presence is still felt in the 11 original rental rooms and her footsteps are often heard scurrying about as she attempts to clean them up. Legend says another spirit in the building is a miner killed in an explosion at the Mamie R Mine. Late one night, while the undertaker was preparing the body, the dead miner began to moan in pain. Not wanting to delay his job or cancel preparations, the mortician injected morphine to quiet the man and continued his work.
Fairley Brothers and Lampman Building-this block square building is home to a ghost locals call Maggie, who wears a white shirt waist with a long brown dress and high heeled boots. Witnesses say Maggie appears to be in her late 20′s and keeps her shoulder length brunette near hair pinned up. Contractors, employees, and visitors have all detected Maggie’s ghost walking in the second floor corridor or dancing in the third floor ballroom. The red brick building is on the corner of Third Street and Bennett Avenue in Victor.
The Mamie R. Mine-The ghosts of three minors haunted the depths of this gold mine for several years. The men all died in separate accidents in 1894. Minors reported encountering their phantoms in the main shaft, at the 375 foot level and in the isolated dress in the deeper recesses of the mine. One ghost carries his severed arm over her shoulder and another like to write in the or buckets. It was said the mine was also possessed by mischievous sprites called Tommy Knockers. The Earth spirits cause beams to give way and explosions go off prematurely. After several unexplained accidents and ghost sightings, the mine shutdown in 1895. It is located on Raven Hill in Cripple Creek.
Palace Hotel-this old hotel is haunted by the presence of one of the original owners, Mrs. Kitty Chambers who likes to keep candles lit and placed in certain spots, just as they were when the Palace Hotel first opened. Mrs. Chambers died in room three of the hotel in 1908 and is said to haunt the room. That doesn’t stop her from turning up all over the hotel and she may be responsible for turning down beds in other rooms and stealing all the keys to room nine as well. The Palace Hotel and Casino is located at 172 Bennett Ave., Creek. Www.palacehotelcasino.com