Welcome to........
H A U N T E D C O L O R A D O!
H A U N T E D C O L O R A D O!
The haunted and historic.... Bross Hotel in Paonia is still be for sale!
Click here for details!
Click here for details!
The infamous JonBenet Ramsey house is (was) for sale .....yet again!
......Listed again in FEBRUARY of 2011!!
Still for sale as of December 2011
Click here for the details!
Ghostly & Macabre Events!
........And even a few ghost stories sprinkled in......!
****** Please check dates - EVENTS, TIMES AND DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE ******
Alphabetized by City
Click on each city name where you'd like to see events for:
Allenspark- (Boulder County)
Arvada-(Jefferson County)
Aspen- (Pitkin County)
Aurora- (Arapahoe, Adams & Douglas Counties)- 3rd largest city in Colorado
Berthoud- (Larimer County)-North Central Colorado
Black Forest- (El Paso County)
Black Hawk- (Gilpin County)- "The City of Mills"
Boulder- (Boulder County)
Breckenridge - (Summit County) - Cemetery walks!
Broomfield - (Broomfield County)
Buena Vista - (Chaffee County) - The Upper Arkansas RiverValley/Whitewater Capital of Colorado
Canon City - (Fremont County) - "The Correctional Capitol of Colorado!"
Cascade- (El Paso County)
Castle Rock- (Douglas County)
Central City- (Gilpin County) - "The Richest Square Mile on Earth"- Ghost Tours!
Colorado Springs- (El Paso County) - "Little London"
Craig- (Moffat County)
Creede - (Mineral County)- Southwestern Colorado- along the Continental Divide
Crested Butte- (Gunnison County) - "The Wildflower Capital of Colorado!"
Cripple Creek- (Teller County) - "The World's Greatest Gold Camp!"
Delta- (Delta County) - 'The City of Murals'
Denver- (Denver County)- "Queen City of the Plains" & the "Mile-High City"- TONS of exciting ghostly events!
Dillon- (Summit County)
Dolores- Montezuma County- On the San Juan Skyway- In the heart of Mesa Verde Country in Southwest Colorado
Durango- (La Plata County)-In the Four Corners area!
Elizabeth- (Elbert County)
Empire- (Clear Creek County)- 35 miles West of Denver on I-70
Erie- (Boulder County) - Annual Ghost tours!
Estes Park- (Larimer County)- The famously haunted Stanley Hotel! REDRUM!
Evergreen-(Jefferson County)
Fairplay- (Park County)
Florence - (Fremont County) - "The Antique Capital of Colorado!" .......Ghost Tours held in July!!
Florissant - (Teller County)
Fort Collins- (Larimer County)-North Central Colorado- Annual Terror Tours!
Fort Garland- (Costilla County) -In the San Luis Valley
Fort Morgan- (Morgan County) NE Colorado
Franktown- (Douglas County)
Frisco- (Summit County)- Summer Cemetery Tours
Fruita-(Mesa County)-Western Colorado
Georgetown- (Clear Creek County)- 35 miles West of Denver on I-70- "The Silver Queen of the Rockies"
Glenwood Springs- (Garfield County)
Golden- (Jefferson County)- Where the West lives!
Grand Junction- (Mesa County) In the Grand Valley- Tour of the Tombstones
Grand Lake- (Grand County)- Annual Tombstone Tours!
Greeley - (Weld County)- History Alive! “Spirits of Greeley’s Past"
Gypsum - (Eagle County)
Highlands Ranch- (Douglas County)
Holyoke - (Phillips County) - On the beautiful high plains of Northeastern Colorado
Idaho Springs- (Clear Creek County)
La Junta- (Otero County)- On the High Plains of scenic Southeast Colorado
La Veta- (Huerfano County)- Stay at the historic and haunted La Veta Inn!!
Lake City- (Hinsdale County)- Ghost & Cemetery tours!
Lakewood- (Jefferson County)
Larkspur- (Douglas County)
Leadville- (Lake County)- 103 miles west of Denver- Ghost events!
Littleton- {Jefferson County}- Ghost tours of historic downtown Littleton- Held annually in October!
Longmont- (Boulder County)- Ghost tours- Held annually in October by Dori Spence!
Louisville- (Boulder County)
Loveland- "The Sweetheart City"- (Larimer County)-North Central Colorado - Annual Ghost tours every October by Dori Spence!
Lyons- (Boulder County)
Mancos-(Montezuma County)-Southwestern Colorado- Near the Four Corners
Manitou Springs- (El Paso County)- Emma Crawford'sVictorian Wake- Held annually in October!
Meeker- (Rio Blanco County)- Northwestern Colorado- In the White River Valley
Monte Vista - (Rio Grande County)- The largest city in Rio Grande County in beautiful Southern Colorado!
Montrose - (Montrose County)
Morrison- (Jefferson County)- Ghost tours!
Nederland- (Boulder County)-Frozen Dead Guy Days- Held annually in March!
Northglenn- (Adams County)
Old Colorado City- Annual Cemetery Crawls
Ouray- (Ouray County)- "The Switzerland of America!" SW Colorado - 80 miles North of Durango
Pagosa Springs- (Archuleta County)- Chimney Rock Archaeological Area- Full Moon Tours!
Paonia- (Delta County) - Western Colorado
Parker- (Douglas County) - Annual cemetery tour held every September
Penrose - (Fremont County)
Platteville- (Weld County)- 15 miles Southwest of Greeley
Pueblo- (Pueblo County) - "Steel City!"
Red Cliff - (Eagle County)
Red Feather Lakes- (Larimer County)
Redstone- {Pitkin County}-"The Ruby of the Rockies!" In the gorgeous Crystal River Valley! (186 miles SW of Denver)
Rico- (Dolores County)-Along the beautiful San Juan Scenic Byway-in the heart of the breathtaking San Juan Mountains!.
Salida- (Chaffee County) - On eastern slope of Rocky Mountains in Central Colorado
Sedalia- (Douglas County)
Silver Cliff- (Custer County)
Silver Plume- (Clear Creek County) - 35 miles West of Denver on I-70
Silverthorne - (Summit County)- Annual Coroner's Ball held every October!
Silverton~ (San Juan County)- Cemetery tours, murder mystery trains,and more!
South Fork- (Rio Grande County) -Southwestern end of the San Luis Valley
St. Elmo- (Chaffee County)- South central Colorado along the Arkansas River Valley
Steamboat Springs- {Routt County)- In the mountains of Northwest Colorado
Sterling- (Logan County) - Northeastern Colorado
Stratton- (Kit Carson County)- East Central Colorado- 150 miles east of Denver along I-70
Telluride- (San Miguel County)-Southwest Colorado- On the ultra-scenic San Juan Skyway!
Trinidad- (Las Animas County)- In the Purgatoire River Valley
Victor- (Teller County) - "The City of Mines"
Walsenburg- (Huerfano County)
Wheat Ridge- (Jefferson County)- The haunted Richards-Hart Estate!
Winter Park- (Grand County)- Fraser Valley- 67 miles NW of Denver
*** The gorgeous and very haunted Redstone Castle in Redstone is open for tours! ***
Tours began on June 1st, 2007 ~ ~ ~ Call: (970) 963-9656 -or- (970) 704-1842
www.redstonecastle.us ~ ~ ~ info@redstonecastle.us
The above gorgeous photos are from: www.redstonecastle.us
AWESOME NEWS!
The Redstone Castle is currently undergoing renovations in preparation for the highly anticipated opening of
the ..... Redstone Castle Resort & Spa....!!!
Planning is still in the beginning phases.
However, our plan, subject to appropriate approval, is to operate a luxury resort including a full-service spa, pool, conservatory, fine dining
restaurant and upscale bar. Unfortunately, we do not yet have a set opening date. We encourage you to continue checking our website for
updates on the progress of renovations.
www.redstonecastle.us/Reservations.htm
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HAUNTED REDSTONE CASTLE
The historic manor is haunted.
"I can attest to that," said Sue McEvoy.
For the past nine years, McEvoy has been curator for the castle in the mountains above Carbondale.
She says guests have reported strange incidents. There's also a legend that spirits hover in a secret passageway that connects the nursery to the
servant's quarters. But what spooks McEvoy, who has lived on the property for six years, is the ghostly cigar smoke.
A turn-of-the-century robber baron, John Cleveland Osgood, completed the 42-room English Tudor manor in 1902 for the then-outlandish sum of
more than $2.5 million. He reportedly wanted to impress fellow industrialists such as J.P. Morgan, Jay Gould, John D. Rockefeller and President
Teddy Roosevelt. Osgood, who made his fortune in coal and steel, died in 1927. But McEvoy thinks he's still floating around. She believes she has
smelled his cigar smoke. "The door to his bedroom was closed, the windows were open, I could smell cigar smoke, but no one else was on the
property," she said.
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Redstone Mansion Opens After 3 Years Of Litigation
(AP) REDSTONE, Colo. The century-old mansion of steel magnate John Cleveland will reopen to tourists on June 1 after being closed for three
years after the Internal Revenue Service took it over during an investigation of an alleged multimillion-dollar fraud scheme.
"We think having the castle open for tours will bring a lot of people to Redstone," said Sue McEvoy, the castle's caretaker for eight years and an
employee there for 11. It will be open Monday through Friday.
It can't come soon enough for nearby businesses -- the ones that weren't forced to close.
"We need tours for business," said Bob Stifter, owner of the antique shop Tiffany's of Redstone, one of several businesses that will sell tour tickets.
"It's almost a bust in town. We need them bad. You can see all the shops closed up. We need the tours. Everyone that comes in asks about the
tours. Everyone wants to know how they can see the castle," he told the Aspen Daily News.
California businessman Ralli Dimitrius bought the Tudor castle, also known as Cleveholm Manor, at an auction in March 2004 for $4 million.
Although he said he was anxious to get it open, extensive upgrades to the aging building have delayed its opening.
Stifter said every time he saw Dimitrius he would beg him to get the building open. "Maybe he listened to me," Stifter said. "I don't know. Maybe
other people asked him, too. Maybe I did some good."
The repairs have been extensive, including fixing the boiler for the 20,000-square-foot mansion. Some issues remain unresolved, such as whether
to connect to the town's sewer system.
Five rooms inside the building and its exterior cannot be changed because they are covered by a state historic foundation easement.
Tours began on June 1st, 2007 ~ ~ ~ Call: (970) 963-9656 -or- (970) 704-1842
www.redstonecastle.us ~ ~ ~ info@redstonecastle.us
The above gorgeous photos are from: www.redstonecastle.us
AWESOME NEWS!
The Redstone Castle is currently undergoing renovations in preparation for the highly anticipated opening of
the ..... Redstone Castle Resort & Spa....!!!
Planning is still in the beginning phases.
However, our plan, subject to appropriate approval, is to operate a luxury resort including a full-service spa, pool, conservatory, fine dining
restaurant and upscale bar. Unfortunately, we do not yet have a set opening date. We encourage you to continue checking our website for
updates on the progress of renovations.
www.redstonecastle.us/Reservations.htm
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
HAUNTED REDSTONE CASTLE
The historic manor is haunted.
"I can attest to that," said Sue McEvoy.
For the past nine years, McEvoy has been curator for the castle in the mountains above Carbondale.
She says guests have reported strange incidents. There's also a legend that spirits hover in a secret passageway that connects the nursery to the
servant's quarters. But what spooks McEvoy, who has lived on the property for six years, is the ghostly cigar smoke.
A turn-of-the-century robber baron, John Cleveland Osgood, completed the 42-room English Tudor manor in 1902 for the then-outlandish sum of
more than $2.5 million. He reportedly wanted to impress fellow industrialists such as J.P. Morgan, Jay Gould, John D. Rockefeller and President
Teddy Roosevelt. Osgood, who made his fortune in coal and steel, died in 1927. But McEvoy thinks he's still floating around. She believes she has
smelled his cigar smoke. "The door to his bedroom was closed, the windows were open, I could smell cigar smoke, but no one else was on the
property," she said.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Redstone Mansion Opens After 3 Years Of Litigation
(AP) REDSTONE, Colo. The century-old mansion of steel magnate John Cleveland will reopen to tourists on June 1 after being closed for three
years after the Internal Revenue Service took it over during an investigation of an alleged multimillion-dollar fraud scheme.
"We think having the castle open for tours will bring a lot of people to Redstone," said Sue McEvoy, the castle's caretaker for eight years and an
employee there for 11. It will be open Monday through Friday.
It can't come soon enough for nearby businesses -- the ones that weren't forced to close.
"We need tours for business," said Bob Stifter, owner of the antique shop Tiffany's of Redstone, one of several businesses that will sell tour tickets.
"It's almost a bust in town. We need them bad. You can see all the shops closed up. We need the tours. Everyone that comes in asks about the
tours. Everyone wants to know how they can see the castle," he told the Aspen Daily News.
California businessman Ralli Dimitrius bought the Tudor castle, also known as Cleveholm Manor, at an auction in March 2004 for $4 million.
Although he said he was anxious to get it open, extensive upgrades to the aging building have delayed its opening.
Stifter said every time he saw Dimitrius he would beg him to get the building open. "Maybe he listened to me," Stifter said. "I don't know. Maybe
other people asked him, too. Maybe I did some good."
The repairs have been extensive, including fixing the boiler for the 20,000-square-foot mansion. Some issues remain unresolved, such as whether
to connect to the town's sewer system.
Five rooms inside the building and its exterior cannot be changed because they are covered by a state historic foundation easement.
Click here to view past Halloween events from 2008
Site Search! ====>>>
**** Click here for more info and the history behind the haunted old Redstone Castle! ....("Cleveholm Manor.") ****
.......VERY eerie photo taken by Jamie Calhoun of the Stanley Hotel in May 2009! Jamie took this picture from outside looking up at
the room in which she and her husband stayed: room # 408. Although they didn't experience anything paranormal while they were
staying in room #408; this haunting photo shows that they may not have been alone in that room after all......!
*** Thank you, Jamie, for this FANTASTIC photo!! ***
the room in which she and her husband stayed: room # 408. Although they didn't experience anything paranormal while they were
staying in room #408; this haunting photo shows that they may not have been alone in that room after all......!
*** Thank you, Jamie, for this FANTASTIC photo!! ***
Click HERE to view past Halloween events from 2009
Click HERE to view past Halloween events from 2010
.....More Haunted Real Estate!
......Are you looking for a haunted house to live in....? .......A REAL haunted house....? Look no further!
Contact Real Estate Agent & Paranormal Investigator Paul Hill at: paulh@ourcoloradohomes.net - or call him at: (303) 927-9134!
Paul's websites: www.ourcoloradohomes.net ~ www.lightinthedarkparanormal.wordpress.com
.....Do you have a haunted house for sale? Realtor Paul Hill has a client who is looking to buy one!
.....{Actually.....probably MANY clients who are looking for haunted homes to live in!!}
Paul says: ".......hauntings are my first priority, and will drop everything if I can to check them out."
Paul is also currently working on a prospective cable show re: haunted real estate!
Paul also sells regular, non-haunted real estate as well.
Although haunted homes *are* Paul's top priority ~ he says that he doesn't sell haunted real estate exclusively....as there aren't enough such
properties for sale.....
* Personal Note from Haunted Colorado.net: I think that there are a lot more haunted homes out there on the market than most people realize.
..Especially the old, historic homes that have had a century or more of: memories, of history, and of people living there confined within those walls.. I
think that most sellers are probably very hesitant to disclose that their home is indeed haunted ~ for fear that if they do so, then that would scare
potential buyers away, or they could lose a potential promising sale. But if sellers only realized that there IS a huge market out there for people
specifically seeking out - and wanting to buy - haunted homes - then I feel that sellers should market their house as such.
---------------- ------------------- ---------------------- --------------------------- ------------------------ --------------------
-------------------- -------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
.....So, whether you are looking for a home.....either haunted - or - non-haunted....Paul's the guy to call! (303) 927-9134
------------------ ---------------------- ----------------------- ------------------------
--------------- -------------------- ----------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------
The Property Owner's Network ~ Our Colorado Homes
P.O. Box 295
Windsor, CO 80550
Paul Hill
Inspections of Paranormally Affected Buildings, Listings, & Sales of Haunted Properties
303.927.9134
www.ourcoloradohomes.net
www.lightinthedarkparanormal.wordpress.com
......Are you looking for a haunted house to live in....? .......A REAL haunted house....? Look no further!
Contact Real Estate Agent & Paranormal Investigator Paul Hill at: paulh@ourcoloradohomes.net - or call him at: (303) 927-9134!
Paul's websites: www.ourcoloradohomes.net ~ www.lightinthedarkparanormal.wordpress.com
.....Do you have a haunted house for sale? Realtor Paul Hill has a client who is looking to buy one!
.....{Actually.....probably MANY clients who are looking for haunted homes to live in!!}
Paul says: ".......hauntings are my first priority, and will drop everything if I can to check them out."
Paul is also currently working on a prospective cable show re: haunted real estate!
Paul also sells regular, non-haunted real estate as well.
Although haunted homes *are* Paul's top priority ~ he says that he doesn't sell haunted real estate exclusively....as there aren't enough such
properties for sale.....
* Personal Note from Haunted Colorado.net: I think that there are a lot more haunted homes out there on the market than most people realize.
..Especially the old, historic homes that have had a century or more of: memories, of history, and of people living there confined within those walls.. I
think that most sellers are probably very hesitant to disclose that their home is indeed haunted ~ for fear that if they do so, then that would scare
potential buyers away, or they could lose a potential promising sale. But if sellers only realized that there IS a huge market out there for people
specifically seeking out - and wanting to buy - haunted homes - then I feel that sellers should market their house as such.
---------------- ------------------- ---------------------- --------------------------- ------------------------ --------------------
-------------------- -------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
.....So, whether you are looking for a home.....either haunted - or - non-haunted....Paul's the guy to call! (303) 927-9134
------------------ ---------------------- ----------------------- ------------------------
--------------- -------------------- ----------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------
The Property Owner's Network ~ Our Colorado Homes
P.O. Box 295
Windsor, CO 80550
Paul Hill
Inspections of Paranormally Affected Buildings, Listings, & Sales of Haunted Properties
303.927.9134
www.ourcoloradohomes.net
www.lightinthedarkparanormal.wordpress.com
Haunted Tours of downtown historic Breckenridge!
Haunted Tours of Breck! Every Friday & Saturday at 7 p.m.
* Please check all dates & times to confirm ~ as all events and tours can change without notice.
(*Please note: There is a minimum guest requirement for this tour and will be canceled if minimum is not reached.)
Join us for a late evening stroll through Breckenridge's haunted historic district! Along the way, hear the eerie and unexplained stories from
Breckenridge's rough and uncertain past! You'll hear all the stories that go less told, and experience Breckenridge in a whole new light.
The Haunted Tour is an outdoor tour, and includes one stop indoors. Please dress appropriately for the weather. All tour takers receive FREE
admission to one of our museums.
$15/adults, $10/children 12 and under. Reservations are required by 5pm the day of the tour and can be made at the Welcome Center or by
calling 970-453-9767 ext. 2. Space is limited.
CANCELLATION POLICY : 24hr notice prior to tour time must be provided to receive refund. Meet at the Breckenridge Welcome Center at 203 S.
Main St.~ downtown Breck
*(As with any tour or event - please call to confirm - as times and dates can always change.)*
Breckenridge Heritage Alliance
www.breckheritage.com
info@breckheritage.com
970-453-9767
The haunted and historic Forest Queen Hotel in Crested Butte is now open for business!
129 Elk Avenue
Above photo from: www.forestqueenhotel.com
The FOREST QUEEN HOTEL.......RE-OPENED & NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!!
(Reopened since 2007 ...although the ghosts have always been there...)
Located in Crested Butte......in the heart of the Elk Mountains......in the heart of The Rockies!
Settle in with us - Crested Butte's oldest and only hotel on Elk Avenue - the "Main Street" of Crested Butte.
Since 1882 the Forest Queen has hosted guests and locals alike. With the hotel upstairs and restaurant on the main floor, guests feel right
at home.
...........Come be a part of the Forest Queen’s history!
Forest Queen Hotel
(970) 401-5116
888-830-1882
www.forestqueenhotel.com
sleep@forestqueenhotel.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Forest-Queen-Hotel/158254770908660?sk=wall
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Marcie Telander’s Forest Queen Poltergeist
The haunted Forest Queen Hotel
Marcie Telander, local psycho-therapist is a collector of stories and legends. Preferably those that are spun by the elders about the early
settlers here in our valley. One story of particular interest to me was about a lady of the night named Elizabeth or more commonly known as
Liz. Liz had purportedly fallen in love with a transient gambler, and gave him her life’s savings for an all-night gambling event. The story
goes that he won big, and left town with his ill-gotten booty and all of Liz’s savings. Soon afterwards, she threw herself from a hotel window
into the icy waters of Coal Creek. Marcie told me about reports of Liz banging around and slamming doors in the Forest Queen Hotel, and
even keeping hotel residents company late at night. But Marcie’s own experience is perhaps, the most entertaining-and she didn’t even see
Liz.
One morning while indulging in the Forest Queen’s former and famous breakfast plate, The Baggins, a man came running down the stairs
screaming “I’m gettin’ outta here!” Later, Marcie found out that he was a Poltergeist hunter. “He must have gotten up Liz’s nose,” she said.
Nevertheless, he was scared away by something. I don’t know if the girl’s spirit had been hushed by time or some other force, but keep your
eyes and ears open in the Forest Queen. A lovelorn lady could be roaming the halls.
Source: Crested Butte Weekly
Ghosts: By Chris Kelly
www.cbweekly.com
129 Elk Avenue
Above photo from: www.forestqueenhotel.com
The FOREST QUEEN HOTEL.......RE-OPENED & NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!!
(Reopened since 2007 ...although the ghosts have always been there...)
Located in Crested Butte......in the heart of the Elk Mountains......in the heart of The Rockies!
Settle in with us - Crested Butte's oldest and only hotel on Elk Avenue - the "Main Street" of Crested Butte.
Since 1882 the Forest Queen has hosted guests and locals alike. With the hotel upstairs and restaurant on the main floor, guests feel right
at home.
...........Come be a part of the Forest Queen’s history!
Forest Queen Hotel
(970) 401-5116
888-830-1882
www.forestqueenhotel.com
sleep@forestqueenhotel.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Forest-Queen-Hotel/158254770908660?sk=wall
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Marcie Telander’s Forest Queen Poltergeist
The haunted Forest Queen Hotel
Marcie Telander, local psycho-therapist is a collector of stories and legends. Preferably those that are spun by the elders about the early
settlers here in our valley. One story of particular interest to me was about a lady of the night named Elizabeth or more commonly known as
Liz. Liz had purportedly fallen in love with a transient gambler, and gave him her life’s savings for an all-night gambling event. The story
goes that he won big, and left town with his ill-gotten booty and all of Liz’s savings. Soon afterwards, she threw herself from a hotel window
into the icy waters of Coal Creek. Marcie told me about reports of Liz banging around and slamming doors in the Forest Queen Hotel, and
even keeping hotel residents company late at night. But Marcie’s own experience is perhaps, the most entertaining-and she didn’t even see
Liz.
One morning while indulging in the Forest Queen’s former and famous breakfast plate, The Baggins, a man came running down the stairs
screaming “I’m gettin’ outta here!” Later, Marcie found out that he was a Poltergeist hunter. “He must have gotten up Liz’s nose,” she said.
Nevertheless, he was scared away by something. I don’t know if the girl’s spirit had been hushed by time or some other force, but keep your
eyes and ears open in the Forest Queen. A lovelorn lady could be roaming the halls.
Source: Crested Butte Weekly
Ghosts: By Chris Kelly
www.cbweekly.com
You can E-mail me at: Lindy1104@aol.com
.......Also, please knock on the door below ~ which just so happens is the door to Room #217 of the Stanley Hotel......
......& by doing so, you can also sign the HAUNTED COLORADO guestbook ~ as well as share your own personal ghost stories!
...Incidentally, Rm. 217 is the exact room where Stephen King stayed when he got oh so inspired and wrote The Shining...!!
.......Also, please knock on the door below ~ which just so happens is the door to Room #217 of the Stanley Hotel......
......& by doing so, you can also sign the HAUNTED COLORADO guestbook ~ as well as share your own personal ghost stories!
...Incidentally, Rm. 217 is the exact room where Stephen King stayed when he got oh so inspired and wrote The Shining...!!
Follow
HAUNTED
COLORADO
on:
HAUNTED
COLORADO
on:
| ...& now you can also follow HAUNTED COLORADO on: |
.....Solving the American West's Greatest Mystery:
Was Alferd Packer Innocent of Murder?
Colorado's Cannibalistic Murder Mystery!
From the words of David Bailey, 2002
Curator of History at the Museum of Western Colorado in Grand Junction
"In 1994, one of my main objectives as Curator of History was to photograph, document, and obtain the provenance or associated history of the
firearms in the Thrailkill collection. The Thrailkill collection has an amazing assortment of pistols, rifles, carbines, and swords owned by the famous
and infamous figures of the Wild West, such as Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill, and outlaw members of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch.
Many of the firearms had fascinating histories that were well documented and verified by firearms experts. Several had little or no historic
information, but a few had tantalizing bits of information that connected them to important events in Colorado history. One of the most intriguing of
these was an 1862 Colt Police Model pistol. The pistol was in poor condition, the grips were rotted off, the main spring broken, and the rusted
cylinder of the gun still had .38 caliber bullets in three of its five chambers. The yellowed accession card with the gun cryptically stated, " This gun
was found at the site where Packer killed and ate five of his traveling companions."
The card referred to one of the most infamous incidents in the American West. In the winter of 1874, Packer and five prospecting companions tried
to cross the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado in order to reach the Los Pinos Indian Agency, 75 miles from present day Lake City.
The famous Ute leader, Chief Ouray, advised them not to attempt this dangerous passage in winter, but the prospectors, anxious to get to a gold
strike in Breckenridge, ignored his warning. In April of that year, only one man ventured out of the mountains, Packer. Suspicions were aroused
and Packer was arrested after his companions were found murdered and partially eaten. Fearing that he would be lynched and hanged, Packer
escaped from jail and stayed on the run for eight years. He was eventually arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming, tried, and after several changes of
venue, was sentenced to forty years in prison. During the trial, he told the jury that his prospecting companion, Shannon Bell, attacked him with a
hatchet after killing the other members in the party. Packer then fired his gun at Bell and killed him. After much hesitation, Packer admitted to
"eating the flesh of his fellow man" knowing that he was on the brink of death from starvation. Packer later claimed that it was cannibalism that sent
him to jail not murder charges. However, in 1901, Packer was paroled after sixteen years in prison due to the public outcry that he was convicted on
flimsy circumstantial evidence. He eventually died in 1907, claiming to his last breath that he was innocent of murdering his traveling companions.
To think that this rusted relic could actually be the pistol that Packer used to shoot Bell intrigued me and I decided to find out whether or not this
gun had actually been at the murder site. While researching the pistol's origin, I found out it had been issued by the Colt Firearms Company as a
cap and ball revolver in 1862. The gun was later re-released in 1873 and converted to fire .38 caliber rimfire bullets. This conversion pistol was
popular with prospectors because it was inexpensive and this is why it accompanied the ill-fated Packer expedition. Even more astoundingly, while
working with archaeologist Phil Born in the Museum collections, he noticed the pistol and recalled seeing a photograph of it taken by his cousin, Jim
Harris, many years ago.
On April 14, 1994, I contacted his cousin in Texas and found out how the pistol came into the Museum's possession. A young Western State
College historian, Ernest Ronzio, had unearthed the pistol in 1950. Mr. Ronzio was a student of C.T. Hurst, the father of Colorado Archeology. After
the pistol was found at the Packer massacre on Cannibal Mesa, near Lake City, Colorado, it was brought to Jim Harris, then a member of the
Uncompahgre Archaeology Society, to be photographed and studied. The pistol later went on display at the Western State College (WSC)
Museum. I verified that the pistol had been in the Museum's collection when I noticed an old accession number on the backstrap of the gun. I called
the librarian at WSC and she found the old museum record book indicated that the accession number on the gun matched an entry in the book.
This entry described the rusted condition of the pistol and that it came from the Packer site on loan by Ronzio. Eventually the pistol was purchased
by Audrey Thrailkill and given to the Museum of Western Colorado.
Having established the proper time frame and location in conjunction with the Packer massacre, I began a search for every document related to the
Packer case in hopes of connecting the pistol to the crime. From 1994 to 1999, I combed through archives, research libraries, old diaries,
depositions, and hundreds of pages of the Packer trial documents. The evidence that emerged was astounding because many of the documents
were proof that Packer was innocent. I found much of the testimony given by the witnesses against Packer directly contradicted later interviews they
gave to the press and other private sources. Other 1873 documents indicated that, although the bodies had been exposed to the elements, each
of the dead men was identifiable by their clothes and physical features. A Civil War veteran that visited the crime scene stated that Shannon Bell
had been shot twice and the other victims were killed with a hatchet. Upon careful study of Bell, he noticed a severe bullet wound to the pelvic area
and that Bell's wallet had a bullet hole through it. He also stated that only two shots were fired at the murder scene, both at Bell. This passage
caught my attention because the rusted 1862 Colt pistol found many years later at the scene had two chambers empty and three loaded.
The facts from the 1873 investigation of the murder scene seemed to mesh with the physical evidence, the 1862 Colt pistol. Packer stated
numerous times during his trial that he shot the real killer Shannon Bell, but his testimony failed to convince the jury. What is even stranger is that
visitors to the crime scene failed to report their findings on the witness stand, and in some cases lied about what they discovered.
My case to prove Packer was innocent came to a stand still in the spring of 1999. Even though I had physical evidence that matched Packer's
story, there was still no way to scientifically tie the gun to the murder scene. The pistol never was introduced as evidence because it was lost after
Packer's desperate fight with Bell in a snowstorm in 1873 and not recovered until 1950 by Mr. Ronzio.
As with many historical investigations, my chance to prove my case came unexpectedly during a visit to the Lake City Museum in October of 2000.
The Museum of Western Colorado and the Hinsdale County Historical Society had just finished a joint exhibit on Packer. I asked Grant Houston, the
Hinsdale County Historian, about the exhumation of the Packer party victims by Dr. Starrs and a forensic team in 1989. He explained the team
proved the bodies had been cannibalized and had met violent deaths. Each of the skeletons had been marked A through E for scientific
identification and then photographed. Skeleton A had a hole in the pelvic region and therefore must be Shannon Bell. Mr. Houston shocked me by
mentioning that forensic samples had been taken from under the skeletons and were now in possession of the Historical Society. I then asked if the
Museum could borrow the samples from Skeleton A (Shannon Bell) for testing. Hopefully, there would still be gunshot residue in the samples to help
prove Packer's story that Shannon Bell had been shot at close range.
After receiving permission from the Historical Society, I took the samples to Mesa State's Electron Microscopy facility in Grand Junction. A team of
scientists led by Dr. Richard Dujay, the facility manager, began to examine the bits of wool fabric, old buttons, and soil for the traces of residue with
the electron microscope. Dr. Dujay knew the task of finding gunshot residue would be difficult and stated, "It's as if 127 years ago someone hit a
baseball in the U.S. and now you're asking to find it."
However, on February 10, 2001, we found the baseball, a 50-micron piece of lead. Dujay and other scientists discovered that the fragment was
man-made, because of its structure, size, and composition. He next used an X-Ray spectrograph to analyze the elemental makeup of the object.
Dujay found that the object was consistent with lead used for bullets during the post-Civil War era. The scientists next took a small sample from a
bullet still in the gun and compared it with the lead fragment underneath Skeleton A. The X-Ray spectrograph showed an exact match!
Finally I had proof that linked the gun to the murder scene.
Although this new information was over a century too late to help vindicate Packer, it is never to late for the truth."
As the fall 2001 semester begins the "Alferd Packer Project" is still going strong at Mesa State College. Two students (Chad Williams and Matt
Marvin) will be working their way through 80 plus specimen stubs using the Scanning Electron Microscope, located in the Science Lab Building, and
supervised by Rick Dujay Ph.D. Chad has already found an additional lead fragment, slightly smaller than the first, using Energy Dispersive
Spectrography (EDS). The particle's composition has yet to be compared to the bullet lead sampled from Alferd Packer's gun, but the theory is that
a consistency will exist between the two. Matt will begin his search beginning the third week of the fall semester.
The Packer research team will take a trip to Lake City soon to gather more soil samples and survey the murder site. Publications on the project will
be forth coming with the completion and release of David Bailey's book on Packer, followed by scientific and possibly forensic publications
concerning the work performed at Mesa State College.
Alferd Packer T-shirts are available at the Museum of Western Colorado and may be available soon at Mesa State's campus book store.
The T-shirts boast the cooperation between the Museum of Western Colorado and Mesa State College with the names of the research team
members, including MSC students, listed on the back of the shirts.
www.coloradomesa.edu/alum/davidbailey.html
Was Alferd Packer Innocent of Murder?
Colorado's Cannibalistic Murder Mystery!
From the words of David Bailey, 2002
Curator of History at the Museum of Western Colorado in Grand Junction
"In 1994, one of my main objectives as Curator of History was to photograph, document, and obtain the provenance or associated history of the
firearms in the Thrailkill collection. The Thrailkill collection has an amazing assortment of pistols, rifles, carbines, and swords owned by the famous
and infamous figures of the Wild West, such as Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill, and outlaw members of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch.
Many of the firearms had fascinating histories that were well documented and verified by firearms experts. Several had little or no historic
information, but a few had tantalizing bits of information that connected them to important events in Colorado history. One of the most intriguing of
these was an 1862 Colt Police Model pistol. The pistol was in poor condition, the grips were rotted off, the main spring broken, and the rusted
cylinder of the gun still had .38 caliber bullets in three of its five chambers. The yellowed accession card with the gun cryptically stated, " This gun
was found at the site where Packer killed and ate five of his traveling companions."
The card referred to one of the most infamous incidents in the American West. In the winter of 1874, Packer and five prospecting companions tried
to cross the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado in order to reach the Los Pinos Indian Agency, 75 miles from present day Lake City.
The famous Ute leader, Chief Ouray, advised them not to attempt this dangerous passage in winter, but the prospectors, anxious to get to a gold
strike in Breckenridge, ignored his warning. In April of that year, only one man ventured out of the mountains, Packer. Suspicions were aroused
and Packer was arrested after his companions were found murdered and partially eaten. Fearing that he would be lynched and hanged, Packer
escaped from jail and stayed on the run for eight years. He was eventually arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming, tried, and after several changes of
venue, was sentenced to forty years in prison. During the trial, he told the jury that his prospecting companion, Shannon Bell, attacked him with a
hatchet after killing the other members in the party. Packer then fired his gun at Bell and killed him. After much hesitation, Packer admitted to
"eating the flesh of his fellow man" knowing that he was on the brink of death from starvation. Packer later claimed that it was cannibalism that sent
him to jail not murder charges. However, in 1901, Packer was paroled after sixteen years in prison due to the public outcry that he was convicted on
flimsy circumstantial evidence. He eventually died in 1907, claiming to his last breath that he was innocent of murdering his traveling companions.
To think that this rusted relic could actually be the pistol that Packer used to shoot Bell intrigued me and I decided to find out whether or not this
gun had actually been at the murder site. While researching the pistol's origin, I found out it had been issued by the Colt Firearms Company as a
cap and ball revolver in 1862. The gun was later re-released in 1873 and converted to fire .38 caliber rimfire bullets. This conversion pistol was
popular with prospectors because it was inexpensive and this is why it accompanied the ill-fated Packer expedition. Even more astoundingly, while
working with archaeologist Phil Born in the Museum collections, he noticed the pistol and recalled seeing a photograph of it taken by his cousin, Jim
Harris, many years ago.
On April 14, 1994, I contacted his cousin in Texas and found out how the pistol came into the Museum's possession. A young Western State
College historian, Ernest Ronzio, had unearthed the pistol in 1950. Mr. Ronzio was a student of C.T. Hurst, the father of Colorado Archeology. After
the pistol was found at the Packer massacre on Cannibal Mesa, near Lake City, Colorado, it was brought to Jim Harris, then a member of the
Uncompahgre Archaeology Society, to be photographed and studied. The pistol later went on display at the Western State College (WSC)
Museum. I verified that the pistol had been in the Museum's collection when I noticed an old accession number on the backstrap of the gun. I called
the librarian at WSC and she found the old museum record book indicated that the accession number on the gun matched an entry in the book.
This entry described the rusted condition of the pistol and that it came from the Packer site on loan by Ronzio. Eventually the pistol was purchased
by Audrey Thrailkill and given to the Museum of Western Colorado.
Having established the proper time frame and location in conjunction with the Packer massacre, I began a search for every document related to the
Packer case in hopes of connecting the pistol to the crime. From 1994 to 1999, I combed through archives, research libraries, old diaries,
depositions, and hundreds of pages of the Packer trial documents. The evidence that emerged was astounding because many of the documents
were proof that Packer was innocent. I found much of the testimony given by the witnesses against Packer directly contradicted later interviews they
gave to the press and other private sources. Other 1873 documents indicated that, although the bodies had been exposed to the elements, each
of the dead men was identifiable by their clothes and physical features. A Civil War veteran that visited the crime scene stated that Shannon Bell
had been shot twice and the other victims were killed with a hatchet. Upon careful study of Bell, he noticed a severe bullet wound to the pelvic area
and that Bell's wallet had a bullet hole through it. He also stated that only two shots were fired at the murder scene, both at Bell. This passage
caught my attention because the rusted 1862 Colt pistol found many years later at the scene had two chambers empty and three loaded.
The facts from the 1873 investigation of the murder scene seemed to mesh with the physical evidence, the 1862 Colt pistol. Packer stated
numerous times during his trial that he shot the real killer Shannon Bell, but his testimony failed to convince the jury. What is even stranger is that
visitors to the crime scene failed to report their findings on the witness stand, and in some cases lied about what they discovered.
My case to prove Packer was innocent came to a stand still in the spring of 1999. Even though I had physical evidence that matched Packer's
story, there was still no way to scientifically tie the gun to the murder scene. The pistol never was introduced as evidence because it was lost after
Packer's desperate fight with Bell in a snowstorm in 1873 and not recovered until 1950 by Mr. Ronzio.
As with many historical investigations, my chance to prove my case came unexpectedly during a visit to the Lake City Museum in October of 2000.
The Museum of Western Colorado and the Hinsdale County Historical Society had just finished a joint exhibit on Packer. I asked Grant Houston, the
Hinsdale County Historian, about the exhumation of the Packer party victims by Dr. Starrs and a forensic team in 1989. He explained the team
proved the bodies had been cannibalized and had met violent deaths. Each of the skeletons had been marked A through E for scientific
identification and then photographed. Skeleton A had a hole in the pelvic region and therefore must be Shannon Bell. Mr. Houston shocked me by
mentioning that forensic samples had been taken from under the skeletons and were now in possession of the Historical Society. I then asked if the
Museum could borrow the samples from Skeleton A (Shannon Bell) for testing. Hopefully, there would still be gunshot residue in the samples to help
prove Packer's story that Shannon Bell had been shot at close range.
After receiving permission from the Historical Society, I took the samples to Mesa State's Electron Microscopy facility in Grand Junction. A team of
scientists led by Dr. Richard Dujay, the facility manager, began to examine the bits of wool fabric, old buttons, and soil for the traces of residue with
the electron microscope. Dr. Dujay knew the task of finding gunshot residue would be difficult and stated, "It's as if 127 years ago someone hit a
baseball in the U.S. and now you're asking to find it."
However, on February 10, 2001, we found the baseball, a 50-micron piece of lead. Dujay and other scientists discovered that the fragment was
man-made, because of its structure, size, and composition. He next used an X-Ray spectrograph to analyze the elemental makeup of the object.
Dujay found that the object was consistent with lead used for bullets during the post-Civil War era. The scientists next took a small sample from a
bullet still in the gun and compared it with the lead fragment underneath Skeleton A. The X-Ray spectrograph showed an exact match!
Finally I had proof that linked the gun to the murder scene.
Although this new information was over a century too late to help vindicate Packer, it is never to late for the truth."
As the fall 2001 semester begins the "Alferd Packer Project" is still going strong at Mesa State College. Two students (Chad Williams and Matt
Marvin) will be working their way through 80 plus specimen stubs using the Scanning Electron Microscope, located in the Science Lab Building, and
supervised by Rick Dujay Ph.D. Chad has already found an additional lead fragment, slightly smaller than the first, using Energy Dispersive
Spectrography (EDS). The particle's composition has yet to be compared to the bullet lead sampled from Alferd Packer's gun, but the theory is that
a consistency will exist between the two. Matt will begin his search beginning the third week of the fall semester.
The Packer research team will take a trip to Lake City soon to gather more soil samples and survey the murder site. Publications on the project will
be forth coming with the completion and release of David Bailey's book on Packer, followed by scientific and possibly forensic publications
concerning the work performed at Mesa State College.
Alferd Packer T-shirts are available at the Museum of Western Colorado and may be available soon at Mesa State's campus book store.
The T-shirts boast the cooperation between the Museum of Western Colorado and Mesa State College with the names of the research team
members, including MSC students, listed on the back of the shirts.
www.coloradomesa.edu/alum/davidbailey.html
Haunted Real Estate in Colorado......and Disclosure Laws
www.ourcoloradohomes.net/haunted.aspx
What if a broker thinks that a home for sale is haunted? Does she have a duty to tell the buyer?
Colorado real estate law does speak to this issue: Under Section 38-35.5-101 of the CRS statutes:
Nondisclosure of Information Psychologically Impacting Real Property
we note in Paragraph 2...
No cause of action shall arise against a real estate broker ... for failing to disclose such circumstance occurring on the property which might
psychologically impact or stigmatize such property.
In other words, Colorado law makers didn't want brokers to be able to inadvertently stigmatize a property by saying it was the scene of emotionally
violent acts like murder or suicide, let alone haunted (see Related Story for a different state's interpretation).
On the other hand, you as a buyer would certainly want to know this before you inherit some things in the house you may not want. What if a
property is known to be haunted, like Briarhurst Manor in Manitou Springs? Since its known to be haunted, I as a broker would disclose that fact
to an uninformed buyer (Better to Disclose), should it be for sale. It would be hard to stigmatize a property that has already been stigmatized.
But what if that property in Colorado* did not have such a reputation, and you were shown it as a buyer? What if you sensed something wrong?
Even if you were convinced it was haunted, and the broker showing it agreed, the next time he showed it to a different buyer he would not be
required to disclose his opinion.
Haunted Houses are part of the real estate market and part of our modern culture, regardless of what you may or may not believe. Whether
you're buying or selling, it doesn't have to be Halloween to sleep well in a haunted house!
Paul Hill
All Rights Reserved
*Each state has its own law regarding disclosure of paranormal properties. Consult your local broker or department of real estate for details.
CONTACT Paul Hill for:
Inspections of Paranormally Affected Buildings-
Listing & Sale of Haunted Properties
Paul Hill & the Property Owner's Network - Our Colorado Homes
www.ourcoloradohomes.net
www.ourcoloradohomes.net/haunted.aspx
What if a broker thinks that a home for sale is haunted? Does she have a duty to tell the buyer?
Colorado real estate law does speak to this issue: Under Section 38-35.5-101 of the CRS statutes:
Nondisclosure of Information Psychologically Impacting Real Property
we note in Paragraph 2...
No cause of action shall arise against a real estate broker ... for failing to disclose such circumstance occurring on the property which might
psychologically impact or stigmatize such property.
In other words, Colorado law makers didn't want brokers to be able to inadvertently stigmatize a property by saying it was the scene of emotionally
violent acts like murder or suicide, let alone haunted (see Related Story for a different state's interpretation).
On the other hand, you as a buyer would certainly want to know this before you inherit some things in the house you may not want. What if a
property is known to be haunted, like Briarhurst Manor in Manitou Springs? Since its known to be haunted, I as a broker would disclose that fact
to an uninformed buyer (Better to Disclose), should it be for sale. It would be hard to stigmatize a property that has already been stigmatized.
But what if that property in Colorado* did not have such a reputation, and you were shown it as a buyer? What if you sensed something wrong?
Even if you were convinced it was haunted, and the broker showing it agreed, the next time he showed it to a different buyer he would not be
required to disclose his opinion.
Haunted Houses are part of the real estate market and part of our modern culture, regardless of what you may or may not believe. Whether
you're buying or selling, it doesn't have to be Halloween to sleep well in a haunted house!
Paul Hill
All Rights Reserved
*Each state has its own law regarding disclosure of paranormal properties. Consult your local broker or department of real estate for details.
CONTACT Paul Hill for:
Inspections of Paranormally Affected Buildings-
Listing & Sale of Haunted Properties
Paul Hill & the Property Owner's Network - Our Colorado Homes
www.ourcoloradohomes.net
The haunted Croke-Patterson Mansion in Denver is now a bed and breakfast!
Now called..........The Historic Patterson Inn!
......Not your typical bed & breakfast!
Historic photo above from www.photoswest.org
A unique historical experience with all the modern amenities and conveniences
Above modern-day photos from: www.pattersoninn.com
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Denver Post article from 10/22/2011
Inside & out
Mansion with haunted history gives boo-sters a peek
Posted: 10/22/2011
By Elana Ashanti Jefferson
The Denver Post
www.denverpost.com/insideandout/ci_19167127
It's possible that one of the more familiar, stately and infamous old houses in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood — the Croke-Patterson Mansion —
has long suffered from a broken heart.
There are more ghost stories around this red sandstone, Chateau-style, sleigh-roofed building on East 11 Avenue between Logan and
Pennsylvania streets than there are bats swirling through the neighborhood's towering trees at dusk.
"From stories of suicides (in the house) to guard dogs that were so frightened they jumped to their deaths out a third-floor window, the Croke-
Patterson Mansion is one of the most intriguing haunted houses in America," writes Kevin Sampron with Colorado's Spirit Paranormal Investigators.
But experts on the house and its alleged spirits say its dark energy may be waning.
That's because after standing empty and neglected in recent years, new owners plan to revive the property as a bed-and-breakfast called The
Patterson. To build excitment around its rehabilitation and offer the public a chance to peek inside, the Croke-Patterson Mansion throws open its
doors this week for two Halloween-style events.
First, on Wednesday, the service and education non-profit Mile High Youth Corps transforms the house into a "Wunder-Kammer" (that's German for
cabinet of curiosities) during a wine tasting and ghost hunt benefit. Tickets for this are $25-$70 at milehighyouthcorps.org.
Then, on Thursday, local authors Ann Alexander Leggett and Jordan Alexander Leggett will host a charity book-signing of their new tome, "A
Haunted History of Denver's Croke-Patterson Mansion" ($19.99, History Press). The event begins at 6 p.m. and benefits Historic Denver, which
oversees the house through a preservation easement. Advance tickets are $25 at cpmansion.eventbrite.com.
"This house has seen so many different lives," says author Ann Alexander Leggett. Its builder in 1890 was Thomas Croke, but the place also takes
its name from longtime resident Thomas Patterson, a prominent Colorado politician and newspaperman. (The inexplicable sound of typing is but
one of its reported peculiarities.)
More recently, it has been both a single-family home and apartments. According to local lore, one resident reportedly lost a baby in the house. She
later committed suicide there.
"I know it sounds crazy," says Leggett, who penned her book about the house with her daughter, Jordan, "but we have this feeling that the house is
finally happy, and it has not been."
One thing the Leggetts can say for sure: People quickly develop a passion for the Croke-Patterson Mansion.
Brian Higgins and Travis McAfoos know the feeling. Through the process of stabilizing the house — shoring up the roof, repairing the plumbing, etc.
— to open it as a bed-and-breakfast, these current mansion co-owners have experienced weird things there. But they've also come to adore the
place.
"The public is so intrigued by this property," says McAfoos, who favored the B&B idea because it's a business that can pay for itself. "Now the public
will have a use for it."
Elana Ashanti Jefferson: 303-954-1957 or ejefferson@denverpost.com
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
The Historic Patterson Inn
420 E. 11th Ave, Denver, CO 80203
(303) 955-5142
www.pattersoninn.com ~ info@pattersoninn.com
www.facebook.com/ThePattersonInn ~ www.twitter.com/pattersoninn ~ www.youtube.com/pattersoninn
Please feel free to donate if you
would like to help support
HAUNTED COLORADO.
Donations
are
*GREATLY*
appreciated!
: )
would like to help support
HAUNTED COLORADO.
Donations
are
*GREATLY*
appreciated!
: )
The famously haunted & historic Stanley Hotel .......... in beautiful Estes Park
The above neat photo is from the Stanley's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/thestanleyhotel
The above neat photo is from the Stanley's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/thestanleyhotel
Click HERE to view Haunted Colorado's past 2012 Halloween calendar!
New Ghost Book!
The Ghosts of Fort Garland
By Jack Rudder
OFFICERS QUARTERS EAST
Photo from: www.museumtrail.org/QuartersEast.asp
From the Parade Grounds at Fort Garland, this photograph shows a full view of the east officers quarters. This building now houses a Visitors
Center, the Museum Gift Shop, and administrative offices.
...Who is walking the grounds of Ft. Garland late at night .....as if still patrolling the grounds from 100 years ago?
.....& .....'Does a ghostly sentinel guard old Ft. Garland?' Find out in Jack Rudder's new book, THE GHOSTS OF FORT GARLAND!
The book is available directly from Jack Rudder for $15 (plus $4 shipping & handling) - or by calling Jack at: 719-589-9393 ~ or e-mailing him at
jack9393@msn.com . If you'd like, Jack can also E-mail you a copy for only a couple of bucks~!
Jack Rudder is the foremost top expert of the hauntings and things that go bump in the night at historic old Fort Garland.
Happy Hauntings!
The Ghosts of Fort Garland
By Jack Rudder
OFFICERS QUARTERS EAST
Photo from: www.museumtrail.org/QuartersEast.asp
From the Parade Grounds at Fort Garland, this photograph shows a full view of the east officers quarters. This building now houses a Visitors
Center, the Museum Gift Shop, and administrative offices.
...Who is walking the grounds of Ft. Garland late at night .....as if still patrolling the grounds from 100 years ago?
.....& .....'Does a ghostly sentinel guard old Ft. Garland?' Find out in Jack Rudder's new book, THE GHOSTS OF FORT GARLAND!
The book is available directly from Jack Rudder for $15 (plus $4 shipping & handling) - or by calling Jack at: 719-589-9393 ~ or e-mailing him at
jack9393@msn.com . If you'd like, Jack can also E-mail you a copy for only a couple of bucks~!
Jack Rudder is the foremost top expert of the hauntings and things that go bump in the night at historic old Fort Garland.
Happy Hauntings!
Click HERE to view Halloween in Colorado 2011
....Rumored to be haunted....
...the historic Little Red Ski Haus B&B in Aspen is on the market again after foreclosure
Catherine Lutz | Wed., January 9, 2013
Article from the Aspen Business Journal: 'Little Red Ski Haus on market again after foreclosure'
The Little Red Ski Haus on East Cooper Avenue has seen a dramatic decade of changes and ownership battles. Now it's on the market for $5.5
million.
ASPEN—It’s been a turbulent decade for Aspen’s Little Red Ski Haus, and the uncertainty over the onetime lodge’s future is not quite over yet.
In mid-December, the West Cooper Avenue property was quietly listed for sale by the bank that foreclosed on it last September, after four years of
legal wrangling by its owners. At $5.5 million, the list price is nearly half of what the iconic property was once on market for. And though the 10-
bedroom home is currently a vacation rental (mostly for groups), a potential owner has a few options for its future use.
Said to be Aspen’s oldest Victorian lodge, the Little Red Ski Haus was built in 1888 and very much retains its original look on the exterior. From the
1960s through the 1990s, Marge Babcock ran it as an affordable ski lodge. (Her identical twin sister, Norma Dolle, still owns and operates the similar
Snow Queen next door.) Some ski bums would rent rooms for the entire winter.
It could be said that the Little Red’s troubles began when David Fiore, a Basalt-based developer and builder, organized a group of investors in 2001
to buy the property from Babcock, who had gotten it downzoned to a single-family home. The events of 9/11 caused a noticeable slowdown in Aspen’
s tourist economy, and Fiore, who knew the lodge needed to be repositioned to succeed, decided to take the risk and go through with the purchase
anyway, he said.
Fiore went through the city process to get the Ski Haus rezoned with the “lodge preservation overlay” designation, which is intended to protect
historical small lodge uses. After a renovation that earned it a historic preservation award and other accolades, the Ski Haus reopened in the winter
of 2002/2003 as an upscale bed and breakfast with 13 rooms, keeping two bunkrooms for budget guests.
But on the business side, things weren’t working out as well as had been hoped for. In the summer of 2007, the lodge closed for another remodel, re-
entitlement process and repositioning—this time for fractional use.
“The plan was to align the debt with the revenues,” said Fiore.
Shortly thereafter, things went further south. In 2008, Fiore’s business partners voted to remove him from the management of the lodge and then
sued him (the lawsuit also included the Roaring Fork Mobile Home Park in Basalt, for which Fiore was managing partner with a similar group of
investors). Fiore responded with his own lawsuit against his partners, and while the case made its way through the courts, the lodge continued to
operate (mostly as a group rental) without Fiore’s involvement. The fractional plan had been dropped.
Meanwhile, its owners put the Little Red on the market. In May 2008, it was listed for $10.75 million; the price was dropped three times over the next
three years, yet the property failed to sell.
Fiore and his partners settled their legal issues out of court in April 2012, according to an article in The Aspen Times, though Fiore was not
reinstated to the management of the Little Red Ski Haus.
Almost immediately thereafter, Schaumburg Bank and Trust began foreclosure proceedings, claiming to be owed $5.1 million, according to
documents filed with the Pitkin County treasurer. On September 12, 2012, the bank was the sole bidder at the foreclosure auction, acquiring the
property for $4.68 million.
Although it’s technically listed as furnished single-family home, the Ski Haus still retains its lodge preservation overlay, so a buyer could choose to do
either. The groundwork has been laid for a fractional structure, but an application for that would have to go through a potentially arduous city
process.
Coldwell Banker Mason Morse’s Bob Cadger, the listing broker for the Little Red, said he’s looking toward the future rather than the past.
“It’s an interesting property because of its location, its size, its potential use,” Cadger said.
On the market less than one month, the Little Red has received some healthy interest so far, said Cadger, who noted that it’s listed at a “good value.”
“It’s unique to the marketplace; it offers a lot of different options,” he said. “It may not be for everyone but for those who are looking for this kind of
property, there’s only one.”
Follow Catherine Lutz on Twitter @cathlutz
http://www.aspenbusinessjournal.com/article.php?id=7916
...the historic Little Red Ski Haus B&B in Aspen is on the market again after foreclosure
Catherine Lutz | Wed., January 9, 2013
Article from the Aspen Business Journal: 'Little Red Ski Haus on market again after foreclosure'
The Little Red Ski Haus on East Cooper Avenue has seen a dramatic decade of changes and ownership battles. Now it's on the market for $5.5
million.
ASPEN—It’s been a turbulent decade for Aspen’s Little Red Ski Haus, and the uncertainty over the onetime lodge’s future is not quite over yet.
In mid-December, the West Cooper Avenue property was quietly listed for sale by the bank that foreclosed on it last September, after four years of
legal wrangling by its owners. At $5.5 million, the list price is nearly half of what the iconic property was once on market for. And though the 10-
bedroom home is currently a vacation rental (mostly for groups), a potential owner has a few options for its future use.
Said to be Aspen’s oldest Victorian lodge, the Little Red Ski Haus was built in 1888 and very much retains its original look on the exterior. From the
1960s through the 1990s, Marge Babcock ran it as an affordable ski lodge. (Her identical twin sister, Norma Dolle, still owns and operates the similar
Snow Queen next door.) Some ski bums would rent rooms for the entire winter.
It could be said that the Little Red’s troubles began when David Fiore, a Basalt-based developer and builder, organized a group of investors in 2001
to buy the property from Babcock, who had gotten it downzoned to a single-family home. The events of 9/11 caused a noticeable slowdown in Aspen’
s tourist economy, and Fiore, who knew the lodge needed to be repositioned to succeed, decided to take the risk and go through with the purchase
anyway, he said.
Fiore went through the city process to get the Ski Haus rezoned with the “lodge preservation overlay” designation, which is intended to protect
historical small lodge uses. After a renovation that earned it a historic preservation award and other accolades, the Ski Haus reopened in the winter
of 2002/2003 as an upscale bed and breakfast with 13 rooms, keeping two bunkrooms for budget guests.
But on the business side, things weren’t working out as well as had been hoped for. In the summer of 2007, the lodge closed for another remodel, re-
entitlement process and repositioning—this time for fractional use.
“The plan was to align the debt with the revenues,” said Fiore.
Shortly thereafter, things went further south. In 2008, Fiore’s business partners voted to remove him from the management of the lodge and then
sued him (the lawsuit also included the Roaring Fork Mobile Home Park in Basalt, for which Fiore was managing partner with a similar group of
investors). Fiore responded with his own lawsuit against his partners, and while the case made its way through the courts, the lodge continued to
operate (mostly as a group rental) without Fiore’s involvement. The fractional plan had been dropped.
Meanwhile, its owners put the Little Red on the market. In May 2008, it was listed for $10.75 million; the price was dropped three times over the next
three years, yet the property failed to sell.
Fiore and his partners settled their legal issues out of court in April 2012, according to an article in The Aspen Times, though Fiore was not
reinstated to the management of the Little Red Ski Haus.
Almost immediately thereafter, Schaumburg Bank and Trust began foreclosure proceedings, claiming to be owed $5.1 million, according to
documents filed with the Pitkin County treasurer. On September 12, 2012, the bank was the sole bidder at the foreclosure auction, acquiring the
property for $4.68 million.
Although it’s technically listed as furnished single-family home, the Ski Haus still retains its lodge preservation overlay, so a buyer could choose to do
either. The groundwork has been laid for a fractional structure, but an application for that would have to go through a potentially arduous city
process.
Coldwell Banker Mason Morse’s Bob Cadger, the listing broker for the Little Red, said he’s looking toward the future rather than the past.
“It’s an interesting property because of its location, its size, its potential use,” Cadger said.
On the market less than one month, the Little Red has received some healthy interest so far, said Cadger, who noted that it’s listed at a “good value.”
“It’s unique to the marketplace; it offers a lot of different options,” he said. “It may not be for everyone but for those who are looking for this kind of
property, there’s only one.”
Follow Catherine Lutz on Twitter @cathlutz
http://www.aspenbusinessjournal.com/article.php?id=7916
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