Buckskin Joe
Canon City, CO
As you look around the town of Buckskin Joe, remember that most of these buildings were
built in the 1860’s. Many of the park’s staff and visitors have reported unsettling incidents
that they cannot explain. So many, in fact, that the town was featured in 2001 on the History
Channel’s series “Haunted History.”
Lights sometimes go on and off by themselves. Some folks have reported seeing a grizzled
old miner in the mirror of the Saloon but when they turn around there is no one there. Chairs
reportedly slide around in the theater by themselves.
Over the years, these unsettling incidents seem to have involved the same three characters;
“the blue lady,” “the miner,” and “the faceless gunfighter.” Both the miner and the gunfighter
are almost always seen in the Saloon and Theater, while “the blue lady” is usually sighted on
the boardwalk by the Sackett House.
The Saloon and Theatre complex was originally built from three different barns that were
moved to Buckskin Joe and fitted together. One of the barns was used for public executions
during the 1800’s. It was also used to store bodies of the deceased during the winter months
when the ground was too hard and frozen to dig graves. Many people believe that this is why
this area is haunted.
The “blue lady” usually appears near the Sackett House. While she seems a friendly and
benign spirit, we are not certain of her history. We do know that the Sackett House was
originally built in the town of Sargents, Colorado in the 1880’s. It was used as a boarding
house for the men who built the narrow gauge railroad over Marshall Pass.
If you encounter one of Buckskin Joe’s “permanent residents,” tell one of our staff members.
Not only do we enjoy a good story, but we like to keep track of the town’s population!
www.buckskinjoe.com
http://www.buckskinjoe.com/2003/html/FAQ.htm#Is%20Buckskin%20Joe%20Haunted
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