Shelli Timmons - The Ghostly Tales of Colorados Front Range

Published by Arcadia Childrens Books
A Division of Arcadia Publishing
Charleston, SC
www.arcadiapublishing.com

Copyright 2021 by Arcadia Childrens Books All rights reserved

Spooky America is a trademark of Arcadia Publishing, Inc.

First published 2021

Manufactured in the United States

ISBN 978-1-4671-9830-1

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021932500

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or Arcadia Publishing. The author and Arcadia Publishing disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

All images courtesy of Shutterstock.com, p.64 Steve Lagreca/Shutterstock.com.

TABLE OF CONTENTS & MAP KEY

Introduction

In 1876, Colorado became the thirty-eighth state of the United States of America, and its official nickname became the Centennial State. Centennial refers to a one-hundredth anniversary, and Colorado officially became a state one-hundred years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It is also called Colorful Colorado, and this one is easy to figure out. All you have to do is take a quick look around at the beautiful flowers, trees, rivers, and mountains, and youll understand immediately what inspired this nickname.

Theres a lot to see and do in Colorado, from skiing and rock climbing, to touring old mines and panning for gold. Colorado has four national parks, including Rocky Mountain National Park, home to Longs Peak, the highest peak in the Front Range, at 14,259 feet. The parks are full of amazing wildlife, and you may spot elk, moose, bighorn sheep, and even a bear or two!

The Front Range is a two-hundred-mile section of the Rocky Mountains that divides Colorado almost down the middle. It is sometimes called the backbone. This area stretches from the Arkansas River in southern Colorado north to the Wyoming border. The towns located along the mountains and foothills of the Front Range are called the Front Range Urban Corridor. These towns, including Boulder, Golden, Denver, and Colorado Springs, are also home to a variety of wildlife. And in certain places, there is a chance you might spot more than elk, moose, sheep, or even bears you might see ghosts!

You could catch a glimpse of a shadow sneaking around the corner or feel a set of eyes staring at you in the dark. You could even encounter a mysterious image in plain sight, one that doesnt try to hide at all. It might be a mischief maker, but then again, it could be a much calmer spirit.

Well be traveling north to south on our Front Range ghost tour, so get ready. Here we go!

Fort Collins

Northern Colorado was not a very busy place in the nineteenth century. The area now known as Fort Collins saw only a few stagecoaches and trains traveling along the roads and tracks. Fur trappers and travelers passed through now and again but, overall, it was pretty quiet. Then along came the gold rush, and things were never so quiet again.

Camp Collins, which would later become Fort Collins, was established in 1862. It was a military fort named for Lieutenant Colonel William Collins. The fort was little more than a cluster of cabins and tents on the banks of the Poudre River. In 1867, this military fort was closed and abandoned, leaving behind a small military cemetery.

By 1910, an actual town was taking shape, and the Fort Collins military cemetery ground was planned to be the site of the Fort Collins Post Office. The graves had no markers, and only six bodies were found and relocated before construction of the post office began. Other bodies likely still remain in their original graves, possibly now under buildings or sidewalks.

Fort Collins today is a busy city. It is home to Colorado State University, many tech companies, restaurants, and nearly 170,000 people. Thats the count for living people, anyway. No one is sure how many ghosts are there, but a few of them are pretty well known. And like anyone else, ghosts have their favorite spots.

STARBUCKS

(172 North College)

Imagine you are an exhausted Colorado State University student who has been hunched over a Starbucks table, studying for hours. You have a big test tomorrow, and you still have a lot more studying to do, but you realize you cant read another paragraph without stretching your legs and drinking some more coffee or tea (or smartly remembering to rehydrate with water). Maybe youll buy a snack to go with your drink, too.

Your legs feel stiff from being tucked under the table for so long while you were sitting, but youre about to have plenty of time to straighten them out. The line is long. Everyone waiting in front of you looks super tired, too. You are all basically dressed the same: sweats, T-shirts, and whatever comfortable shoes you could slip your feet into on your way out the door.

As you yawn for the hundredth time, you catch someone moving forward from the corner of your eye. Wait! Is she trying to cut the line? Who does she think she is? Then your eyes focus, and you really see her. Whoa!

Where did she come from? This woman sure isnt dressed like a typical college student. She is dressed in Victorian-style clothinglong heavy dress, lace-up boots, and a hat that looks like a bird crash-landed into a pile of ribbons on her head.

At first, you figure she probably just finished performing in a play or has a part in one of the local tourist attractions. But when you take a longer look, she doesnt appear as solid as everyone else. And her boots, theyre... um, not exactly touching the floor? What the holy iced-mocha is happening here? Why is no one else staring? Are you the only one who sees her? Okay, maybe you shouldve taken a break much sooner.

But what if your eyes arent playing tricks on you? What if shes really there? Could she be a ghost? A ghost who drinks coffee? A modern coffee shop would certainly be interesting for someone from Victorian times. You wonder what fascinates her more: the silver whipped cream canisters, the blenders, or the microwaves. Maybe the paper cups? They didnt have those in Victorian times either. Does she even know what a Frappuccino even is?