Ann Alexander Leggett - Ghosts of Boulder

Published by Haunted America

A Division of The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2013 by Ann Alexander Leggett and Jordan Alexander Leggett

All rights reserved

Page 7: Watercolor by Carol Hume Davis.

First published 2013

e-book edition 2013

Manufactured in the United States

ISBN 978.1.61423.987.1

Library of Congress CIP data applied for.

print edition ISBN 978.1.60949.736.1

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 authors or The History Press. The authors and The History Press 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.

For Nicola, Joan, little Sara, Jane, Pam, Valerie, Steph R., Steff G., Maysie, Liz, Scott and Nicyou all know why.

A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises. Ghosts were created when the first man awoke in the night.

J.M. Barrie

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

I have enjoyed working with people researching ghost stories for the past twenty or so years. Each person is seeking something specifica clue that no one spotted before, a detail in a floor plan to an unknown room or some new twist on an old tale that will now turn heads when told. My job is to hunt through all of our archival records, whether they are from books, clippings or a collection of old letters and photographs stored in a box just waiting to be discovered. All of these items help to tell the story, no matter what type of story it is. The authors job is to investigate these wonderful artifacts, interpret their meaning and spin them into a great story that will entertain you, the reader.

Everyone enjoys a good ghostly story. We want to have our doubts raised, as well as the goose bumps on our arms and the hair on the nape of our neck. The stories in Ghosts of Boulder are no exception. They bring up questions as to what really happened in each of these homes and businesses or to these characters. The interesting twist to these stories is that Ann Alexander Leggett and Jordan Alexander Leggett took the time and energy to fully research each entry, from the original owner to the current resident, oftentimes interviewing people associated with the story. Following on the success of their earlier books, this mother-and-daughter team proves that no stone goes unturned.

From its early founding in 1859, the town of Boulder, nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, has been the source of numerous tales, both real and tall. Boulder seems to make it in the papers quite often, much of it due to the uniqueness of the people who live or lived here. Many stories of Boulders illustrious past have attracted the attention of readers interested in learning more about the eccentricity of this town. This volume is sure to entertain readers, as well as raise a few doubts in the minds of those of you looking for a good mystery.

Wendy Hall, Manager

Carnegie Branch Library for Local History

Boulder, Colorado, 2013

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you!

To Jane Carpenter, our intrepid and talented editor, researcher and hand-holder. Thank goodness you are a night owl. You are the best!

To Wendy Hall of Boulders Carnegie Branch Library, who always knows where all the good stuff is. And thank you for the wonderful foreword!

To Krista Socash, who is a rock star for being our go-to psychic.

To Abby Daniels of Historic Boulder, for her enthusiasm and support.

To Becky LeJeune of The History Press, for helping us keep our ducks in a row.

To The History Press, for asking us to write another one.

To all of the people who were willing to share their stories with us.

To all those close to us who understand that we are crazy but put up with us anyway. We love you all.

INTRODUCTION

Its been more than eleven years since I coauthored the Haunted Boulder books with Roz Brown. I never dreamed that ghosts would be a recurring theme in my writing, but then again, I never thought I would ever eat an oyster. So there you go. Life certainly is a fascinating journey.

In 2011, after being approached by The History Press to write for the publisher, I coauthored A Haunted History of Denvers Croke-Patterson Mansion with my daughter, Jordan. That book covered the rich history of the house, in addition to the stories of the spirits that reside within its walls, just as the Haunted Boulder books did. That seems to be our formula. Its our theory that from the history come the ghosts. After all, its more fun and truly frightening to find a connection between the ghost activity in a structure and those who actually physically inhabited the place. Anyone can make up a ghost story, but when you back it up with historynow, that really makes your hair stand on end. So, most of the stories here are full of great history.

After finishing the book about the Croke-Patterson Mansion, we werent so sure that we ever wanted to write about ghosts again. That book stuck to us, if you will. The mansion still finds a way to lure us back, and it keeps us within its ghostly grasp. We were done. Through. But lo and behold, The History Press then asked us to revisit the Boulder ghost scene. We couldnt resist, and in doing so, we found a few more gems that are sure to please both the lovers of history and things that go bump in the night. In addition, we updated a few of the chapters from the original two Haunted Boulder books (and added a few new ones), and thus, Ghosts of Boulder was born.

Krista Socash, our go-to psychic, joined us again to give us her interpretation of some of the structures. Krista is a professional clairvoyant, spiritual teacher and healer. She provides training for people interested in developing their psychic abilities and spirit-to-spirit communication. When Krista is around, things just look different; its always a good time. You can contact Krista at .

Ill end this the way I started, with the journey bit. The last eleven years have certainly been a roller coaster ride of sadness, hope, trauma, joy, persistence and rejuvenation for me personally. But there is one thing that has made it all worthwhile: the absolute honor of working with my very talented daughter. Life is good.

Oh and by the way, if you have any ghost stories youd like to share, wed love to hear them (). See? We just cant seem to break away!

We hope you enjoy Ghosts of Boulder.

Ann Alexander Leggett

THE DECKER-TYLER HOUSE

In 1987, when Kathryn Howes, a transplanted preservation architect from Washington, D.C., first set foot in the Decker-Tyler House in north Boulder, she knew that she had to have it. Despite the homes disrepair and the look of disbelief on her husbands face, she knew that she belonged in the house. Her every sense told her that it was meant to be hers and that her family was destined to restore the house to its former glory. Since that first day, Kathryn has felt a strong connection to the Gothic Revival farmhouse that was once the home of Clinton M. Tyler and his family. She has also felt the presence of spirits that seem to watch over her.