Published by Haunted America
A Division of The History Press
Charleston, SC 29403
www.historypress.net
Copyright 2015 by Nancy K. Williams
All rights reserved
All images by Tom Williams unless otherwise noted.
First published 2015
e-book edition 2015
ISBN 978.1.62585.458.2
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015943857
print edition ISBN 978.1.62619.933.0
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 The History Press. The author 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.
This book is dedicated to my granddaughters, each very special in her own way.
Amanda Williams, a tireless ghost hunter and precise photographer, who will attain her goals through determination and grit.
Ashlynne Jordan, patient and loyal, a perceptive friend, whose faithfulness and courage are admirable.
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Aspecial thanks to my son, Tom Williams, for his photographic expertise and skill in capturing the charm and beauty of these historic hotels. A big thank-you to all the people who shared their stories and experiences with us and helped make this book a reality.
My thanks to the hotel owners who allowed us to explore their halls, basements and attics and shared the tales of those guests who have never checked out and old employees who still help out.
A thank-you to the local librarians and researchers who have always pointed me in the right direction and provided the answers to tough questions.
Thanks and much appreciation to Becky LeJeune and Artie Crisp, commissioning editors, for their patience throughout this effort.
Many thanks to the paranormal investigators who have shared their findings and conduct their research with honesty and integrity.
INTRODUCTION
The Pikes Peak Gold Rush got off to a sputtering startunlike the one to California in 1849. Eager gold seekers didnt stumble over fat nuggets or dip their gold pans into streams, instantly finding piles of gold dust. Most Pikes Peakers had no experience prospecting, no knowledge of geology and couldnt recognize a gold-bearing rock when they saw it. The rich veins of silver were often hidden above the tree line on towering mountain peaks.
The Pikes Peak treasure hunters were misled by newspaper headlines blaring, The New El Dorado! and Gold! Gold! Gold! They studied guidebooks written by dreamers who had never been west and bought everything theyd need to find goldand a lot of stuff they didnt. These folks shopped at Pikes Peak Outfitters for Pikes Peak guns, Pikes Peak boots, Pikes Peak shovels, picks and gold pans. A disgusted newspaper editor suggested a need for Pikes Peak goggles to help keep the gold dust out of the eyes of these foolish fortune hunters!
Then they piled their unnecessary purchases into covered wagons, buggies and two-wheeled carts; painted Pikes Peak or Bust on them; and started on their great adventure! About 100,000 people joined this gold rush, and most of these eager souls had no comprehension of the distance they would travel or the obstacles that lay ahead. Some rode horses or mules, while others on foot struggled under huge backpacks. Unrealistic dreamers pushed their earthly goods along in wheelbarrows! The caravans crawled across the plains like dusty snakes, and at night, their campfires marked their trail, like beacons leading others west.
When these Pikes Peakers reached Denver City in April 1859, instead of a boomtown, there was a scruffy camp of discouraged prospectors still hoping to make that lucky gold strike. There wasnt much gold in Cherry Creek, but a few discoveries were reported in the mountains. These newcomers were disgusted because theyd navely expected to strike it rich immediately. After a few days of unsuccessful panning in an icy creek, they were convinced that theyd crossed the plains on a fools errand and started yelling Humbug!
Most of these eager gold hunters turned around and went back home; those who remained, persevered and bravely ventured into the Rockies fared better. They found fabulous veins of gold, and when the placer deposits finally ran low, some smart man realized that the pesky black sand filling their gold pans might be worth something, useful for more than chinking their log cabins; it was. That black sand and those unappealing gray rocks contained silvertons of iteventually turning Colorado into the shiniest state in the Union.
The Silver Decades were a time of excitement, wealth and immense growth. Towns popped up, and ramshackle mining camps grew into bustling cities, jumping with excitement and hope. Poor prospectors became overnight millionaires, the Silver Kings, whose mines produced unbelievable wealth. They spent the money as fast as it rolled in. Some built fabulous mansions and lived wildly indulgent lifestyles. There were more lasting achievements, too, as railroads began snaking across Colorado, despite the challenges of laying track over high peaks and blasting through the Rocky Mountains.
Wealthy men built plush hotels, featuring every modern convenience and catering to the very rich. Few remain today, lost to fire, gradual deterioration, foreclosure and destruction by the wrecking ball of progress, clearing the way for parking lots or strip malls. The surviving grand nineteenth-century hotels, landmarks of an exciting time in Colorado history, are full of the flavor and character of the pastand a ghost or two. Despite renovations and remodeling, wispy apparitions roam the halls and whisper in the dark. Dedicated employees are still on the job, unpacking your luggage, clanking dishes in the kitchen and operating the elevator that carries invisible passengers. Meet a shadowy tycoon keeping his eye on operations at his hotel, leaving an aroma of cigar smoke or cherry tobacco in his wake. Spend the night and savor the Victorian elegance of these hotels, whose ghostly guests have never checked out.
MEEKER
Aplow and dreams of crops growing in the wide green valley of the White River drew Nathan Meeker to this region. Hed worked with Horace Greeley organizing the utopian Union Colony of Greeley in 1872, and he managed to obtain an appointment as Indian agent at the White River Ute Agency in 1878. He knew little about the Indians or their culture but was determined to turn them into Christian farmers. Meeker had no patience with the feelings or interests of the nomadic Utes, whod lost their homelands to white settlers and been shuttled off to a reservation. The Indians viewed the plow and fences as symbols of oppression and refused to farm. They ignored Meekers threats to withhold their food supplies or throw them in chains. When he promised to send them to Indian Territory, the savvy leaders knew he didnt have this kind of power and called him a liar.
Then he turned his attention to something the Utes prized almost as much as their families: their horses. For generations, horses had been vital to their nomadic existence, and they represented an individuals wealth. The Utes loved fierce horse racing and equally fierce betting. Meeker was certain that if the Indians werent racing their horses, their days could be spent plowing and planting crops. He ordered the braves to kill their horses, showing his absolute lack of understanding of the nature of his charges. The furious Utes ignored him, and their distrust of the Indian agent increased.
