Helgeson's Hikes

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Cemeteries in Central City, Coloardo

One mile west of Central City (taking Eureka Street) lie three cemeteries with hundreds of ornate stone markers and intricate grill work, with headstones dating back to the 1860s. The three are the Central City Cemetery, the Knights of Pythias and the Catholic Cemetery. Please feel free to visit and wander among the headstones marking early day Central City residents grave sites. Please remember that these are actual cemeteries and are still in use to this day.
www.centralcitycolorado.us/tourism/cemeteries

I.0.0.F. Lodge Cemetery
Located in Central City following out Eureka Street just past the Boodle Mine.

Bald Mountain Cemetery
The Town Board of Nevadaville founded the Bald Mountain Cemetery in the summer of 1877. The oldest tombstone predates the founding of the cemetery by 12 years. Another 17 tombstone inscriptions predate the cemetery’s opening in 1877. Apparently, a number of caskets were transferred here from other burial grounds. Cemetery records are now housed at the county courthouse.

Catholic Cemetery

Central City Cemetery
The first City of Central cemetery was located on East 4th High Street in Central City. It was in the way of the mining activity and relocated to its present location in 1862.

Dory Hill Cemetery
The first burial in Dory Hill was in 1859. However, the oldest tombstone inscription found by Mrs. Blanchard was Stephen T. Tibbits, died March 5, 1863, aged 30 years. Dory Hill Cemetery is owned by the City of Black Hawk.

Foresters Cemetery
Knights of Pythias Cemetery
Masonic Cemetery
Red Men Cemetery

Haunted Belvidere Theatre in Central City, Colorado

This ghost story is from: www.thefencepost.com By Becky Talley

The Belvidere was the first opera house built in Central City in hopes of drawing acting troupes from New York to its stage. It was built by Henry Teller, a prominent man in Central City who became the first senator from Colorado and later, Secretary of the Interior under
President Chester Arthur. (Teller also now reportedly spends his days haunting the building.) The Belvidere was built in 1874 after a large fire swept through Central City burning down most of the structures.

Unfortunately for Teller, the Belvidere was not as successful as hoped and the present Opera House was built because the Belvidere was found to be too small.

The tour was seated in the audience section of the theatre, looking to the stage, as many done for over a century, as we listened to tales of the spirits that lurk in the shadows of the Belvidere.

Within the Belvidere, there was a bar and rooms where soiled doves plied their trade. A prominent figure in the bar was that of a woman named Kate, a woman who was facially disfigured in a bar fight.

Her ghost is reported to still haunt the establishment, though it has been a long time since it has served its last drink. In fact, a psychic was reported to have visited the theatre to try to establish contact with any soul who may have chosen it as its permanent home. The woman reported to have contacted as many as 45 spirits, according to the tour guides, one of which was a large woman with a disfigured face.

At this point in the tour, I suddenly realized how downright chilly the air was getting. The theatre itself had no heating, so the cool temperature was no surprise. However, the chills that were sweeping over me were not of the cold weather kind. The hair on the back of my neck was standing on end and my skin was beginning to crawl. Now, let me tell you, feeling something like this is not pleasant. It is, in fact, downright eerie, and I was soon given a possible explanation for my sudden case of the heebie-jeebies.

The tour guide directed our attention to a section of a balcony about 10 feet to my right and just above my head. Apparently, I was closer to a ghostly site than I had intended to be, and it felt like the ghost was looking over the railing and right through me!

The guide related that this ghost has been identified as a woman named Flora or Florence and was once one of Big Nose Kate’s soiled doves who worked the rooms off the stage. Previously, a tour guide was able to make contact with her with the aid of dowsing rods, and the ghost related her bitter tale. Apparently, she claims that she was murdered by another one of the girls that worked the theatre. Possibly in an attempt to right her horrible death, she continues to this day to ask people for help from beyond the grave.

Another spirit is found in a back corner of the building (further away from my seat, thank goodness), and, according to communications with “Flora,” does not like visitors in the theatre. He is believed to be either a stage hand or director who feels very strongly about the building. The Belvidere was used for a movie theatre for a short time and the projector was put in the general area the ghost chooses to haunt. During this time, there was rarely a time when a movie would be played in its entirety without something going wrong with the projector. Did the machine have a little extra “help” from a projectionist from beyond the grave?

At this point in the tour, all of us ghost hunters were able to walk around the theatre and see what we could scare up. I steeled my nerves to make my way to the corner of the unfriendly man and Flora’s balcony.

Once I set foot on the stairs where the man is reported to be, I instantly felt a sense of dread. There was a little voice inside that not-so-calmly told me it may be time to rethink this whole ghost thing and leave while I still could. I felt like there was someone behind me on the stairs and even turned around several times to see if I was in someone’s way. Of course, when I turned around no one was behind me, so I decided leave that area and take my chances with Flora instead.

When I got to her favorite spot, I met a group of people standing in a circle. All had their hands in the center of the group and informed me that the air was colder there than anywhere else in the theatre. Being game, I stuck my hand in the circle and the temperature did feel colder, but what really creeped us all out was that the air felt like it was vibrating. Now, this building is drafty and we could have convinced ourselves that we felt something that wasn’t there, but no matter what the explanation, I knew it was time to get the heck out of Dodge. I stopped just short of plowing people over on my way to the door.

Others had the same experience. Tour participants Tricia Bergeron of Littleton and Barbara Padilla of Lakewood reported that they smelled something in Flora’s area. There have been no other reports of any scents around Flora’s balcony, but try to tell that to those few who did smell it! Barbara also reported to feel someone on the stairs, just like I did.

Once outside of the Belvidere and back into autumn air at the end of the tour, the hair on the back of my neck began to stand down. What a great way to spend a spooky October evening!

On my drive back down the mountain to home, I ran through the stories of the spirits who have chosen to stay on in Central City for eternity, and was joltingly reminded that there was one exception. John, the Opera House ghost, reportedly decided to give up his familiar settings to haunt a family at their home.

All at once I was set at unease again (the hair on my arms shot to the ceiling), and, though I felt silly, I quickly scanned my car for any ghostly passengers. Was I bringing anything home that I didn’t take with me to Central City? Was Flora riding shotgun in hopes that I could finally give her the help she so desperately seeks? Were those strange noises I heard in my house that night just a case of overactive imagination? I guess that may remain a secret that the ghosts of Central City will take to their graves, literally!

Ghosts of the Opera House in Central City, Colorado

CENTRAL CITY OPERA HOUSE
Eureka St.
National Register 1/18/1973, 5GL.8

Opened in March of 1878, the two-story Renaissance Revival style stone building is the oldest surviving and first permanent opera house in Colorado. It was built with funds raised by a citizens’ group interested in bringing cultural opportunities to the area, the Gilpin County Opera House Association. Between 1910 and 1927, the building functioned as a motion picture theater. Donated to the University of Denver in 1931, the building was restored by the Central City Opera House Association to serve as a venue for an ongoing summer opera program.

www.coloradohistory-oahp.org/programareas/register/1503/cty/gl.htm

The Central City Opera House spreads a famous tale of Billy Hamilton, an Irish doorman and caretaker who lived there in the 1930's and sometimes is credited with pranks and other strange doings in the building.

"I knew Billy Hamilton and I'm sure he is here," Spellman said. "Some guys behind the bar say they've seen Billy. Well, if they say they've seen him, who am I to say they didn't?"

Among the remaining troupes of the Opera House was a miner turned stage performer by the name of Mike Dougherty, who was a favorite in 1865. Unfortunately, like many residents of this rough and tumble frontier town, Dougherty drank himself to death. Apparently, Mike's love of the stage has caused him to linger.

Over the years, numerous back-stage visitors have reported being nearly overwhelmed with the strong (but fleeting) odor of alcohol, which is sometimes accompanied by a stout nudge on the shoulder, or by their hair being lightly ruffled from behind.

While Dougherty seems to be a friendly ghost, the living are always considerably startled when they turn to look and realize that they are alone in the darkened corridor. Other reported occurrences have included strange flickering orbs of light that seem to float across a darkened stage and then vanish into the wings.

The distinct sound of footsteps is also heard in the balcony, thought to be those of a long departed female patron, Occasional cold spots have been felt which move from one corner to the next backstage. Nearly all of these occurrences have been reported when the
theater is dark and not in use for performances.

SOURCE: www.legendsofamerica.com

Gold, Gambling, and Ghosts in Central City, Colorado

Gold, Gambling, and Ghosts in Central City
Source of the article: www.thefencepost.com Story by Becky Talley

His name is Billy. He is a resident of Central City, Colo., and has been the caretaker of the Opera House in this one-time mining village, turned ghost town, turned gambling berg, high in the Rocky Mountains. Billy has seen his fair share of actors, gold seekers and visitors come through the town. He enjoys a good chew, and is, in fact, never without his can of dip. Billy always likes to meet new people, in fact, he insists on introductions and if you don’t comply, like any gentleman, he does not consider it polite. There is only one thing about Billy that sets him apart from other men: when you introduce yourself his handshake may be a bit cold and clammy, that is if you can actually see or feel the hand of a dead man!

Billy is one of the many spirits that still roam the historic buildings and streets of Central City. According to the Gilpin Historical Society Web site (http://www. coloradomuseums. com/gilpin.htm), in “1859, John Gregory discovered ‘The Gregory Lode’ in a gulch near
Central City ... Within two months the population grew to 10,000 people seeking their fortunes.” This one-time booming mining town played out many dramas within its city walls with a cast of players from miners to soiled doves and even famous outlaws who strolled the bustling 1800s streets. However, like many boom towns, Central City eventually went bust with only the memories to replay themselves within the quiet buildings and deserted streets. Or was it only the memories that were alive in the town? It appears that this berg was never quite abandoned by its original residents. The people of this historical town have been celebrating the big haul,
drowning their sorrows after going bust, gambling and carousing since the mining days, though very few of them have been living for
several decades.

I found myself strolling through this piece of Colorado history in search of another story for some exciting reading for the Fence Post Halloween issue. The mysterious and eerie have always held a fascination for me, so, of course, I jumped at the chance to scare something up in the former mining town.

I was able to view some of the town’s most haunted locations thanks to the Haunts of Central City Tour 2004 put on by the Farrout Penndragon Investigations and The Sweet Shop.

The tour began in the Central City Opera House, a grand building that has hosted the likes of Mae West and Christopher Reeves. However, on this October evening, the Opera House played host to a very different crowd.

Once in the house, the tour group was asked to introduce itself to “Billy,” only one of the house ghosts we were to be introduced to in the Opera House.

As mentioned before, Billy was the caretaker of the Opera House. The young man, who was known to always carry Copenhagen chew, suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. However, no matter the fate he met, his spirit returned to protect the Opera House. Billy is a stickler for introductions and doesn’t appear to take kindly to those who do not comply. The guide related that a man once adamantly refused to introduce himself to the spirit. While walking around the opera house, the man claimed he was tripped by something, which resulted in a broken nose for this brazen soul. When the investigation into the accident occurred, nothing was found to explain the mishap, nothing, that is, except for a smashed, empty can of Copenhagen chew!

Two other spirits are reported to have also made the Opera House their favorite haunt, or at least they used to. One still thought to be around is the builder of the house who has mysteriously shown up once to make repairs to the roof. The other entity apparently hitched a ride down to a new home with a family that visited the Opera House. His name is John and he was easily recognized by the smell of cigar smoke that would waft through the air whenever he appeared. The family came to the Opera House and decided to try to initiate contact with John. When they went home, they found that many strange things started happening in their house. This family didn’t pay a second thought to the occurrences until they began to smell the pungent odor of cigar smoke in their home. John has not been seen at the Opera House since.

Face on the Barroom Floor at the Teller House in Central City, Colorado

TELLER HOUSE
Eureka St.
National Register 1/18/1973, 5GL.9

The Teller House was built by brothers Henry M. and Willard Teller during 1871-72. The four-story brick building was reported to be the largest and most elaborately furnished hotel located outside of Denver. It served as the gathering place for local society and visiting elite, including U.S. President Grant who visited in 1873. Double hung windows are found on the three floors that contained sleeping rooms. Windows and doors on the first floor are set in round arches and include transoms. Portions of the building now house a museum, and the first floor bar with its well known "Face on the Barroom Floor" remains an attraction.

www.coloradohistory-oahp.org/programareas/register/1503/cty/gl.htm

The Teller House houses the famous and mysterious "Face on the Barroom Floor" painting, done by Herndon Davis in 1934. This lovely painting is carefully maintained today.

Legend has it that the woman’s likeness was painted by a distraught miner when his wife died of consumption. As the story goes, the miner drank himself into a stupor and then proceeded to paint his wife’s portrait on the floor. Speaking tenderly of her, he painted long into the night and on to past noon. Once the artist was finished, he slept, never to wake again. Buried next to his beloved wife, witnesses say that on the anniversary of his death, the couple can be heard talking tenderly to each other through her portrait on the floor.

At the Teller House, some people have reported seeing the ghost of a blond woman who is believed to be the wife of a man who beat her in the late 1890's after seeing her talking to another man.

Dolores Spellman, a Teller House tour guide, says she doesn't believe in ghosts herself, but "friendly spirits" are another story.

The Child Ghost of Central City, Colorado

The Child Ghost of Missouri Flats Cemetery in Central City

According to Jeff Casey, several county sheriffs have reported seeing a small child in the area of the new C and D parking lots south of Central City. Nearby is a child's grave marked "Clara A., daughter of F.S. and D.F. Dulaney, died July 5, 1865 age 1 year 12 days."

On a separate occasion, a Central City gambling shuttle driver was driving past the grave and heard three distinct knocks on the outside of the shuttle bus.

"Could it be the ghost of Clara or another unknown child whose grave has been disturbed by the recent activities in Central City?"

Source: The Denver Post- March 26, 1996
Section: Living Page: E-01
Michelle Mahoney Denver Post Staff Writer

Ghost Town of Nevadaville, Colorado

Nevadaville (near Central CIty) was a gold-mining town in Gilpin County, Colorado, United States. It was also known in the 1860s and 1870s as Nevada City. The post office at Nevadaville was called the Bald Mountain post office, to avoid confusion with other Nevadas and Nevadavilles. The community is now largely a ghost town, although not completely deserted. The Masonic Lodge that started in 1861 still holds regular meetings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevadaville,_Colorado