I took a stroll a few days ago through Boulder's Columbia Cemetery, which opened back in 1870 and is the final resting place of many of the city's early residents. According to an article by Boulder-based freelance writer Tyra Sutak, the most likely person haunting the cemetery is the one who for years was beneath a grave labeled only "Jane Doe." Around 20 years old, she was found beaten to death, lying naked on the banks of Boulder Creek back in 1954, and only within the past 15 years was identified. Others likely haunting the place are Marietta Kinsgley, a madam in Boulder's red-light district back in the 1890s, and Tom Horn, a famous gunslinger and cowboy who was hanged in Cheyenne for a murder it was believed he did not commit, and is still pissed off about it till this day. The most intriguing thing I read was that visitors have sometimes captured ghostly figures in their photographs. And yes - I did closely inspect all of my photos, and unfortunately found that all of the questionable images I captured were actually still alive.
And, of course, all of these stories I found online seem to have been published around - surprise! - Halloween, and none featured actual photographs capturing those ghostly images. For the most part, the people of Boulder treat this cemetery, located just below University Hill in the center of town, as a park for taking a stroll or walking the dog. It is a pretty place, and mostly quiet, except in even-numbered years in October, when Historic Boulder presents "Meet the Spirits," where community volunteers in period costumes portray many of the more famous people buried in Columbia, and tell their stories. And guess what, people! This is an even-numbered year! Buy your tickets now!
No comments:
Post a Comment