Ghost of Redstone Castle - The Spirit of Alice Crawford - Manitou Springs, Colorado

In 1890, high on Iron Mountain near Manitou Springs, Colorado, a Victorian style manor was built by William Davis.  It was by design, a model home that was to be the showcase of a planned luxury development on the mountain.  However, the development was a complete failure and none of the lots sold.  Davis lived in the house briefly however, for the most part the beautiful manor on the hill stood vacant. Over the years, it became known as Redstone Castle due to its magnificent stature on the hillside and the fact that it is made of red stone that comes from the local quarries.  The house may have been vacant for a good portion of it's existence, but many believe it to be haunted by spirits from the past.

Redstone Castle on Iron Mountain near Manitou Springs, Colorado

Actress Alice Crawford Snow moved to Manitou Springs in 1908.  She leased the Red Castle and made it her home.  Alice was a very spiritual person who deeply believed in the local Native spirits that inhabited the mountains very much like her sister Emma Crawford did.  Emma moved to Manitou Springs in 1889 to try and overcome tuberculosis, however failed to do so and the disease claimed her life a few years later.

Redstone Castle in Manitou Springs, CO is said to be haunted.  Iron Mountain on which it is located is reportedly haunted by one if Redstone's former residents, Alice Crawford.

It is said that Alice held regular seances in the mountain side castle to contact the spirits that dwelled on Iron Mountain.  Some say that some very strange occurrences occurred during these late night sessions such as objects moving around the room on their own.  It is rumored that Alice Crawford may have gotten too in touch with the spirits and became possessed by one.  At one point a friend had found her in her bed on fire and covered in blood.  She had attempted to kill herself to rid her body of the spirit that possessed her.  Some time later, Alice Crawford disappeared and was never seen again.  No one is really sure what exactly happened to her.  Many claim they have seen her walking the slopes of Iron Mountain.  Perhaps she succeeded in surrendering herself to rid her body of the possession and her ghost lingers on the mountain to this day.

Redstone Castle sits high up on Iron Mountain in Manitou Springs, Colorado

Alice's sister's remains were disturbed at one point and it is believed that the Ghost of Emma Crawford haunts the mountain side where she was originally buried, not far from where the spirit of Alice is said to roam.  

The Red Castle still stands to this day and at one point operated as a bed and breakfast. There have been reports of objects still moving in the house over the years and eerie sound occurs when the winds blow high on the mountain.  However, it is privately owned and visitors are only welcomed by invitation.

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Ghost of Emma Crawford - Manitou Springs, Colorado

In central Colorado in the shadow of Pike's Peak, the town of Manitou Springs lies nestled in between the surrounding mountains just west of Colorado Springs. The area boasts many mineral springs which for centuries, visitors have come to take in their waters and breath in the clean mountain air.  One such visitor by the name of Emma Crawford moved to Manitou Springs in 1889 to try and heal her tuberculosis.  Many say she still roams the mountain side over looking the own where she liked to take walks.

Manitou Springs,  Colorado in circa 1950s.  Red Mountain is pictured in the background with the incline track leading to the summit where grave of Emma Crawford was once located

Young Emma Crawford was diagnosed with tuberculosis and decided that like many others, she needed to go to the mountains and take in the fresh air to help her condition.  While there, she liked to pass the time taking walks on a nearby mountain on days when her health permitted.  She was a very spiritual woman and believed she was guided to the area by a spirit guide.  She believed the mountain she liked to spend so much time on was inhabited by the spirit of a Native American.  She called the place Red Mountain, a name which has stuck with the mountain to this day.  It was her desire to be buried on the mountain in a specific spot where she had a vision of the spirit that lived on the mountain.

Emma fell in love with a local railroad engineer by the name of William Hildebrand.  However, before they could be married, Emma succumbed to her disease and passed away in 1891 at the age of 19 years old.  As per her wish, her fiancé buried her on the mountain in the very spot that she requested.

Years later, an inclined plane was being constructed on the mountain and Emma's grave was relocated to another spot nearby.  However, the grave was not dug properly and over time, Emma's casket and remains became exposed to the elements and washed down the side of the mountain.  Later, the people of Manitou Springs, out of respect for Emma Crawford, gathered up her remains and relocated them to the Crystal Valley Cemetery in town in an unmarked grave.  In 2004, the town placed a monument on Emma's grave to honor her. 

Today the inclined plane leading to the summit of Red Mountain in Manitou Springs, Colorado is in ruins.  The burial site of Emma Crawford was once at the top before it was relocated then washed away

Many claim that now in addition to the spirit that dwelled on Red Mountain, Emma's spirit also lives there.  Some folks claimed to have seen a woman walking on the mountain side in a late 19th century style red dress.  Emma Crawford most often wore her favorite red dress on her walks on the mountain side.  They believe this is the spirit of Emma, destined to roam until she is placed back in the spot she requested to be laid to rest.  Many refer to her as The Spirit of Red Mountain or The Lady of Red Mountain.

St. James Hotel - Cimarron, New Mexico

When Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States, Henry Lambert served as his personal chef.  When Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, Henry found himself out of a job.  He eventually decided he would travel out west and try his luck at finding some of the gold that there was so much talk about.  After not having much luck with striking it rich, Henry decided to try what he knew best and opened up a hotel featuring a restaurant and saloon in Cimarron, New Mexico.  Henry of course would never know that his place would become one of the most haunted places in New Mexico.

Haunted St. James Hotel in Cimarron, New Mexico

Henry's place was known as the Lambert Inn and grew to 43 rooms over the years which saw the likes of Jesse James, Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, Kit Carson, Doc Holliday, Black Jack Ketchum, Bat Masterson, Clay Allison as well as numerous other well known names of the wild west.  Cimarron is located along the Sante Fe Trail and The Lambert Inn soon became a favorite place for travelers to stay and given the lawless nature of the west back then, also became a favorite place for killing.  The Lambert saw over 25 murders take place within it's walls. 

Henry Lambert passed away in 1913. His wife, Mary Elizabeth, kept the hotel going, but in 1926 she too passed away in one of the hotel's rooms that she stayed in, room 17. The Lambert's sons assumed management of the place for a while.  Fred Lambert was also the town's sheriff for a good number of years.  He was actually taught to use a gun by Buffalo Bill.  It is said that Buffalo Bill met Annie Oakley in The Lambert Inn and would eventually run Bill's wild west show together.  Over the years the hotel passed from owner to owner, sitting vacant a good portion of the time and slowly falling into disrepair.  Eventually the hotel was restored to it's original state and opened as the St. James Hotel in 1985.

Over the years there have been many reports of paranormal activity in the St. James Hotel.  In addition to cold spots, orange glowing balls of light and strange feelings especially when upstairs, some have claimed to the the reflection of cowboys in the bar mirror only to turn and find no one there.  There is also the occasional sound and sometimes sights of a poker game played by ghosts going on in the poker room.  Although the hotel is a smoke-free hotel, occasionally the aroma of cigar smoke can be smelled in the building.

Some of the ghosts who haunt the St. James have taken up residence, or have never left in the case of Mary Elizabeth Lambert.  Tapping noises can be heard coming from room 17 where Mary lived and died.  There have been sightings of a full bodied apparition of a woman just outside of room 17 in the hallway. Folks staying in the room have reported eerie feelings as if they were not alone and some have smelled rose scented perfume which was Mary's favorite.

Room 17 at the St. James Hotel in Cimarron, New Mexico is said to be haunted by Mary Elizabeth Lambert, the wife of a former owner.

And then there is room 18 said to be haunted by Thomas James Wright.  In the late 1800s, Wright was in a poker game and apparently won the rights to the hotel.  After he went up to room 18, the room he was staying in at the time, he was shot in the back.  He died right there on the spot. Many have said his spirit is so restless that the hotel owners have locked the door to room 18, barring anyone from entering let alone stay there overnight.

The Blue Lady of Half Moon Bay - San Francisco, California

During the 1920s, some of the Hollywood elite would find escape from prohibition along the coast of California at an elite speakeasy known as Frank's Place which was located along Moss Beach on Half Moon Bay near San Francisco.  The club was owned by Frank Torez and although prohibition was in effect, his club would readily serve alcohol. For some reason Frank's Place was never raided by police and some of California's upper class including stars of Hollywood were often seen there.  It seems that one of these regulars however, still call it home.

The Blue Lady haunts Moss Beach on Half Moon Bay near San Francisco, California

In the height of the prohibition era, fishing boats would pick up illegal deliveries from ships waiting out at sea and bring them to Half Moon Bay.   The alchohol would then be brought to Frank's Place which became an illegal distribution center of alchohol. Thus, this night spot became a very popular place.

Frank's Place was a popular speakeasy among Hollywood's elite in the late 1920s

There was a woman known to frequent Frank's Place who would often be seen sitting at the bar. It is said that she always wore a striking blue dress and was believed to be having an affair with the piano player of Frank's. She became known as "The Blue Lady".  Tragically, one morning she was found stabbed to death on the beach.  Her murderer was never discovered.

Moss Beach on Half Moon Bay is a supposed place where "The Blue Lady" roams

Frank's Place still stands today, however, it is now known as the Moss Beach Distillary.  Many people claim to have seen a lady in a blue dress roaming around the distillery after hours.  Many have seen her strolling along the beach below where her body was found.

A boardwalk at Moss Beach on Half Moon Bay near San Francisco, California

Other paranormal activities occur such as chandeliers have been found swinging on their own for hours at a time. Cold spots have been encountered in various parts of the restaurant causing hairs to stand on end.  Mysterious whispy clouds have been seen moving through the bar area on occasion.  Sometimes these mist clouds would linger under the chandelier that moves on it's own accord.  Poltergeist activity has also been reported such as items mysterously disappearing, items floating in mid air, etc.

USS Lexington (The Blue Ghost) - Corpus Christi, Texas

The USS Lexington CV-16 was the longest serving air craft carrier of World War II.  The ship was painted in a unique Navy blue un-camoflagued color.  During the war, the Japanese reported sinking the ship multiple times only to have the US Navy to debunk the ship saying that it is still afloat.  Wartime Japanese radio announcer Tokyo Rose proclaimed that the US had a ghost ship.  The US sailors on board the Lexington like it and the name stuck and the ship became known as the "The Blue Ghost".  The original USS Lexington, CV-2 was sunk during the battle of the Coral Sea.  It was resurrected as CV-16 and would survive the remainder of the war and beyond.

The USS Lexington CV-16 the "Blue Ghost" anchored in Corpus Christie, Texas is said to be haunted by spirits of sailors from WWII

Visitors are able to visit and tour the ship at their own free will. A visitor reporting getting to the engine room area and a handsome sailor with striking blue eyes explained the inner workings of the engine room and showed them around.  Once the visitors arrived at the end of the tour, they commented to the tour directors that the guide in the engine room was absolutely great and he was very knowledgeable.  The museum director informed the visitors that there were no guides on board the ship!

The USS Lexington CV-16 the "Blue Ghost" anchored in Corpus Christie, Texas is open to public tours

More than 200 visitors have reported seeing the tour guide, now nicknamed "Charlie".  Each report that he had striking blue eyes.  After a while museum directors did a little research and discovered some interesting facts. In 1943 nine sailors were killed in the rear of the ship in when a Japanese torpedo struck the area near the engine room.  One of the sailors killed had blonde hair and striking blue eyes and was the engine room operator who never left his post. He matched the description of the phantom sailor exactly!