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.