The “Richest Square Mile on Earth” May Be the Most Haunted
Nestled high in the Colorado Rockies, a scant thirty-five miles west of Denver, lies Central City, a historic mining town brimming with tales of fortunes won and lost, dreams realized and shattered. This small municipality, once famously dubbed "the richest square mile on earth", stakes a claim to more than just its glittering past. Alongside its well-preserved Victorian architecture and echoes of the Gold Rush era, the “richest square mile on earth” is said to harbor a wealth of spectral residents, making it a prime destination for paranormal enthusiasts.
The harsh realities of life in 19th-century mining towns fostered an environment ripe for the creation of enduring ghost stories. Untimely deaths were commonplace, stemming from a myriad of sources: the spread of infectious diseases in crowded settlements, the unforgiving natural environment, the ever-present dangers of underground mining operations, rampant crime, and even the emotional toll of unfulfilled aspirations and broken relationships. It is no wonder that many of these boomtowns, Central City included, have become fertile ground for tales of lingering spirits and unexplained phenomena.
The “richest square mile on earth”, Central City, experienced a surge in population and activity during the peak of the Gold Rush. Today, whispers persist that many of the town’s original inhabitants and visitors never truly left. These spectral figures are rumored to roam the historic buildings, wander the narrow streets, and populate the town’s cemeteries, their presence a chilling reminder of the past.
One particular building, situated at a prominent intersection in Central City, is at the heart of one of the town’s most enduring ghost stories. During the late 1980s, the second floor of this structure served as an annex to the Golden Rose Hotel, a prominent establishment whose main building stood directly across the street.
The Golden Rose Hotel was meticulously designed to evoke the atmosphere of a bygone era. Its interior was furnished with authentic pieces from the Gold Rush period, carefully chosen to transport guests back in time. To further enhance the historical ambiance, the hotel rooms were intentionally devoid of modern amenities such as telephones. Guests who needed to contact the hotel staff were required to walk across the street to the main lobby, a feature that inadvertently contributed to the unfolding of the paranormal tale.
Room 25 in the annex, it seemed, had a unique set of problems. Windows would inexplicably open on their own, a baffling occurrence considering that they were of the sliding variety, requiring a deliberate upward motion. Water faucets would turn on unexpectedly, drenching sinks and floors. Clothes and other personal belongings would vanish without a trace, only to reappear mysteriously on the bed just as the occupants were preparing to depart. Even when the room was unoccupied, guests in adjacent rooms would frequently report hearing loud arguments and disturbances emanating from within.
One anecdote vividly illustrates the strange occurrences within Room 25. A guest reported to the hotel staff that several items were missing from his room. Despite assurances that the housekeeping staff were beyond reproach, the guest remained skeptical. However, shortly before his scheduled check-out, he returned to the front desk, visibly shaken, to report that his belongings had reappeared. He explained that the missing items had materialized on the foot of his bed while he was writing a letter at the desk. He emphasized that it would have been impossible for anyone to enter the room and replace the items without him noticing, as he had been facing the mirror on the desk and had a clear view of the entire room. The missing belongings, it seemed, had simply materialized out of thin air.
On numerous occasions during the author’s employment at the Golden Rose, guests in rooms adjacent to the haunted Room 25 reported hearing heated arguments and commotions coming from next door. When the author calmly assured them that everything was in order, the guests would often protest vehemently, prompting the author to accompany them to the annex and open the door to the supposedly troubled room. To the guests’ astonishment, the room would invariably be found unoccupied, meticulously tidy, and devoid of any signs of disturbance. Some guests found the experience intriguing, while others insisted on being relocated to the main building for the remainder of their stay, far from the unsettling presence of the “richest square mile on earth”’s spectral inhabitants.
In 1991, with the re-legalization of gaming in Colorado, the Golden Rose annex was sold and transformed into a casino. The author, having moved on to a business venture involving parking, shuttles, and marketing, found herself revisiting the building in a professional capacity. While delivering coupons to Doc Holliday’s Casino, which occupied the very same building that had housed the Golden Rose annex, she encountered a frazzled secretary struggling to organize a chaotic stack of papers.
The secretary lamented that "the guys" (presumably casino employees) consistently neglected to close the windows and file cabinet drawers at night, leaving her to deal with scattered files and a general state of disarray each morning. She also complained about the recurring disappearance of files, which would invariably reappear on her desk at a later time, their origins shrouded in mystery. The location of the office? None other than the infamous haunted room of the former Golden Rose annex. The casino, aptly named Doc Holliday’s, was said to be so because the spirit of the legendary gunslinger was believed to reside within its walls.
While Doc Holliday’s actual death and burial occurred in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, the possibility of his spirit taking up residence in Central City, a town he frequented during his lifetime, remains an open question. Regardless of whether Doc Holliday himself haunts the premises, the enduring presence of someone within that room seems undeniable.
This particular tale is merely one example of the numerous haunting accounts associated with Central City. For those with an interest in ghost hunting and paranormal investigation, the “richest square mile on earth” presents an unparalleled destination. The town boasts a multitude of well-known haunted locations, along with a wealth of lesser-known stories shared by long-time residents, making it a treasure trove of spectral intrigue. The legacy of the “richest square mile on earth” lives on, not just in its history, but in its haunting tales as well.