Jeffery W. McKelroy

by Jeffery W. Mckelroy

I first visited Central City when I was a young boy and was fascinated with the beauty of the surrounding terrain and most of all by the history. Nothing much has changed with the exception of the casinos that moved in after voters legalized gambling in 1990.

The mining town of Central City Colorado was founded in 1859, after the discovery of gold in the area and was called the “Richest Square Mile on Earth”. As many as 15,000 miners flooded into the fledgling town in the first two weeks after the discovery. The population quickly grew to around 30,000. In the beginning with placer mining the gold was easy pickings but within less than a year the gold easily reached through these methods was all gone and so, hard rock mining began. The mining tunnels on the sides of the mountains can still be seen from the road on the way to Central City today. Although hard rock mining was more difficult and laborious the mines produced substantial amounts of gold and the boom years out lasted many other mining communities. Not everyone in Colorado struck it rich, but most of those who settled in Central City did. With instant wealth also came wild times. In 1861 alone, Central City recorded 217 fist fights, 97 revolver fights, 11 Bowie knife fights and one dog fight. Amazingly, no one was killed. Even the 1871 Republican Convention in Central City turned rowdy when the second floor of Washington Hall collapsed and deposited 200 men into the Recorder’s office on the first floor. Once again, no one was seriously hurt. In 1874 most of the original wood frame buildings in Central City were destroyed by fire. The town was rebuilt, this time of brick and stone; most of these survive today. The grand opening of the Opera House in 1878 started a tradition of community theatre, ranging from opera to vaudeville. Buffalo Bill performed there as well as P. T. Barnum’s circus.

Many of Central City’s mines survived through to the 1880’s. By the early 1900’s, however, the mines were no longer producing, and all the major ventures had ceased operation. The city was fast becoming a ghost town. They even began to dismantle some of the buildings to ship the lumber and bricks to other communities that were still growing. By the 1920’s Central City only had around 500 full-time residents. What was left of the city survived as a tourist town. In 1990 gambling was legalized and casinos began to occupy the remaining historic downtown buildings. This spawned a revitalization of the community and brought new prosperity to what once seemed like a fading town.  With tourism taking off in Central City it was only a matter of time before the new visitors learned what longtime residents already knew. The ghost town is haunted. 

 One of the more well-known landmarks in the old mining town is the Opera House. Here, many famous as well as lesser-known entertainers have performed, and some have seemingly stayed on to perform long after the other troupes have left. Built in 1878, the Opera House has hosted performances for well over 100 years. Unfortunately, shortly after its opening, the mines began to play out and the Opera House fell into disrepair for quite some time. However, many years later the 550-seat Opera House was saved by a volunteer effort in 1932, restoring the Opera House to its former grandeur. Performances were brought back for summer festivals and special performances that continue to this day. Many stories have been told about the paranormal happenings there. Among the spirits of the Opera House is that of a miner turned stage performer by the name of Mike Dougherty, who was a local favorite around 1865. Unfortunately, like many residents of this rough and tumble frontier town, Dougherty drank himself to death. Some believe that Mike’s love of the stage has caused his soul to linger. Witnesses claim to see mike watching from the catwalks or sometimes walking across the stage. Others have reported what sounds like someone rehearsing lines in unoccupied dressing rooms. Over the many years of the haunting, numerous backstage visitors have reported being nearly overwhelmed with the strong odor of alcohol. While Dougherty seems to be a benign spirit, the living are always considerably shaken after feeling a hand on their shoulder only to turn to look and realize that they are alone in the darkened corridor. Other witnesses have reported strange flickering orbs of light that float across a dark stage only to vanish into thin air. The distinct sound of footsteps is also heard on the balcony, often accompanied by the smell of a lady’s perfume. There are also the usual cold spots that many report to experience in haunted places. Those familiar with the Opera House and those lucky, or unlucky enough to have experienced these events need no convincing. To them there is no doubt about the presence of the supernatural.

            The historic Teller House is one of the few buildings to have survived the 1874 fire. It was built at a cost of $84,000 in 1872, the owners spent an additional $20,000 for furnishings, making it one of the finest hotels west of the Mississippi. In the beginning, the rate for this luxury hotel was 50 cents per night. President Grant visited Central City and the Teller House in 1873 and again in 1876. For his 1873 visit, a path of silver ingots valued at $12,000 was laid from his carriage to the front door of the hotel as a “welcome mat.” This building is home to the famous and mysterious “Face on the Barroom Floor” painted by Herndon Davis in 1934. The woman’s likeness was painted by Davis when his wife died of consumption (tuberculosis). As the story goes, he 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 past noon the next day, spending his last bit of money on whiskey while he worked. Once the artist was finished, he slept, never to wake again. This story though, is only that, a story. The truth is that Herndon Davis was a well-respected artist in his day, and he painted many notable subjects and important landmarks. His wife did pass away from consumption and the painting on the barroom floor is of her. He is said to have been inspired to paint it by the poem written by Hugh Antoine d’Arcy. Davis passed away in Washington, D.C. in 1962 while working on a project for the Smithsonian Institute. He was laid to rest 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. This may just be another embellishment on the story of his life but the romantic notion that their love carries on through eternity is a beautiful one.

It is not hard to find a ghost story in Central City. Almost anyone you talk to has had some kind of experience. All one must do is ask and the locals will share tales of haunted cemeteries and mines and ghosts that linger in old hotels and private homes. The residents of the apartments above the Tollgate Saloon tell stories of mischievous spirits that play with the lights and the water taps. One resident whom I spoke with claims that his ghost seems to be somewhat helpful, “Yeah, so, I work as a bartender and keep odd hours. One afternoon, wintertime, it was dark early, and I was sleeping through my alarm. My lights started flashing on and off until I was fully awake and then they just stayed on. It kept me from being late for work. Another time, I fell asleep with the stove on, and the lights flashed on and off until I woke up. I got no problem with a helpful ghost.”

Chances are, if you go to Central City you may come away with a ghost story of your own and if you linger too long in the casinos, that may be all you come away with.

Main Street Central City with original wooden buildings before the fire.

Main Street Central City with brick buildings. This photo was taken during the time when the town was in a state of decline.

Main Street Central City today.