Central City Cemetery, Knights of Pythias, and the Catholic cemetery are all found in the same area, closely nestled together in the Rocky Mountains above the historic mining town of Central City, Colorado. These cemeteries are a significant piece of Colorado’s rich history, where ghost stories and nature’s beauty meet.
Walking through the old cemeteries was deafeningly quiet. As if the only thing watching us were the ghosts who, some claim, linger amongst the myriads of antique headstones. Looking through all the headstones, taking it all in, I noticed the old ones from the early 1800’s are either disintegrating or look new.
These cemeteries are well known for being haunted, and they have become famous as the most haunted locations in Colorado. Once the Pikes Peak gold rush happened, many of the miners and their family members were buried in these cemeteries. Population growth became huge from miners flocking to Pikes Peak for gold, so much so that they had to use Central City Cemeteries to bury the deceased. With over ten thousand people migrating for the gold. On my most recent visit, I experienced some unexplained things and left with chills. I saw a woman standing next to my car, and once I walked towards her, she disappeared, along with orbs, once the sun was setting.
The most famous ghost story for over a century is the Lady in black. She visits twice a year every year, and I saw her on November 1st. I saw her peering at my friend, and I then vanished; I could not believe my eyes. It became so cold for a moment until she passed by, with the air dropping to freezing temperatures for a moment in the middle of summer, mind you, and I have never believed in ghosts. The story goes that she visits the grave of John Edward Cameron every year on November 1st and April 5th. There are multiple radio station articles, history articles, and so many real-life sightings.
One headstone I especially enjoyed is that of George Stroehle, who had been in the Idaho Springs Mining Gazette. He was a pioneer citizen of Black Hawk and head of the firm known as “Stroehle and Sons.” He was born on December 14th, 1838, and died on March 22nd, 1912. He was born in Tirol, Austria, emigrated to Colorado, and became a Union Army veteran in the Civil War. He served in the Colorado Light Infantry. I was able to find his grave on my recent visit, and it felt so quiet and eerie, surrounded by graves that are frozen in time.
I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of nature taking back the land that man stole. Surrounded by a beautiful aspen forest, full of wildlife. (I ran into a huge moose in the forest: a thrilling sight.) Some of the graves are even located inside the forest. The tombstones haven’t been maintained since 1913, covered in moss, with some cracking and falling apart, making the area a beautiful sight for nature lovers, history fans and ghost hunting explorers alike. With over six hundred graves, I enjoyed researching the old names I found on the headstones.
Some of the graves in the 1800’s had been covered with concrete slabs. This was an old practice to prevent grave robbing. Graveyards stopped doing this practice over a century ago. It is such a unique abandoned cemetery where you can see and feel the history for yourself. Atmospherically, there is nowhere quite like it. If you go alone, you will hear the eerie silence for yourself.
There are a lot of children buried in the cemeteries. Children and adults had shorter life spans in the early days of the central city. This was due to the elements, limited health care, and the fact that mining was a risky job back in those days.
As I was walking through the Catholic Cemetery, I stumbled upon a red brick, shaped structure. I did a lot of digging online and found out that the brick structure is an old body-cremation site from the 1800s, standing where the old morgue had once been. Thousands of people had carved initials inside the structure, making it especially haunting to the modern eye.
The drive to this cemetery can be rugged and long compared to other cemeteries in the city. Besides the driving aspect, it is worth the visit to even see it from the dirt road leading into the cemeteries. It takes hours to explore the whole surrounding area, making for a fun and interesting hike. I would urge people who visit this graveyard to read the headstones. I found some headstones from before the 1800s that people carved the initials and dates on by hand. Those are the oldest ones; some have even moved from the earth, shifting, cracking the headstones apart. These cemeteries are so peacefully eerie, yet so loud from wildlife at the same time. I had an experience in the past where a pack of coyotes howled and screeched for the few hours I was there. As well as crows flying above, cawing loudly, making it even more unsettling. It is open to the public (besides the Masonic cemetery, which is on private property). So, feel free to visit.
Aside from the commute, it is worth the trip. With unmatched beauty, history, and nature, these cemeteries are a capsule of Colorado’s history. I recommend people see it at least once in their lifetime. There is so much to explore, but it was getting late. Visiting these cemeteries is unforgettable.
