SPOOKS paranormal investigators plan Valentines Day benefit
Star-crossed lovers from the past
One of the best kept secrets in Central City has been hidden away at Eureka Street. Locals know the building for “Ermel’s,” the premier thrift shop located at street level. Members and friends of the Freemasons know the building for the historic lodge on the third floor. Both are treasures. But this building holds a third, half-forgotten, little- known (or unknown-to-start-with) treasure, rarely seen and then by invitation only. Sandwiched on the second floor is the original Central City print shop of the Weekly Register-Call (WRC) dating from 1865. Although the paper is now outsourced for printing, the huge and heavy presses remain housed at 111Eureka Street, the edifice of which still bears the newspaper’s name.
The three-room printing operation takes up the rear two-thirds of the second floor. In the Business Office the publishers’ cubby-hole desk sits next to one of the company safes, custom painted to include their names, “Laird and Marlow.” Inside are the carefully kept ledgers for subscriptions and invoices. Photographs, articles, calendars, posters, even a painted portrait of George Laird’s family remain on the walls. Two large rooms adjoin, each holding the numerous pieces of iron printing equipment, lay-out tables, cabinets and drawers of metal type and trays, plus all the tools and printing accoutrement needed to “put out the paper.” For now, it all remains as it was when the WRC came off these presses for the last time.
The Masons hope to open the Print Shop as a museum in the future but for now, the only way in is by pre-arranged private tour. One group the Mason’s have allowed in is the Society for the Prevention of the Ostracization or Obliteration of Kindred Spirits, Incorporated, more casually known as “SPOOKS.” These paranormal investigators visited the Print Shop last November and found plenty of spirit activity there – enough to warrant another visitation. They’ve incorporated their next investigation into a fund-raiser to benefit the Masons’ efforts toward a print shop museum.
SPOOKS’ has planned a February 14th Sunday “spiritual” in their own style of food, information, tours and investigation, (more) food and stories-of local ghostly lovers. They’ve turned it into a community event, drawing in local attractions, businesses and guides. Beginning at Easy Street’s Millie’s Restaurant at 1:30 p.m. (plenty of time to have lunch before they get started) they’ll have a brief introduction, then head off to tour and “ghost hunt” at the Print Shop and in the Masonic Lodge itself – an opportunity to see another unique historic Central City feature; the frescoes dating from the 1870’s make this lodge one-of-a-kind in the world. They’ll continue up Eureka to the Thomas House, a house that may be (as advertised) “frozen in time,” but the spirits aren’t. The Masons and Gilpin Historical Society (GHS) will provide tour guides, SPOOKS will provide the ghost hunters. As seen on popular ghost hunting television shows, these investigators bring along their cameras, audio recorders, electromagnetic field meters (EMF’s), etc. and they invite guest ghost hunters to do the same. The day will conclude at Crooks Palace in Black Hawk with appetizers and tales of ghostly “star-crossed lovers,” (it is Valentine’s Day, after all) presented by local historian extraordinaire, Linda Jones. That leaves plenty of time afterwards to play at casinos and spend the night. (Monday is the Presidents Day holiday.)
Central City officials and business owners have long been looking for a way to feature their historic buildings, especially in the off-opera season, to draw a variety of visitors and more revenue. The Mason’s need for revenue, simply to preserve their historic building, is dire. With all available funding going to counteract the damage of drainage from the street above and that of time alone, funding to put the Print Shop in order is sparse. With the popular ghost-hunting television shows now playing, more people are aware and accepting of the field of paranormal investigation and more people are showing and taking an active interest in it. Locals have told and heard the tales of paranormal experiences in the sites SPOOKS will investigate and in many more. Tapping into the paranormal market seems a win-win situation for all involved. Mating the investigations with historical tours makes a happy marriage.
Dori Spence, President of SPOOKS, said she and other SPOOKS investigators have returned to Gilpin County several times in recent years and believe there’s enough spiritual activity here to form a local SPOOKS chapter. There are still many buildings and locations in the community that could be investigated. Spence will have information available for interested parties at this event. The cost to participate in the SPOOKS’ “Star-Crossed Lovers” Sunday Spiritual is $25. That’s for the educational seminar, three investigative tours, a presentation on local ghosts and ghostly lovers, and appetizers ala Matt and Mike at Crooks (a treat by itself). A portion of funds raised will benefit the Gilpin Historical Society and the Masons’ Newspaper Print Shop Preservation Fund. Call 303-582-5182 to reserve your place to have a Central City experience beyond the norm.