The city of Golden is picturesque and charming, to say the least.
It’s hard to imagine as you drive down Washington Street and see a family of four biking (all wearing matching yellow helmets, of course) that at one time this area was much like the famed Wild West you see in movies — brothels, outlaws, shootouts and vigilante justice.
“At least four people have been lynched here,” said Joel Chirhart of Westminster.
Chirhart spent some time studying Golden’s history and was intrigued with the city’s salty past (the first story he heard was about Sam Woodruff and Joe Seminole — horse thieves hung in the city in 1879 for murdering a man). Chirhart thought residents and visitors to the area would also be interested in the historic tales. In July he started the “Murder, Mayhem and Madness Tour” — a nearly two-hour walking tour that covers a mile-and-a-half.
“In the past, one or two people have attempted (a historic tour) but they were not as dedicated as this young man,” said Gary Wink, president and CEO of the Golden Chamber of Commerce. “He’s really into it, he dresses in costume; he’s doing a fantastic job.”
Wink added he’s seen people while on the tour and “they’re enjoying the heck out of it.”
Along with the Woodruff and Seminole account, people on the tour might hear the story of Maria LaGuardia who was killed and buried on South Table Mountain in 1909. Heavy rains washed her body downstream a couple years later and Angeline Garramone was sentenced for the crime.
Chirhart cautions that the tour is rated PG-13 and not for all ages — some of the stories are racy and could be disturbing.
He has also led a walking ghost tour in Morrison for six years, said the “ghosts” in Golden are not that noisy. “The ones in Golden are friendly. The noisiest spirit is the one at Buffalo Rose.”
Buffalo Rose is reported to be one of the state’s oldest taverns and had two shootouts in the 1800s.
The Golden tour will take you to 10 different locations and Chirhart will share about 15 stories. He said with the tour being new, he is still learning more interesting stories about the city.
“There’s a lot of history in Golden,” Wink said, adding that he was positive someone could go on the tour a few different times and learn something new.
Both the Morrison and Golden tours costs $15 for adults and run year round, weather permitting. More information on the tours is available at www.coloradohauntedhistory.com.
Chirhart, who makes his living in the field of geographic information systems, said he may branch out his tours and start one up in Arvada within the next couple years.