Ghost ‘Lusting’ in Florence

By Sandy Dale
   Everybody loves a good ghost story, right? Especially if it’s true. If you are one of the lucky ones to have experienced a ghostly presence first hand, then (after the goose bumps go away and the hair lies back down on your neck) you know how much fun it is to scare your friends witless as you recount the tale. I can’t say as I’ve ever actually “seen” a ghost, but I have certainly felt the cold breath of air, heard the thumps and bumps, and seen my cat jump straight in the air hissing and spitting at something I couldn’t see.
   After a great evening of sharing personal ghost experiences with a group of folks in Rockvale (a little town a few miles from Florence), I realized most of our stories had to do with particular buildings – mostly dark basements or attics usually in very old buildings. Hmmm. Some of the stories had actual true facts of catastrophic happenings in these locations. Not everyone has newspaper articles or legends to back up what they saw, but that certainly doesn’t mean they didn’t “see” or hear it.
   Recently, I took a tour of old coal mining camps in Huerfano county. I was not the only one who felt the spirit of the miners and their families at the site of the Hastings mine explosion and the site of the Ludlow massacre. These are well documented events so it stands to reason that if one were to feel spirits about, it would certainly be here.
   But what about the basements and attics, you ask, where only you heard or saw what you heard or saw? I don’t think you should worry too much about it. Obviously, you are not the only one having these experiences. If you are losing sleep because of the haunting noises, there are actual ghost busters out there you can call. Seriously.
   Here in Florence, filled with fabulous old buildings, we have a plethora of tales. We’ve even had TV ghost hunters check out a few of them. I’ve “sensed” some of these energies myself. Fortunately, none that I have experienced have been malevolent. I suspect most of the ghosts we “see” are more to be pitied than feared.    Since it is October when it is believed the veil lifts between our world and the spirit world, it is a good time to come to Florence to investigate. The spirits seem to congregate in the old buildings along Main Street. I imagine they were not happy about leaving so many of their beautiful treasures behind…
   Come find them in Florence – the treasures and the ghosts.

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