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Repeated claims of hearing clanking dishes and silverware, low voices and “strange misty figures” inside Tommyknocker Brewery are common to employees, Steele told tour-goers. During one specific event in the early 2000s, a waitress cleaning the dining area after business hours heard a strange “scratching sound” and eventually narrowed in on a table where a half-empty water glass was located, according to Steele.
Hello! You received this special introductory edition of the Clear Creek Courant because we wanted to give you a taste of what we have to offer. We hope that once you get to know us, you’ll want to join our family of readers. My name is Kristen Fiore, and I am proud Kristen Fiore to be the editor of the Clear Creek Courant, a publication that has been covering local news in Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Empire, Silver Plume and more since 1973 — we celebrated our 50th birthday last year! The Clear Creek Courant aims to capture the charm of daily life in Clear Creek County while keeping readers informed about breaking news, local government and more. We take pride and ownership in the stories we put out from the instant the story idea is discussed to the time it is put on the page. Clear Creek Courant reporter Chris Koeberl lives in Idaho Springs and can often be spotted at events and government meetings. We hope the passion for what we do shines through on each page of every edition. The Clear Creek Courant covers local news that no other outlets are covering, providing readers with information on the latest events, politics, developments and sports in their towns. But to me, it’s more than just a newspaper. It is a document that is simultaneously historical and living, and it’s a record of the strong sense of community in Clear Creek County. Unfortunately, it’s also part of a dwindling kind of journalism: hyper-local newspapers are becoming rare, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, it shouldn’t be. People deserve to have access to information about what is going on in their local government, what developments are underway, what events are coming up and how the local high school sports teams are doing! I would be honored if you joined us in our effort to help keep lo-
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EDITOR’S COLUMN
The Idaho Springs ghost tour revealed creepy secrets about the city’s history.
PHOTO BY CHRIS KOEBERL
A dark tour through downtown Idaho Springs reveals spooky secrets Walking ghost tours highlight the creepy history of historic Idaho Springs BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Residents of Idaho Springs have experienced raw, rough and violent episodes in the 150 years of the city’s history, and some of those skeletons still lurk in the
closets of original downtown buildings, according to ghost hunters on a tour with the Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District. Jessi Steele with the CCMRD led a group of a dozen curious participants on an informative tour during a recent and chilly night through the streets of downtown Idaho Springs all the way to the Argo Mill and Tunnel. Along the way, Steele pointed out the lesser-known and eerie details of some of the long-established buildings throughout the historic downtown district.
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