Not just seeing things
It's not only Wild West history that makes Durango such a haunted town

While much attention has been given to the influx of newcomers in Durango and their impact on the town, there’s another, less-discussed population that has silently coexisted for decades, dwelling rent-free, causing unease and occasionally instilling fear in the hearts of townsfolk.

Yep – ghosts.

“I’m just shocked by the amount of paranormal activity people experience on a daily basis downtown,” Laine Johnson, who founded Horsefly History Tours (which provides ghost tours), said. “We may have more ghosts downtown than most places; that’s my sense.”

Durango’s enduring reputation as a paranormal hotspot is no surprise, given its Wild West past marked by gunfights, murders and gritty living. However, even in modern times, Johnson continues to hear a multitude of unexplained tales from downtown workers.

“It just goes on and on,” she said “Stuff happens all the time.”

Of course, the incident that usually gets the most attention is the 1906 shootout outside the building that’s now El Moro, when La Plata County Sheriff William J. Thompson died after exchanging gunfire with Durango Marshall Jessie C. Stansel.

As the story goes, in that altercation, Thompson confronted Stansel, accusing Durango Police of not doing enough to stop gambling, which was banned at the time. Unfortunately, Thompson was allegedly inebriated and not particularly polite in his choice of words, prompting the sober Stansel to leave El Moro.

Outside, Thompson unleashed gunfire upon Stansel, resulting in Thompson’s own fatal injuries. Since that fateful incident, peculiar occurrences have continued to haunt El Moro, according to Kris Oyler, CEO and cofounder of Peak Food & Beverage, the company that owns the establishment.

“Every now and then, something falls off a shelf and breaks, or the mason jar lights hanging from the ceiling will start pulsing, or we’ll hear creaking and moaning,” Oyler said. “Some really weird things happen that we can’t put a finger on. Some people say it’s the heartbeat of the sheriff.”

But Johnson also enjoys leading her eerie tours to some less-visited locations.

In the retelling of that shootout, for instance, a little-known fact is that the sheriff is actually thought to have lost consciousness or even died in the doorway of what is now the Starlight Lounge (a barber shop at the time).

Rick Carney, owner of Starlight Lounge, said that for years, he has had employees tell him the building is haunted. Although not necessarily a believer in ghosts himself, Carney acknowledges that unexplained occurrences have taken place within the building during late-night hours.

Like that one night, while he was in the basement finishing up work, when he heard footsteps upstairs at the bar – even though he had locked the doors and found no one when he looked around.

“I checked every little possible place in that bar, and there was no one in that building; I’m positive of that,” he said. “Then I go downstairs again, and I hear something walking around. You know when someone walks up there, nothing else makes those sounds.”

Raven Steele, who worked on and off at the Starlight for about five years, has his share of unforgettable stories. One night, he saw a man who looked to be in his 50s walk through the bar and downstairs to the basement. When he went to check, no one was there.

“There’s just a general feeling of not being alone when I know I’m alone,” he said. “But I believe in the supernatural, and that matter and energy can’t be created or destroyed; it just transforms.”

While it’s true Durango does have a complicated past, it may not entirely explain why there’s such high paranormal activity here, especially downtown, Johnson said.

Yes, downtown Durango in the late 1800s and early 1900s wasn’t the most wholesome place. The abundance of saloons led to heavy drinking, fights, gambling, shootouts, opium dens – you know, everything you find in a John Wayne movie – especially in the 900 block.

“That was the notorious side of the street,” said local historian Charles DiFerdinando. “Maybe that block is just cursed.”

And, at the time, the bars on the west side of the street spilled out into the red light district near the railroad tracks. If you’re wondering, “What’s a red light district?” you’re probably too young to be reading this story. Or need to go back to school.

“Of course, there was really intense tragedy that happened here in the early years – the fragility of life, desperation, loneliness, fear,” Johnson said. “Those emotions can settle into a place.”

And therein lies Johnson’s personal take on why Durango has such high paranormal activity – a term called Stone Tape Theory, which is a belief that some ghostly encounters happen because emotional or traumatic events leave imprints in materials like stones or buildings. (The concept was popularized in the 1970s and is associated with British writer and paranormal researcher Colin Wilson.)

This imprint, the theory goes, is thought to be stored in the structure of the building or the natural materials in the area, like rocks or soil. And, those impressions might replay like a recording when specific conditions are met, causing people to witness ghostly apparitions. 

Johnson said many of the basements downtown have exposure to quartz, magnetite and limestone, which are considered strong conductors of that energy. Which is why, she said, so many basements and tunnels are haunted.

“Perhaps the geology is retaining that energy,” she said.

Such an example is at the newly opened art space/bar, The Subterrain, in the basement below the old Irish Embassy (which used to be a mortuary). There, ghosts have been moving around the pieces on a chess board. When the owners checked security cameras, the video blurs right as the pieces move, co-owner Tim Hassemer said.

In another instance, at a certain theater in town (that Johnson said prefers not to have its name publicized), a ghost allegedly threw a trash can across the room at a manager, denting the wall. At the same theater, Johnson said, multiple people have reported a woman in a beautiful Victorian dress in the women’s bathroom.

Or take May Palace, a location that Johnson emphatically claims ranks among the most haunted buildings in town. Within its walls, figures known as “shadowmen” have been reported, described as dark, humanoid shapes. Also, Johnson mentioned a resident’s startling account of waking up to find their bed mysteriously levitating while living in an apartment above the restaurant.

But, according to Johnson, the most compelling stories are the ones shared by unrelated individuals who, over the years, report identical experiences in the same building.

Take, for instance, the employees at now-closed Thru The Lens Photography, which specialized in old-fashioned photos, located on Main Avenue’s 600 block. Johnson recounted how two separate employees claimed they had left the front desk, only to return and discover a pearl necklace mysteriously resting there.

Or, the multiple female Realtors at Keller Williams in the 700 block that have reported working alone, late at night, when a man’s voice screams “Get out!” and continues to berate them until they leave the building.

Having repeat instances, Johnson said, allows you to start trying to uncover the mystery of a haunting. For example, Durango’s only legal, public hanging happened right outside the Keller Williams building – a man who killed a ranch hand after a dispute over a woman.

“So maybe that’s why they have a malevolent spirit, specifically targeting females,” she said. 

Which begs the question – can a ghost be #metoo’d?

Johnson started offering ghost tours in fall 2017. Ever since, the tales continue to pour in. (Also to note, it doesn’t just have to be Wild West ghosts, she said. The downtown area has witnessed its fair share of tragedies over recent years, potentially leaving lingering modern spirits as well.)

“I just love the mystery of it all,” she said. “And whenever I meet someone, I ask three things: ‘Do you work downtown? Is the building haunted? And if so, can I see the basement?’”