by Leslie Swanson

Skeptics may hold fast to their disbeliefs, but recent polls show that most Americans do take ghosts seriously, and three out of 10 report personal paranormal encounters. Durango proves no exception to this norm. Of 30 Main Avenue businesses randomly polled, 17 reported rumors of haunting at other downtown establishments, while eight admitted suspicion or outright certainty of supernatural activity in their own buildings.

 

The city’s old hotels received the majority of ghost reports. That the Strater, General Palmer, Jarvis Suites, El Rancho, Rochester, even Ramada Inn, all were named as possible haunts is not surprising; hotels are notoriously at risk for phantom activity. Some use their spooky reputation to advantage. Others firmly attribute the rumors to wishful thinking and overly active imaginations.

 

“People enjoy intrigue… Some kids want to see ghosts, it’s fun,” says the Strater’s General Manager Michelle Thom. Despite being the most oft-named haunted building downtown, the Strater denies this dubious honor. “The only spirits here are in the Spiritoreum,” Thom laughs, referring to the hotel’s cocktail lounge.

 

Over at the Rochester, management readily admits that their ghost stories might be true. Specifically room 204, the “John Wayne Room,” has spawned numerous reports of a woman in white lingerie who drifts through the premises. Most recently a floating bedspread, rattling doorknob and self-starting hairdryer have put guests on edge but they keep coming. Some particularly request the haunted room and book it well in advance. An appearance on the popular “Ghost Hunters” TV show has added to the Rochester’s mystical allure.

 

Owner Kirk Komick accepts his hotel’s reputed haunting, remarking that it has been neither good not bad for business. He plans a few Halloween events but does not actively exploit the Rochester’s reputation. “We let the guests bring it up,” Komick says.

 

Durango’s phantom population apparently ranges far beyond its haunted hotels. Restaurants, retail shops, theaters, even the Durango Mall spawned a few spook tales. When the suspected locations were contacted however, most denied the allegations or declined comment altogether.

 

Why? Besides the stigma of insanity, there are solid economic reasons to keep such skeletons in the closet: Haunted houses do not sell easily, and ghost-ridden businesses, though they may attract the occasional thrill-seeker, are just as likely to scare customers and employees away.

 

“When it comes to spiritual activity, many people would rather sweep it under the rug,” comments Aaron Stevenson of the Durango Paranormal

Group. Aaron and his partner, Robyn Stahl, started their ghost-detecting venture in 2010. Together with volunteers Mike and Clara, who share their interests and desire to help the haunted, they investigate preternatural activity in and around Durango.

 

Most of the DPG’s calls come from people seeking help for suspected spiritual activity in their home or business. The group’s first step is to eliminate any natural causes. Using EMF (electro-magnetic frequency) detectors, they measure the environment’s electricity.  A high EMF reading can indicate either the presence of a ghost or a wiring problem. Exposure to high levels of EMFs tend to make people jumpy and paranoid, Stahl explains, thus they may feel like someone is watching them. Many hauntings clear up after a visit from the electrician. Others are not so easily resolved.

 

For example, their most recent investigation involves a home in the Animas Valley. Its owner didn’t notice any strange activity until she started remodeling. When they came to check it out, Stevenson and Stahl witnessed first-hand as lights flickered and shadows passed in the upstairs window.

 

“No one else was there,” Stahl recounts. “We called in an electrician, but the wiring was fine.”

 

There are generally three types of haunting, Stahl points out. “Residual haunting” is most common; in these instances the same scene happens over and over, as if a moment in time were caught in a loop. Less common are intelligent ghosts, who interact with people, move objects and even answer questions. The rarest spooks are demonic. Typically these are the ones that try to hurt people or scare them out of their homes.

 

The DPG offers to “clear energy” from haunted premises - free of charge - yet many of their clients decline. “Most people just want to know that they are not crazy,” Stevenson explains. “They don’t want to get rid of their ghosts.”

 

Indeed, of those surveyed who claimed to have a haunted workplace, many were perfectly willing to live and let not live. The staff at Mac’s Liquors likes its ghost. The Rochester’s management has no plans to evict their shady lady and, over at the train station, ghosts just come with the territory.

 

“We hear footsteps, water turning on and off, merchandise gets messed around with in the children’s section but that’s about it,” says Amberlea Frye, crew leader for the train station’s gift shop When asked, she names three other Durango businesses that might be haunted.

 

In fact, the more research done, the longer Durango’s “maybe haunted” list grows. Rumors and facts weave together in tales of subterranean mental institutions, pandemic-ridden corpses and native burial grounds beneath certain restaurants. As one anonymous bar owner proclaimed, “This town is riddled with ghosts.”

 

Really? To investigate the possibility, Stahl and Stevenson agree to make an evening tour downtown with their EMF detectors. The levels are mostly normal except for a couple of unusually high readings, including the Strater’s Spiritoreum, ironically enough. But a high reading could easily be caused by old wiring in this historic town, Stevenson points out, so the evening’s results are inconclusive.

 

And then, in a quiet back room of a basement office, we find a ghost who is willing to answer a few questions.

 

“Are you a male?” Stahl asks. The meter flickers from green to yellow. “Did you use to work here?” Again it lights up yellow. “Are you trapped here?” Nothing. Stahl notes that the EMF meter is getting cold. “Do you want us to leave you alone?” A faint flicker. She thanks the spirit and we leave, some of us more quickly than others.

 

Regardless if ghosts are “real,” the fear they inspire is tangible, and Durango’s downtown community has plenty of stories to tell… or not, depending on their business philosophy.

 

If you need discreet assistance with a possible haunting, the Durango Paranormal Group will investigate free of charge and keep your phantoms confidential. Call them at 970-403-4616.

Leslie Swanson lives near Marvel and is a contributing writer to the Telegraph.