Iron Springs Chateau shelters spirits of times past

NOTE: The authors are third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students in Jeri Sims' classes at Manitou Springs Elementary School. They are working on a book, "The History of Manitou Springs through the Eyes of Children," to be published next school year.

Manitou residents tell the stories of two ghosts that live in the Iron Springs Chateau.

One is a fellow thought to be named Rupert. Some say he was a worker who died several years ago. While cleaning the Ute Iron Spring pump, he was overcome by carbon monoxide fumes. Rupert is more like a poltergeist: someone who moves glasses down the bar and turns lights off and on.

The other ghost is a nameless lady who is always wearing a white lace dress. She is most often seen on days the chateau is closed. When people come up to the door and knock, then look up, she can be seen in the window looking down. The latest occurrence that we are aware of was to a lady brushing her hair in the bathroom.

The most popular of Manitou's iron springs was the Ute Iron Spring. It is now capped off and located under the floor of the Gold Mine Dining Room in the Iron Springs Chateau. The iron-spring water was said to have strong medicinal elements. In 1880, a man named Mr. Ward at the Ute Iron Spring constructed an open-air summerhouse. He operated a candy and cigar store for many years. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant always bought an expensive favorite brand of cigars there on his frequent visits to Manitou Springs. One time, Mr. Ward did not have the brand he liked and put a cheap brand in the box instead. Grant was not fooled and was very angry.

In the early 1880s, Manitou was well known as a health resort. Large numbers of people would come to stay each summer. Doctors were always recommending that the patients walk from one spring to another, and so Ruxton Avenue was a popular place to be seen. Dressing up for an afternoon promenade and taking a stroll along Ruxton Avenue to the Ute Iron Spring pavilion for lemonade made from the spring water was a daily event.

In 1891, when the first passenger trips were made up the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the Iron Springs pavilion became a favorite gathering place for tourists. In 1910 J.G. Hiestand drilled the Iron Springs Geyser. This is below the Iron Springs Chateau parking lot. The geyser would shoot water into the air approximately every half- hour, and large crowds would gather to watch.

The Iron Springs Pavilion/Chateau had many owners and lessees after 1910, and a variety of clubs and other businesses have been located there. Doug and Harriett Jensen purchased the Iron Springs Chateau in 1959. They ran a coffee house and gift shop. After some remodeling in 1961, they decided to offer entertainment and began the melodramas that it is famous for now. Bob and Vicki Kelly and Bruce Littrell purchased the Iron Springs Chateau in 1978 and continue to carry on the tradition.

Copyright 2001
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