Skip to main content

EMMA CRAWFORD COFFIN RACE AND FESTIVAL FROM MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO!





Who was Emma Crawford?

   She was a young lady who died of tuberculosis near the end of the 19th century. In 1889, Emma and her family moved to Manitou Springs (where they lived on Ruxton Avenue) in the hopes that the local mineral springs (from which the city took its name) and the mountain air might be a cure for her illness. This belief was not unusual at the time and many people suffering from the disease found their way to Manitou Springs.
   Emma and her family were spiritualists. Both Emma and her mother believed that they had Native American spirits that guided them (fittingly the city of Manitou Springs also takes its name from Native American spirit lore). It is said that Emma hiked to the top of Red Mountain and had a vision there. In her vision, her spirit guide appeared near the summit. The story has it that she tied a scarf to a tree at the spot. Her dying wish was to be buried right there.
   Emma was engaged to William Hildebrand, a railway engineer, prior to moving to Manitou Springs. William relocated to Manitou Springs to be with her, but she passed away before they could be wed. Emma died at the age of 19 on December 4, 1891. 
   Her fiance and a team of 12 other stalwart pallbearers made sure she got her wish (even though they didn't have legal permission). It took them two days to carry her coffin to the top of the mountain. There she was buried and there she stayed... for years, but not forever. In the years that followed, her grave site became a popular hiking spot for fellow spiritualists. They are said to have visited the spot in the hopes of



Emma Crawford


communicating with Emma's spirit. In 1912, Emma's grave was relocated to the Southern slope when a railroad was built going up the mountain. Ironically, railroad engineers undid that which had been done by one of their own. Once again, however, this would not be Emma's final resting place. Her move was a double disaster. The railroad was a failure and moving Emma's remains left her vulnerable to the effects of erosion.
   The granite of the mountain eroded with each passing storm and eventually Emma's coffin became unearthed. In August of 1929, severe rains caused her coffin and remains to slide down the 7,200 foot mountain, breaking the coffin apart in the ordeal. There in the canyon below, her skull and other bones were discovered by two local boys.






   They brought the remains to the city hall. One story has it that she was reburied immediately. However, there is another story that says Emma's restless remains stayed in storage for 2 years as the city tried in vain to find surviving relatives. Finally, one of her pallbearers, Bill Crosby, took responsibility for her remains. It was then that she was interred once again at Crystal Valley Cemetery. Either way, she was buried in an unmarked grave. In 2004 (10 years after her memorial festival began) the city provided Emma with a memorial stone.






   It is believed by some that Emma's ghost haunts the slopes of Red Mountain. Some say that she won't rest until her body is finally returned to the resting place she chose for herself. The story was included in the Haunted Rockies episode of the Haunted History TV show.

The Festival

   Since 1994, the city has honored Emma Crawford with an annual festival. The Emma Crawford Festival features a parade in her honor as well as the Emma Crawford Memorial Coffin Race. Teams with five members each (one coffin-rider and four runners) compete in the race with wheeled coffins (Wheels can be no larger than 6 inches in diameter) and wild costumes. Creativity in design can be as important as speed in the judging of the race. Besides awards for first, second and third place in the race, there are awards for best coffin and best "Emma" (the rider). The race follows a coffin parade to show off the designs and costumes of each "Emma" and her four "mourners." The parade is led by a number of hearses.






   There are other aspects to the festival as well. There is the Ghosts of Old Manitou Walking Tour. The lantern-lit tour is led by costumed guides. Tours last 45 minutes and regale customers with tales of local ghost lore and history. The Ghosts of Old Manitou Walking Tour is run by the non-profit organization Historic Manitou Springs, Inc. There are also more tours available through Blue Moon Haunted History Tours, including the Ghost Busters Tour and the Hounds from Hell Lantern Tour. The cemetery in which Emma is currently buried offers a Grave Undertakings Tour complete with actors portraying Emma and other historical or eccentric folks who are likewise interred in the graveyard. The cemetery offers tours (minus the actors) at other times throughout the year as well. Check web sites listed below (see Related Sites) for details on tours. The city has also held other foot races the same day as the coffin race in the past.





   Another event takes place the night prior to the races. Emma Crawford's Victorian Wake is held at Miramont Castle. The castle (a former sanatarium which is reputedly haunted) was built four years after Emma's demise and is an example of the Victorian era in which Emma lived her life. The wake features Victorian food and beverages as well as actors portraying the castle's original inhabitants Father Jean Baptist Francolon and his mother Marie. The Francolons' guests for the wake include famous historical figures such as "Wild Bill" Hickok. "Emma", herself, is laid out for those attending the wake.    





   The annual events are always held the weekend prior to Halloween. The Emma Crawford Festival was featured on the Fine Living Network's television special Freakiest Festivals.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

VANILLA PEACH COFFEE CAKE!!

Did you know that the fruit this summer is supposed to be the best it has been in years? Apparently, fruit loves hot weather. I personally have eaten more peaches and cherries this summer than I have in about five years just for that reason.  As I have been a little overzealous lately buying peaches and cherries I found myself with a few peaches that were going to be too ripe for me to eat on the same day. That is unless I wanted to have them for every meal plus a few snacks. So I decided to make this recipe for Vanilla Peach Coffee Cake.  Vanilla Peach Coffee Cake Adapted from  Allrecipes.com Batter: 2 eggs 1 C milk 1/2 C oil 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 C  sour cream 3 C flour 1 C sugar 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. baking soda Topping: 5 or 6 large peaches, diced. 3 Tbsp. butter, melted 11/4 C brown sugar 1Tbsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. nutmeg 4 Tbsp. flour Vanilla Icing: 1 Tbsp. butter 1 tsp

PRESENT TOPIARY TO DECORATE YOUR PORCH AND FRONT DOOR!

   This comes from www.thatvillagehouse.blogspot.com .  I made something similar a couple years ago, without the pots.  It was about 6 feet high.  I got the inspiration from a Chirstmas dectoration that we bought at Target. This is a very good idea and make a great enterance to your home.  So here's a little something to thing about for next year.  Before you know it December will be here again.  You could also do something like this for an Easter theme.   Enjoy! A Merry Welcome! So here is my first Christmas project for the year!! I saw something similar at our church's Advent celebration & pretty much straight up copied it. I couldn't help it. It was love at first sight! I plan to make a 2nd stack to go on the other side of my door, so I'm not completely done, but I thought I would share it with you anyway. I started with 3 different sized boxes...9, 12 & 14 inch cubes. I used an ice pick to punch holes in each of them so that I could run

SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL FROM JAPAN!!!

     The Sapporo Snow Festival is a famous festival held annually in Sapporo, Japan, over 7 days in February.  Currently, Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome are the main sites of the festival.  The 2011 Yuki-matsuri dates are February 7th to the 13th.    The festival is one of Japan's largest and most distinctive winter events.  In 2007, about 2 million people visited Sapporo to see the hundreds of snow statues and ice sculptures at the Odori Park and Suskino sites, in central Sapporo, and the Satoland site.  The festival is thought to be an opportunity for promoting international relations. The International Snow Sculpture Contest has been held at the Odori Park sit since 1974, and teams from various regions of the world participate.      The subject of the statues varies and often features as event, famous building or person from the previous yer.  For example, in 2004, there were statues of Hideki Matsui, the famous baseball player who at that time pl