Colorado is home to 1,500 ghost towns. Many of these small towns came and went with the Gold Rush, while others have an even more unique story. Today’s highlighted town is just that: a small, Colorado town that no longer exists, but has a story that is both unique and downright creepy. Ludlow, Colorado was once a thriving mining town. But now, let’s take a look at what is left of this Ludlow ghost town; one of many ghost towns in Colorado.
Located near Trinidad is all that remains of Ludlow - a once bustling ghost town that housed more than 1,200 families that worked in the nearby coal mines.
While this Las Animas County ghost town is now both tranquil and beautiful among the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, it holds a dark secret you would never guess. It is the site of one of the worst massacres in state history.
Beginning in 1910, the resident coal miners grew unhappy over their dangerous working conditions and began to debate a strike. By 1913, a strike had begun, much to the dismay of owner John B. Rockefeller.
When tensions did not diffuse on their own, the mining company called in the controversial Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency, known for breaking up strikes with such tactics as shooting at tents and threatening families with their steel-covered car that had a machine gun mounted to the top.
The underhanded tactics only made the strikers angrier, which resulted in the agency calling in the Colorado National Guard. The Guard assisted in setting up machine guns along the outskirts of the campsite in an effort to end the strike... one way or another.
On the morning of April 20, 1914, gunfire erupted on the campsite and lasted the entire day, killing four miners, four women, and 11 children who were hiding in their tents during the rampage.
Once the gunfire ended, the site was burned to the ground and looted by company militia and non-union coal miners, leaving behind almost nothing.
The following days resulted in the bloody Colorado Coalfield War, where miners attacked other Colorado camps and set fire to company buildings. The bloodbath lasted for 10 days and resulted in more than 50 deaths.
The fighting only ceased when President Woodrow Wilson sent in Federal troops to diffuse the situation. As a result, several members of the militia we arrested.
When you visit this quiet ghost town, be sure to visit the Ludlow Tent Colony Site. It was purchased by the United Mine Workers of America in 1916. The memorial on the site was erected in 1918 to remember those who died during the strike.
Wow - what a haunting ghost town in Colorado… are we right?! Are there any ghost towns near you? What do you think of Ludlow, a ghost town, or simply a nearly forgotten piece of history? Share your thoughts with a comment.
For more ghostly adventures, take this haunting road trip through a few Colorado ghost towns.
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