A wonderous yet perplexing discovery was made early this year at the site of the former Sinister Haunted House at 3910 Palmer Park Blvd in Colorado Springs. While builders were digging a hole for a future animatronic prop, to their surprise they found a large cavern and series of long abandoned mining tunnels dating back to before Colorado earned its statehood! With the help of a local historical society and documents found in the tunnels, they were able to uncover some of the history and mystery surrounding this astonishing discovery.
In 1856, more than a decade before the founding of Colorado Springs, a small mining colony named “Cold Falls” existed at the afore mentioned location. The colony consisted of a series of copper mines, a caretakers residence, and a town including a hotel, saloon, schoolhouse, medical facility, and even a jail. It is thought to have had a respectable population of over 800 working people; sizable enough to even draw the attention of a traveling circus at the time. Evidence shows that although the copper mine was productive, all mining abruptly stopped in 1859 and the town was immediately abandoned; most of it even physically buried by workers. The reason(s) for this fast evacuation are still a mystery and the truth may never be fully understood. Even more intriguing are drafts of notes and letters found in the caretakers home. They reference a wealthy benefactor and owner of the mine named S. Von Helton. It has been speculated that this individual may be related to Dr. Stewart Von Helton, whose family was amongst the earliest settlers of Colorado Springs. The notes also elude to a potential secondary reason for the mines development.
