What if you were told the sidewalk you stood on outside a quaint little shop in downtown Denver was hollow? Or there was a history that took place under your feet in Leadville and other Colorado mountain communities that you would never believe? If you love Colorado history and like to read about the quaint and quirky, and sometimes spooky, aspects of it, you’ll love Tracy Beach’s new book.
Tracy went on a five-year exploration to uncover the mystery of these hollow sidewalks that culminated into this entertaining and educational treasure. When you see a manhole cover with little glass discs imbedded in it, many of which have turned purple with age, you’ll know you found a treasure. The glass allowed light to filter down into the passageway, although nowadays you’ll need a flashlight.
The Tunnels Under Our Feet provides historic background and covers 14 cities throughout Colorado that house and hide these tunnels including; Canon City, Colorado Springs and Old Colorado City, Cripple Creek, Denver, Durango, Estes Park, Florence, Fort Collins, Leadville, Pueblo, Salida, Trinidad, and Victor.
Some of the questions answered in Tracy’s book are:
- Were there tunnels that led to red light districts?
- Were there tunnels that led to speakeasies during Prohibition?
- Is there a tunnel that led to a belowground gym where Jack Dempsey once boxed?
- Did the KKK use the tunnels to sneak around town?
- Did Al Copone have a tunnel dug that was big enough to fit a Model-T Ford?
- Were the tunnels used to hide corpses during the 1918 flu pandemic?
- Are the tunnels really haunted?
You will enjoy Tracy’s lively prose and interesting historical stories. Join her on her dusty detours as she crawls through basements dodging spider webs and looking for tunnel entrances. Many have been filled in, but it’s not hard to speculate where they go if you’re diligent enough to follow the trail.
