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by Jan Murphy (Author)
From the Anasazi cliff dwellings to tales of Buffalo Bill's bravado, and from an unsolved bank robbery in Denver to the murder of Jon Benet Ramsey, Colorado Myths and Legends examines a fascinating array of puzzling events, unsolved mysteries, and tragic crimes in the often troubled (but always compelling!) history of the Centennial State. Read about the mysterious French miner-turned-hotelier, the incongruous Great Sand Dunes that stretch for miles at the base of towering snow-capped mountains, and the strange disappearance of an entire ancient civilization.
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Fourteen mind-boggling tales from The Centennial State How does a sandy "beach" forms hundreds of miles inland? The desert landscape of the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado creates an odd contrast with the nearby snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Swimsuit-clad locals and tourists alike continue to be drawn to the area each spring, when snowmelt creates a shallow river that wends its way through the dunes. In 1875, a mysterious Frenchman opened the Hotel de Paris to cater to the well-to-do citizens of the up-and-coming Georgetown. This miner-turned-hotelier continued to amaze locals with his intellect as well as with his skills as a chef and sommelier. What had brought this charming, refined, well-educated gentleman from Europe to a Colorado mining town? In 1912, an Italian nun walking the dry foothills around Golden uncovered a spring where many before had made unsuccessful attempts to find water. Was Mother Cabrini's unlikely find the result of divine intervention? How did everyone else miss a water source so abundant that even drought hasn't stopped it for over a century? From legends of lost treasure to the mysterious disappearance of an ancient civilization, Colorado Myths & Legends makes history fun and pulls back the curtain on some of The Evergreen State's most fascinating and compelling stories. Jan Murphy is the author of Outlaw Tales of Colorado: True Stories of the Centennial State's Most Infamous Crooks, Culprits, and Cutthroats, also by TwoDot. She grew up in the mountains of Colorado, and lives in Evergreen, near Denver. Jan is currently on the board of directors for the Jefferson County Historical Society.
Author Biography
Jan Murphy grew up in the mountains of Colorado and first attended a two-room schoolhouse in Bear Creek Canyon, then Red Rocks School (with a view of the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre), Bear Creek High School, and the University of Colorado in Boulder. She resides near Denver and has traveled widely throughout the state, has hiked many of its mountain trails, and has taught numerous classes about Colorado.
