The setting sun illuminates the rocky path, slowly casting the trail into shadow. Then, in the glow of lamplight and blanket of darkness, the ghosts of Linwood Cemetery appear, ready to tell the stories of how they came to be buried there. 

The Glenwood Springs Historical Society is back with its 26th annual Historic Ghostwalk along the Doc Holliday Trail to Linwood Cemetery. Guides escort groups from gravesite to gravesite and encounter volunteer ghost actors along the way. 

After listening to their stories, it’s a walk back down with free apple cider and cookies. 

Figures from Glenwood Springs history that will be portrayed include John “Doc” Holliday, Kate Bender, Caroline Clark Barlow, Ella Sellar, Ed Hughes, Ida Lee Alburn and more. 

“You get a new experience every time you go because it varies from night to night,” Sharon Morris said. “We’re portraying historical figures, but we add what we think they might’ve been like.”

Morris is portraying Annie Ward and will be playing her opposite Jamie LaRue’s portrayal of Jasper Ward, a young couple who were integral to the history of New Castle and Glenwood Springs. 

“Last year, Jamie and I played Louisa Schwarz and her husband Jacob for one weekend,” Morris said. “People really seemed to like it, so we were asked to play the Wards this year.”

The roster varies each year and the ghost actors aim for historical accuracy. 

“We met with the great-great-great-granddaughters of the Wards to listen and learn about the history of their family,” Morris said. “We also read diaries of people who had been around the Wards of that time.”

Jasper Ward was friends with Ute Tribe Leader Colorow and learned from him, Morris said. 

“They were trying to build up the community of New Castle and got involved in some violence between the Ute and the settlers that was instigated by a sheriff at the time,” Morris said. “There was a lot of violence in that time period, the 1870s to 1890s, transitioning from the Ute area to the Old West to a community.”

The violence eventually cost Jasper Ward his life. He was initially buried in New Castle, where he was killed, before his remains were later moved to Linwood Cemetery. 

“Annie Ward died a couple years later after giving birth to their second child,” Morris said. “There wasn’t a lot of information on Annie, but she was up 10,000 feet until they came to New Castle to find a warmer climate.”

The couple’s two daughters went on to live with Jasper Ward’s brother, and the family remained in the area.

“We’re trying to bring the history of Glenwood Springs alive so people can really appreciate the area they live in and how it was built,” Morris said. “These stories really capture a moment in time, and it’s fun to convey those stories in this way.”

Morris, a librarian, has long been interested in history. She moved to Glenwood Springs five years ago and said learning about the history of the place she calls home is important to her. 

“It’s important for me to connect and understand the deep stories of where we live,” Morris said. “I also think that’s one of the great things about this area, is that no matter how far people go, they’ll come back here, where their family is from, and they’ll bring artifacts back.”

It’s Morris’ second year volunteering at the Glenwood Springs Historical Society’s front desk, and she hopes to continue to do the ghostwalk as many times as they need. 

“Even people who have lived in Glenwood for a while think this is a fun thing and people from all over the country come to Glenwood Springs to do this,” Morris said. “We do five walks a night and last year, between breaks, a bear came up. I started making noise so it wouldn’t be scared of people coming from both directions and it was fun to see that.”

Many descendents of pioneer families still live in the area and donate items to the museum to help preserve local history, Morris said. 

“One of the hallmarks of this historic ghostwalk is these stories are captured in a way that’s lively and helps people feel more connection with their community,” Morris said. “We need more connection in culture, and we need to celebrate and define things that matter the most, what defines us as who we are as a community.”

The History Ghost Walk at Linwood Cemetery is scheduled for Sept. 25-26, Oct. 2-3 and Oct. 9-10. Tours begin every 30 minutes each evening, with the first starting at 6:30 p.m. and the last at 8:30 p.m.

Ghostwalk tours last about two hours long and include a one-third-mile hike to Linwood Cemetery and back. Participants should wear appropriate footwear and clothing for an October evening hike and should bring a flashlight, headlamp or lantern. Children younger than 12 are not permitted. 

Participants should meet at the Doc Holliday Trailhead at Bennett Avenue and 12th Street at the time listed on their ticket.

Tickets are $25 and are available at glenwoodhistoryevents.yapsody.