Here was a town that should have succeeded but didn't. The site was in the heart of rich farming land, it was situated on two railroads, nearby mountains abounded in wild game for the hunter, and it was close to other towns. Colfax never really blossomed but it did stay alive for about twenty-five years from 1908 to 1933.

The Great Depression of 1929 sealed its fate when gasoline prices forced people to give up driving. Most moved to one of nearby larger towns such as Dawson, Raton, Springer, and Cimarron which offered greater advantages. Still, the town offers today a forlorn and uniquely picturesque cluster of buildings of considerable interest.

Reported Phenomena

The Weeping Lady of Colfax is the apparition of a woman who appears in the back row of the combination church and schoolhouse here. Her spirit still grieves for her young son, who died of an unknown illness in the late 1800's.

Inconsolable grief killed the mother within a few months of her son's death. Reported phenomena include sounds of sobbing, the cries of a young boy and unseen footsteps are heard in the church/schoolhouse. On occasion, the mother appears as a ball of light that floats and wanders through the abandoned town.

The apparition of the same woman has also been spotted around the ruins of the town and seen by motorists walking north along the freeway. A smell that is "similar to roses" and feelings of profound sadness are often associated with the ghost. She is described as haggard in appearance wearing a long grey dress. She appears solid and is often mistaken as a hitchhiker by passing motorists. When the curious pull over to offer assistance, she has already vanished.

There are also two reports of "glowing balls of light" that have been seen moving about the ruins when the moon is full.

The Investigation

We arrived in the mid afternoon with Thunderstorms approaching from the south. Aware that the weather might affect the readings of some of our instruments, we immediately started at the schoolhouse. With the exception of two brief readings of 4.2 m.g. and 3 m.g., the location had mostly normal background EM fields. The two suspect readings we received were located at the back of the school house near the south window. Both readings were very brief, lasting only a few seconds. It may be possible that the readings were influenced by the oncoming storm.

Several pictures were taken of the interior of the building, but none contained anything unusual. We then moved to investigate some of the other structures located in the town, but the storm arrived, cutting our investigation short.

Initial Conclusions