Expedition Team: Dave Miller
Date: July 16, 2022
A few miles down the road from where we camped at the Montrose KOA was the Mountain West Museum. Founded in 1997, this museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the west. There are over 20 historic buildings that have been relocated here and feature more than 500,000 artifacts displayed in authentic settings. Three of which have had paranormal activity. I met and interviewed Museum founder/owner and former Colorado state archeologist Richard Fike. The 1890’s saloon has a bar from a pony express and stagecoach station in Utah. The saloon also has a haunted clock which sits atop an upright piano. Here is Fike’s story in his own words.
“A lady named Wanda Dejulio died in the saloon on May 17, 2002. She was cleaning in the saloon, had a heart attack and died. Her grandson found her. Shortly thereafter after the body was removed, Richard himself then came into the saloon and noticed that the clock on the piano was working and on time. He could never get the clock to work before as he had tried numerous keys to wind it, but none ever fit. He told the family that he had noticed that there were two thumbprints in the dust by the clock as she had not dusted there. So, she had not touched the clock and could not have got it working. Richard came into the saloon three days later after her funeral day and he noticed the clock had stopped working. That was after she had been interred in the ground. A few days later a couple spiritual leaders came into the saloon and did a Ute cleansing ceremony using sweet grass. They said the full good spirit of the deceased would stick around three days and then a part of the spirit will stick around forever. So, you figure it out. Why did the clock that never before worked, started working after all the times I had tried and failed to get it to work but it started when she died and stopped by itself three days later when she was buried. Explain that to me.”
I can’t explain it, but the story is compelling. I took photos and did two EVPs but obtained nothing unusual.
