CREEDE- A new book has been published that contains some of the most treasured stories of the historical mining town and it comes with a spooky twist. Haunted Creede by Kandra Payne, is a well written account of notorious stories from Creede’s past and adds a touch of fright to what some may consider the building blocks of the wild west town.

Payne is a fun and inventive writer who adds her own memories to the stories most known in the area including the death of Bob Ford, Freemon’s Guest Ranch and many others. Having grown up in the area, Payne uses her personal accounts of ghostly stories told to her by friends and family throughout the area and combines it with historical retellings of times long ago.

According to her bio, “Payne is a native of Creede and holds a degree in drama from the Colorado College. She worked six seasons at the Creede repertory Theatre before becoming an equity stage manager. She has lived and worked in many of the great cities of this country, including Chicago, Seattle, New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. Now a resident of Santa Fe, she still spends her summers in Creede, telling ghost stories to just about anyone who will listen.”

Payne formed the Creede Ghost Tour two years ago and after hearing countless requests from those who participated in the tours, decided to write all of her stories down and the results are nothing less than entertaining for those interested in the spooky past of Creede.

Without giving much away about the book, one particular story will strike the reader with curiosity and give a splendid thrill to one of the town’s oldest buildings. The stories surrounding this particular property is one of the most enjoyable parts of the book and gives real life, current accounts of ghostly apparitions that still haunt the building today.

In the story “The Many Spirits of the Zang (Creede Hotel),” Payne offers readers a chance to hear ghost stories told by employees and guests who have stayed at the hotel. It is only one section of the book that shares historical back stories, creating the perfect setting for a tale about ghosts who still visit the hotel today.

Payne is hosting three events in upcoming weeks beginning Sept. 14 at Basham Park at 3 p.m. Another event is a book launch party that will take place at one of the many locations Payne writes about in her book at Freemon’s Ranch on Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. and then will also host an online event from the Santa Fe Public Library on Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. Be sure to take advantage of the book launch events!