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The 13th Annual Emma Crawford Coffin Race and Festival will be held
Saturday, October 27, 2007. Beginning on Manitou Avenue in the town's
National Historic District, Emma judging will begin at 12 o'clock, noon,
followed by the Parade of Hearses and Coffins and then Coffin Races up the
town's main street in the shadow of Pikes Peak.
Emma Crawford lived in Manitou Springs at the turn of the century, arriving
with the hopes that the famous drinking Mineral Springs would help with a cure
for her tuberculosis. Sadly, in the summer of 1890 Emma
died quite young, just before she was to marry Mr. Hildebrand, an engineer on
the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. Her wishes were to be laid to rest on top of Red Mountain.
Her heartbroken fiancee and eleven other men began the arduous task her
carrying Emma's coffin up to the top of Red Mountain. It took them all day,
working two shifts to scale the 7200 foot Summit. In 1929, after
years of stormy weather on the granite mountain the granite gave way and Emma's
remains were washed down the side of Red Mountain. Emma was later buried in the
Manitou Springs Cemetery in an unmarked grave. An official grave site was
granted to her in 2004 to honor her life. Now every year in late October,
Manitou Springs remembers this beautiful young woman who loved her town and her
Red Mountain
with this unique festival.
For coffin race entry forms or more information about the Emma Crawford
Festival call the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau,
719-685-5089 or 800-642-2567.
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