Manitou Springs in El Paso County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

In Memory of Emma Crawford

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 2, 2024

1. In Memory of Emma Crawford Marker

Inscription. In Memory of Emma Crawford who succumbed to tuberculosis at age 28. She was an accomplished musician, piano teacher and fiancée to Mr. Wilhelm Hildenbrand. Emma loved Red Mountain and had requested to be buried at its summit, but in 1929 heavy rainstorms brought her coffin crashing down and into Manitou. Her life is celebrated with the annual Emma Crawford Coffin Races each October.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Entertainment • Sports • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1929.

Location. 38° 51.498′ N, 104° 55.067′ W. Marker is in Manitou Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County. It is at the intersection of Manitou Avenue (Business U.S. 24) and Navajo Avenue, on the right when traveling east on Manitou Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 915 Manitou Avenue, Manitou Springs CO 80829, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Colorado’s Front Range

and in Pikes Peak Region.

It is also in the American Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

the

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Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Comanchería.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Healing Waters (within shouting distance of this marker); Manitou Mineral Water Company Bottling Plant (within shouting distance of this marker); Barker House (within shouting distance of this marker); Bank of Manitou (within shouting distance of this marker); Ute Pass Trail (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Sacred Waters (about 300 feet away); St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (about 300 feet away); A Town Built on Mineral Water Resources (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manitou Springs.

More about this marker. The marker is in front of the iron gate enclosing an outdoor seating area.

Also see . . . Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival. Website homepage:
Who was Emma Crawford? A biography of Emma Crawford and the origins of the annual Coffin Races

..."costumed impersonators of Emma Crawford, a 19th-century local who was buried on
Photographed by Mark Parker, July 2, 2024

2. Wider view of Emma Crawford maker in front of the seating area
Townhouse Sports Grill is in the background.
nearby Red Mountain, ride on coffin-like contraptions pulled by teams of four mourners. (Emma supposedly still haunts the mountain even though her coffin washed away years after her burial.) A parade and awards for the best Emma, the most creative coffin, and the best overall entourage complete the daylong event." Despite the notoriety of Emma Crawford, her legend as the ghost of Red Mountain has overshadowed factual information about her life...

(Submitted on July 10, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 10, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 389 times since then and 31 times this year. Last updated on July 12, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 10, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.