Leadville by Lamplight Tours was first established by Leadville author and historian Roger Pretti. Having a deep fascination with the paranormal and the history of The Cloud City, he dedicated his life to researching old newspaper records, recovering the forgotten tales from Victorian Era Leadville that had been lost to time. His research has been resurrected between the pages of not only his two books, but also on his guided walking tours of Leadville’s Historic District and Evergreen Cemetery.
After Roger unexpectedly passed away in October 2022, his only daughter, Rhone, took it upon herself to carry on his legacy and the tours. Rhone continues to recount Roger’s stories, most being directly from the historic newspapers of Leadville, with some modern stories thrown in as well.
The Downtown Lamplit Haunted History Tour and the Historic Evergreen Cemetery Tour immerse you into early life in the carbonate camp, while you learn about the town’s paranormal haunts and Leadville’s faded past.
About Roger:
Roger was born and raised in Colorado and was a 40 year resident of Leadville. His love of mining, history, and the paranormal translated into his writing for the Leadville Chronicle Newspaper and his two novels recounting Leadville’s history.
His experience as a world traveler, folklorist, avid explorer, accomplished archaeologist and ghost tour guide provide a unique insight into his work.
Roger dedicated his life to researching Leadville’s faded past and documenting oral histories from his friendships with the town’s long-time residents. His love for Leadville is encapsulated in his writings and his tours, which is carried on through Rhone’s rendition of Leadville by Lamplight Tours.
About Rhone:
Rhone is a 6th generation Colorado native and has family ties to Leadville since the 1880s. Many of her relatives were killed in mining accidents in Leadville and are now residents in the town’s historic cemeteries.
Her love of history, mining, and the paranormal was inspired by her father and she continues historical research for Leadville by Lamplight Tours and her novels, which are currently in the works.
Rhone is a college student at Colorado Mesa University pursuing Bachelor Degrees in Anthropology and Criminal Justice, focusing on Archaeology and Forensics. She is an avid explorer and world traveler, like her father, and can usually be found exploring Colorado’s wilderness and the world’s most historic locales.
About Cal:
Cal is a little crochet ghost that has captivated many by hanging from the iconic “Ghost Tour” sign in front of the Delaware Hotel. He is named after one of the Delaware Hotel’s most well known ghosts, John Callaway.
Callaway was one of the original owners of the hotel when it was constructed in 1886 and can often be seen in his paranormal form wearing a suit and top hat and smoking a cigar.
Student Video Contest
Rhone recently participated in the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame Student Video Contest and won first place, where her love of history transpired in a biography of Elizabeth “Baby Doe” Tabor, Colorado’s Silver Queen. Elizabeth Tabor was the wife of Horace Tabor, the first postmaster of Leadville, and their story of riches to rags marks an important segment in not only Leadville history, but Colorado history as well.