The abandoned South Platte Hotel hauntingly stands along the confluence of the South Platte River and North Fork of the South Platte River. It was originally built in 1887 by Charles and Millie Walbrecht as a comforting place of refuge for stagecoach riders and railroad travelers, as well as for recreational fishermen. While the original construction was destroyed by arson in 1912, the once-thriving hotel was rebuilt in 1913.
As for the incident in 1912, it involved and angry stage driver who believed the Walbrechts were responsible for persuading his wife to leave him. This led him to open fire in the hotel—wounding George and Millie, and an unlucky tourist, in the process—and then burn it to the ground. He was found several days later in LaJunta, Colorado, where he had committed suicide in a wheat field after being wounded by law officers. The hotel was soon replaced by the building you see today.
Owned by Denver Water since 1987, and now sitting under the looming threat of demolition, the abandoned hotel continues to daunt the minds of recreational river runners who wonder what may have once happened there.
