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The Gila County Jail may arguably be the most haunted building in Globe.
The once thriving mining town of Globe is taking advantage of its Wild West history and the colorful old buildings of its past. Globe has a number of ghost stories arising from its notorious history which saw many violent deaths from fighting the Apaches to bringing law and order to Gila County. Colorful characters like Big Nose Kate (Doc Holiday’s mistress), Sheriff Henry “Rimrock” Thompson, Al Sieber, the Apache Kid and Arizona’s first Governor, George W.P. Hunt roamed the area.
The most well-known ghost story in Globe is the murder of Kingsley Olds in 1911, in the Gila County Jail. Olds was accused of murdering the two young daughters of his employer. While awaiting trial he was shot from the County Courthouse building across an alley from the jail. It was said that Olds claimed to one of his jailers that he had been visited by visions of the two girls who motioned for him to follow them. His ghost allegedly haunts the jail as well as the ghosts of the two girls.
Valley National Bank in Globe, AZ is haunted. Ghosts of patrons past?
Globe now has tours of the jail including ghost tours and a Haunted Jail event held around Halloween. The jail built in 1910 is also part of the annual Ghosts of Globe Tour which includes the notoriously bawdy Broad Street which was famous for its many saloons and bordellos. The Hanging Tree where a number of men were lynched also once stood on the street. The Ghosts of Globe Tour includes Globe residents dressed as ghostly soiled doves, lawmen and townspeople from the Wild West era. These people act out their parts and tell the ghost stories of the area and buildings of Globe.
The Drift Inn Saloon was once a bordello, rooming house and location of a number of bars.
A paranormal research and tour group, Haunted Historians, offers tours of the 1910 Gila County Jail and the old Globe Train Station. Other buildings that are alleged to be haunted or have an interesting history include: The Drift Inn Saloon was once a bordello, rooming house and location of a number of bars. It is the site of at least four known murders; The building above La Casita Café was once a bordello; Globe High School originally constructed in 1914; The Pioneer Hotel location; The 1907 Gila County Courthouse; The Sultan Brothers/Woolworths building; The Tonto Hotel; Kino’s Floors building; The Delacy Hotel; Gila National Bank; The historic Elks building; The First Palace Pharmacy/Lodge building; The Old Dominion Commercial building; The Mine Supply & Hardware building; and the Noftsger Hill Bed & Breakfast which was once an elementary school.
John Hernandez lives in Oracle. He is retired and enjoys writing and traveling. He is active in the Oracle Historical Society. He covers numerous public events, researches historical features and writes business/artist profiles.
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