I drive down this stretch of road all the time, and finally my curiosity got the best of me …

Who IS Milton E. Proby?

Well, I did some research and was delighted to learn who this gentleman was.

Per the El Pomar website:

“During his 47 years in Colorado Springs, Rev. Milton E. Proby actively championed the cause of all people facing issues of inequality and injustice in southern Colorado.”  Read the Full Article Here

Because of his great efforts, here in Colorado Springs, “In January 2006, Colorado Springs City Council voted unanimously to honor Reverend Proby by naming the gateway to the Colorado Springs Airport after him.” [source]

What a great memorial to a great man from Colorado Springs’ history!

Read More: The Colorado Springs Real Estate Connection and CAMP

Well, in this past issue, we asked: “When was Colorado Springs founded?”

Our first reply (and winner) was Kim Matthews (who, incidentally, is the brains and brawn behind CAMP). Her reply was so awesome, I decided to share it here:

“Now this one is a no brainer since I just put together a multi media on the history of Colorado Springs and the Broadmoor Hotel…. which opened, as we know it today…. in 1918…. by Spencer and Julie Penrose

Colorado Springs was founded in 1871 by William J Palmer…. who kept the town alcohol free!!

That is why Penrose built the Broadmoor outside the city limits….. He wanted to serve alcohol and party hard!!  He did ensure however that trolley’s ran from downtown to the Broadmoor Hotel.

Bet you did not know that!!

So my answer is D.  1871″

Thank you, Kim … and Congratulations for Winning!!

Sign Up for Our Free Monthly Newsletter* … Maybe you will be our next winner!
*Send your name and email OR mailing address to realtyscoop@gmail.com and we will get you signed up right away!

We have never experienced more exceptional service than our night at the Broadmoor.

Read Also: Phoenix Real Estate Guy – Customer Service, Broadmoor Style

The Broadmoor is a 5-Star Resort Hotel that has been a rich part of Colorado Springs history since Spencer Penrose had it built in 1891, where it started out as a gambling casino.

Read More: Broadmoor Hotel History

Here are some pictures from our stay:

For more information on homes for sale near the Broadmoor, please call: 719.434.7525

NORAD TRACKS SANTA 2008 – Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, CO

The Colorado Springs Real Estate Connection’s Kristen Senn (Colorado Springs Military Relocation Specialist) answers the age-old question:

Where’s Santa?

That’s the question all the kids want to know on Christmas Eve.

About NORAD – “NORAD is the bi-national U.S.-Canadian military organization responsible for the aerospace and maritime defense of the United States and Canada.” (NoradSanta.org) Because of the large amount of of high tech monitoring devices that they have, NORAD is the BEST resource for finding out WHERE that Jolly Man will be this Christmas.

NORAD Tracks Santa – History

A little history about this tradition…..NORAD has been tracking Santa since 1955 when a wrong phone number placed in local Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement had all the local kids in Colorado Springs calling NORAD to talk to Santa. The calls came into the Commander-in-Chief’s operations hotline and instead of telling them they had the wrong number he had the staff start checking the radar for his location from the North Pole.

Every year since 1955, local volunteers meet at the secret NORAD center to track Santa and answer that very popular question via phone and email for the millions of boys and girls from around the world.  Last year my husband and 2 boys volunteered to track Santa for a few hours on Christmas Eve and it’s an experience they will never forget and they are looking forward to doing again in a couple of days.

NORAD – Christmas 2008

This year the NORADSANTA.ORG website feature tracking in 7 different languages. You can track Santa in 3d via Google Earth, via your cell phone, an iGoogle Gadget, and then there is Bitz the Twittering Elf who is keeping us updated through…you guessed it, Twitter.

Track Santa With NORAD this Christmas

What is your favorite haunted location? On Friday, October 31, you will have a chance to vote. After thousands of entries, our own Briarhurst Manor in Manitou Springs, CO has been picked as one of three finalists on Sci Fi Channel’s Ghost Hunters.  If it wins, TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society), will come out to Colorado and investigate our historical location. Tammila Wright, Keller Williams real estate agent and resident of Manitou Springs, submitted the location and will appear on the Ghost Hunter’s LIVE event at Fort Delaware on Friday night where you will be able to vote by text message or online during the 7 hour long event which starts at 5pm MST.

“After spending so much time in the Briarhurst Manor and experiencing unexplained occurrences, they knew it would be a good candidate for “The Great American Ghost Hunt” contest. ‘I had heard stories all my life and then I was experiencing things for myself’” – Erick Wright

Check out the Haunted Briarhurst website

Tammila and her husband, Erick, have very intimate knowledge of the Briarhurst as generations of their families have lived in the area. Tammila was recently interviewed by Pilgrim Films for the segment on Friday and stated that:

“We are History Geeks that don’t mind exploiting the “night” life of a property to get visitors interested in its history. It truly helps when the place is truly haunted like the Big “B”. – Tammila Wright

The interview will talk a little about the history of the Briarhurst and the unusual occurrences that made it a finalist. She has set up a website, Haunted Briarhurst, for more information about the historic building.

Read the Briarhurst Ghost Stories

Do you want to own a bit of Manitou Springs history and a reported haunted landmark? You can!

The Briarhurst Manor is For Sale for a mere $7mil!

Tammila is the head of our Keller Williams Hope Commercial Division and is the listing agent for the property.  She isn’t worried about the “haunted house” reports hurting the sale of the property, in fact, it might help. TAPS has also investigated the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park several times and because of them and other ghost hunting teams, their hotel remains full most of the year and their business has tripled.

Read about the History of the Briarhurst Manor

Looking to buy a Historic Home in Manitou Springs, but can’t afford the Briarhurst Manor?

There are many other properties in Manitou Springs for sale. The Wagner iTeam has two properties for sale in downtown Manitou. Tammila is co-listing with us on a Manitou Springs historic Victorian 4,700sq home at 102 Navajo Ave which has been used as Bed and Breakfast (The Keepsake Inn).

We also have another great home for sale in Manitou Springs at 833 Shoshone Pl which has that Manitou charm, but with modern conveniences and gorgeous views! Both are conveniently located just blocks off Manitou Ave.

Search All Homes for Sale in Manitou Springs

Make Sure You Check Out and VOTE FOR the Briarhurst Manor on
“Ghost Hunters Live” Event on the Sci-Fi Channel at 5pm this Halloween!

WATCH THE Sci-Fi Briarhurst VIDEO

This article was written by:
Kristen Senn – Wagner iTeam Military Relocation Specialist and Listing Manager

**All images taken by permission from HauntedBriarhurst.com