The fifth annual Craig Historic Walk will once again resurrect the unique, fascinating, and sometimes quirky characters throughout local history on Oct. 1 and Oct. 8. This year’s historic walk (formerly known as the “Ghost Walk”) will take place at the Wyman Museum, instead of downtown Craig.

Just 2.5 miles east of Craig on U.S. Highway 40, the Wyman Museum offers the perfect venue for living history performances, according to founder Linda Olson. 

“We loved doing it downtown, it was really neat, but the traffic noise was our number one complaint,” said Olson. “The Wyman Museum is so far away from the highway that there’s not an issue with noise.”

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Plus, many historic buildings from the area are now situated on museum property, which creates an excellent atmosphere for the historic walk. “The really cool thing (at the Wyman Museum) is that you got all these outbuildings, and so you can do various things in different places,” Olson said. “Our guides are going to have little tidbits about each building, its background.”

Winding through a half-mile trail, tours will start each night at 5 p.m. and leave every 15 minutes until 7:30 p.m. One sit-down performance will be offered at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 1 inside the museum.

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At the first stop inside a historic train caboose, Scott Lang will act out the role of a local pastor and his connections to the KKK in 1927. At the old Axial Basin one-room school, Molly Kleeman will bring back the popular story of Craig’s “Unsinkable” Molly Rink, while Gaye Schnackenberg will engage patrons in a game of “fact or fiction” about local history at the Pagoda store.

Next, Randy Looper will entertain crowds about the crazy life of Amos Bennet near the collection of antique fire trucks. Inside the Wyman barn, Dan Davidson, Director of the Museum of Northwest Colorado will transform himself into William H. Tucker, one of Craig’s founding fathers.

At the blacksmith shop, former mayor Terry Carwile will demonstrate the difficult work and skills of a blacksmith. The tour will end with performances inside the museum by Edy George detailing the life of Beryl Kleitz, and Debbie McLain will showcase the fascinating history and amazing accomplishments of the Wyman clan.

The show will take place “rain or shine,” so attendees are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather and bring a flashlight, as the route of the walking tour is not illuminated. 

Visitors are also encouraged to check out all of the museum’s exhibits, including one created by Olson titled “A Walk Down Memory Lane,” highlighting the various programs and gatherings sponsored by the Wyman Museum since its inception in 2006. 

Choosing topics, conducting research, and organizing the Historic Walk is a time consuming and arduous task. After five years at the helm of the Craig Historic Walk, Linda, and her husband Dave, will step down from leading the program. They hope to find volunteers willing to continue this community event. If interested, contact Linda Olson at craig.historicwalk@hotmail.com

The cost of this year’s program is $10, though children under 12 can enter for free. All proceeds will benefit the Wyman Museum, which has weathered a decline in visitors and revenue over the past two years.