the Ghost of Joe
by Zamise
On a bike path in Superior Colorado, between Autrey Park and Frank Verra Park there is a memorial to Joe C. Jaramillo.
Next to it is the Monarch Number 2 Coal Mine Monument about Joe’s and other’s deaths from an explosion at a coal mine.
“In the year 1936
January 20th at 6:20 a.m.
an explosion occurred at the
Monarch No. 2 Coal Mine.Eight men perished in this explosion.
The bodies of the following seven men
were recovered:Ray Bailey .. Anthony De Santis
Oscar Baird .. Kester Novinger
Steve Davis .. Tom Stevens
Leland WardThe body of Joe C. Jaramillo
still remains entombed.This monument and plaque are dedicated
to the memory of these men.”
“The body of Joe C. Jaramillo still remains entombed.”
Monarch #2 mine explosion research.
Extent of Coal Mines in Boulder County
About the explosion and location in mine.
A very interesting and detailed, historical article titled BLAST: THE 1936 MONARCH MINE EXPLOSION explains that Joe was buried in 13th and or 14th West tunnels. Other articles will say that this was under the Flat Irons mall/shopping center, however that is not the location of the 13th and 14th West tunnels.
BLAST: THE 1936 MONARCH MINE EXPLOSION
“The history of the probable movements of the victims was traced,
and it was an assured fact that the body of Joe Jaramillio was buried in a very heavy rock fall in the haulage tunnel on the 13th and 14th West. “
An interesting footnote on page 9
Several security officers at Storage Tek’s facilities, built in the 1970’s in the vicinity of the Monarch Mine, have reported seeing evidence that Jaramillo’s ghost roams Building 6 on their corporate campus. In an October 31, 2003 column, Denver Post writer Al Lewis related some of the observations that Storage Tek security officers claim are
manifestations of Jaramillo’s ghost inhabiting their building. Al Lewis, “Storage Tek ‘ghost in Building 6’ mines fear,” Denver Post 31 Oct. 2003, reprinted at http://www.denverpostbloghouse.com/lewis/index.php/2005/11/04/iaint-afraid-of-no-ghost/.
Denver Post Article – obtained from Denver Post Archives.
Name and Location of building: STORAGETEK BUILDING SIX SUB – LG – Southerly most building, south perimeter in the middle of left and right sides of the demolished StorageTek campus, currently owned by Phillips66 company.
Below is the location of mine shaft # where Joe is entombed: Tunnel 13th & 14th West. 
Below is a topographical overlay of 13 & 14 W and 13 & 14 E near Building 6
Topographical layout and mine maps were obtained from Colorado Board of Land Mine Reclamation. Though old they appear to be highly accurate maps of the Monarch #2 mine.
The precise location of the original memorial and monument could not be determined from the research, however if it was where the mall was built it would have been far away from tunnel 13&14W. The whole area has been under heavy development for many years but it is intresting to know the relative locations of the tunnels to building 6 where the ghost stories mention the ghost of Joe.
Interesting note, near by is also the Town of Superior’s historical Cemetery.
Another note, that these areas are being fairly-rapidly developed and many places in the area have interesting and correlating names to the historical sites. For example Monarch High School is probably named after the Monarch mines. Enterprise Street near by is probably named after the Enterprise mines. On a similar note, Tape Drive and Disc Drive are also interesting and unusual street names. Coal Creek flows near by the area.
Superior’s history is one of coal mining. The first mines in the area were developed in the late 1800’s. The Town itself was founded in 1896 and incorporated in 1904. The Town reportedly was named after the “superior” quality of coal found in the area.
Update 7/1/2019
For some reason Joe’s Memorial site has been like this for weeks.
Seems like they finally fixed up the memorial site, I think it was originally a water sprinkler leak is all I can theorize, or maybe it was the Ghost of Joe ooooh 3/30/2021:
