03/13/2026
Some doors at the St. James Hotel were never meant to stay closed.
This Hall’s Safe & Lock Co vault, marked by E.J. Hutchinson & Co, dates back to the wildest years of Cimarron when the St. James was one of the most dangerous saloon and hotel in the American West. In the late 1800s this room protected the gold, gambling money, and payroll that flowed through the bar downstairs. That money also attracted the kind of men who settled disagreements with a pistol instead of a handshake.
At least 26 men were killed inside the St. James Hotel, many after nights of cards, whiskey, and rising tempers. Gunfighters, outlaws, and lawmen all passed through these halls. Names like Clay Allison, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Jesse James are part of the legend. Even today, the ceiling of the bar still carries bullet holes from those violent nights.
Imagine this vault door closing while gunfire echoed through the building.
What was locked inside?
And what stories never left the room?
Guests and staff have reported footsteps in empty hallways, doors opening on their own, and the sense that some of those old spirits never checked out.
This vault is only one piece of the mystery.
Soon, we will continue sharing the hidden history of the St. James through guided haunted tours of the hotel. The stories are real. The history is darker than most people realize.
Stay tuned. The past is waiting.
St. James Hotel
Cimarron, New Mexico
Gateway to the Enchanted Circle
