Remember the year 1876. Colorado became a state. Riverside Cemetery was established that same year. It is Denver’s oldest operating cemetery.
More than 67000 people rest here. This includes 1000 veterans. Riverside Cemetery occupies 77 acres. It sits between Brighton Boulevard and the South Platte River. It is about four miles from downtown Denver. Most of Riverside Cemetery is in Adams County. However the original entrance and administration building are in Denver.
Riverside Cemetery was owned by the Riverside Cemetery Association. This lasted from 1876 to 1900. Then the Fairmount Cemetery Association took over. It is now known as Fairmount Cemetery Company. In 2000 the Fairmount Heritage Foundation was founded. It protects the heritage of Riverside Cemetery. Volunteers staff the Riverside Cemetery Office. They host events and cleanup projects.
When Riverside Cemetery opened it was secluded. It was on the banks of the South Platte River. The greenery made it popular for wealthy families. The Burlington Railroad changed this in the 1890s. Industrial growth spurred in the neighborhood. Some families moved their relatives’ remains. They reburied them elsewhere. Prominent people continued to be buried here. Their graves were marked with ornate headstones. However the proportion of unmarked graves rose. Counties sent the bodies of their impoverished dead citizens here.
Riverside remained the area’s most significant cemetery. This lasted until the mid-20th century. It is important for scholars. The city kept no systematic death records until 1910. Today the neighborhood is industrial. There is a gas station nearby. There are also smokestacks and train tracks. Interstate 70 is a few blocks away. It remains a minor tourist attraction. In 2001 3000 people took walking tours.
The cemetery’s final grave site was assigned in July 2005. Fairmount Cemetery Inc stopped further burials. They were losing money on each sale. They also stopped watering. They cut back drastically on services. Their endowment was not enough to maintain the graves. They lost 159000 dollars in 2003. They still employ two groundskeepers. They pick up trash. They had to refuse maintenance help from volunteers. This was due to liability issues. In 2005 Fairmount asked the city to take over. The city declined due to lack of funds.
Local residents formed Friends of Historic Riverside Cemetery. They wanted to bring public attention to the issue. They asked for help from a Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Cathedral. Its founders are buried there. Fairmount would transfer the endowment. But the group needed to provide an additional trust of 1 million dollars. This would cover operating expenses.
Riverside is the final resting place for many local historical figures. There are three Medal of Honor recipients buried here. They are Day Hasting and Kelley.
John Bass an early baseball pioneer is buried here. James B Belford a US Congressman and lawyer rests here. Thomas Belt an English naturalist is also here. Hiram Pitt Bennet a US Congressman is interred here. Henry P H Bromwell a US Congressman from Illinois is buried here. Clara Brown a freed slave and founder of St James Methodist Church rests here. Chin Lin Sou a railroad foreman and community leader is here. David Day a Medal of Honor recipient is also buried here. Elizabeth Piper Ensley a suffragist rests here. John Evans a former Territory of Colorado governor is buried here. Barney Ford a business person is here. George V Kelley received a Medal of Honor. Oliver Marcelle was the first black baseball player in Colorado. Miguel Antonio Otero was a prominent New Mexico politician. John Long Routt was the first state governor of Colorado. Jacob Schueler was a co-founder of Coors Brewery. Richard Sopris was a mayor of Denver. Silas Soule disobeyed orders to fire on defenseless Indians. Augusta Tabor was the first wife of Horace Tabor.
Riverside Cemetery stands as a testament to Denver’s rich history. It is a place of remembrance and reflection. It connects us to the stories of those who came before us. It is a place where we can honor their legacies.