And so little time.
That was my first thought upon seeing the numerous cemeteries which are located at the top of the hill outside of Central City. There is the City Cemetery, the Catholic Cemetery, the Rocky Mountain Independent Order of Oddfellows Cemetery, the Knights of Pythias Cemetery, and the Red Men Lodge Cemetery. And those aren't even all of them! There's roughly a dozen cemeteries located in close proximity to Central City.
Central City is an old mining town located roughly an hour west of Denver. Hubby and I used to live there many, many moons ago. And of course, since we have been on a quest to see the historic mountain cemeteries of Colorado, this was a 'must-see'! I plan on doing a few posts come Spring about the history of Central City. It's quite interesting.
But back to the cemeteries....
City Cemetery is located directly below a mine on a hillside which is now covered with aspen.
Many of the grave sites have begun to wash away because of the steep slope.
The majority of the graves face east - a Christian practice of waiting for the rising sun on resurrection day. And as some stories go, the graves running on a north/south axis are of those who were not good Christians.
The Knights of Pythias Cemetery is located next to City Cemetery and there is no clear, distinct boundary between the two.
The Red Men Lodge Cemetery is sparsely populated with a mere 26 graves.
The Catholic Cemetery is in an open meadow. The tombstones here are not as ornate and there seems to be an air of quiet restraint about the place.
There is a rather unusual building within the cemetery boundaries. As of this posting I have been unable to find out any info on its purpose. I would be interested to hear your thoughts....
The Oddfellows Cemetery is located across the road from what was once an ore mill.
The graves here all face downhill and toward Central City. It has quite a few Woodmen of the World tombstones. (I'll be writing a Woodmen of the World post in the near future)
The last cemetery that we visited that cold, windy December day, was the Masonic Cemetery located above Central City.
There is no grand gate or sign which even states who these graves belong to.
Only the tombstones and this small shed carry the Masonic Square and Compass emblem.
That was my first thought upon seeing the numerous cemeteries which are located at the top of the hill outside of Central City. There is the City Cemetery, the Catholic Cemetery, the Rocky Mountain Independent Order of Oddfellows Cemetery, the Knights of Pythias Cemetery, and the Red Men Lodge Cemetery. And those aren't even all of them! There's roughly a dozen cemeteries located in close proximity to Central City.
Central City is an old mining town located roughly an hour west of Denver. Hubby and I used to live there many, many moons ago. And of course, since we have been on a quest to see the historic mountain cemeteries of Colorado, this was a 'must-see'! I plan on doing a few posts come Spring about the history of Central City. It's quite interesting.
But back to the cemeteries....
City Cemetery is located directly below a mine on a hillside which is now covered with aspen.
Many of the grave sites have begun to wash away because of the steep slope.
The majority of the graves face east - a Christian practice of waiting for the rising sun on resurrection day. And as some stories go, the graves running on a north/south axis are of those who were not good Christians.
The Knights of Pythias Cemetery is located next to City Cemetery and there is no clear, distinct boundary between the two.
The Red Men Lodge Cemetery is sparsely populated with a mere 26 graves.
The Catholic Cemetery is in an open meadow. The tombstones here are not as ornate and there seems to be an air of quiet restraint about the place.
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The Oddfellows Cemetery is located across the road from what was once an ore mill.
The graves here all face downhill and toward Central City. It has quite a few Woodmen of the World tombstones. (I'll be writing a Woodmen of the World post in the near future)
The last cemetery that we visited that cold, windy December day, was the Masonic Cemetery located above Central City.
There is no grand gate or sign which even states who these graves belong to.
Only the tombstones and this small shed carry the Masonic Square and Compass emblem.
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7 comments:
Wow!
Those are some really great cemetery photos. The first gravestone you shared is so beautifully designed and still in perfect shape! Nice gates outside these cemeteries too. I like the golden light in these photos. There's such pretty sunlight in Colorado! So, is the "Woodmen of the World" marker the one that looks like tree bark? I've seen one of those in a local cemetery too.
Justine, Yes, the Woodmen of the World grave markers are the ones that look like trees.
I can't wait to read what you find out about the Woodmen markers - they are SO interesting! I love the beehive building - I have no idea what it could be - but it's fascinating!
I just love cemeteries! We had the opportunity to visit some great ones in our travels around this earth, my favorites so far, Boston and New Orleans. Thanks for the history behind as well. Fascinating!
I don't know why but cemeteries always give me such a peaceful feeling.
I think the beehive shaped structure is the start of a mausoleum for the International Order of Beekeepers.
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