Welcome to Historic Riverside

Posted by Vickie April 22, 2010

 

As the Rocky Mountains to the West serve as a distant back-drop, nestled between the South Platte River to the West and the BNSF Railroad tracks to the East, is the old Riverside Pioneer Cemetery. Riverside Cemetery came to be in 1876, a replacement to City Cemetery in Denver. Riverside was intended to be outside Denver proper, near to the trolley tracks, so that the Denver area residents could make their Sunday visits and picnic amidst the vast array of flowers, shrubs, and trees to sit with family and friends near to those they loved, which were since laid to rest.

In 1900, Riverside was purchased by Fairmount Cemetery, which to this day, continues its day to day operation in Denver, along Quebec Street.

Riverside is the final resting place of a variety of people; from poor to affluent and from the simple to the famous; some merely passing through time, some leaving their mark on history.

About Block Twelve

Posted by Vickie April 10, 2010

 

Block 12 came to our attention (Vickie Smejkal & Diane Nygaard) when we learned of the many babies buried there. We were understood that approximately 3885 babies were buried in the Baby Lots located there. (Baby Lots were 2x4 and 2x5 foot partials within a lot). Diane Nygaard and I felt the strong need to find out who these babies were. Many a day and hour were spent as we fully uncovered stones, pulled weeds and other growth away from stones; taking pictures and documenting as we went along. We even went so far as to use a satellite shot of Block 12 to help us find stones; in addition, Vickie Smejkal drew a large map of all the lots and partials to help us identify stones with information now lost due to time, wind, and elements of nature and to help us identify stones written in the native tongue of those buried there, and yes, we even had someone assist in interpreting the Japanese stones.

With the help of the Block Book (each page indicating where a person is buried and if a marker existed); satellite shot, and handmade map, we have been able, for the most part, to identify who the headstones and remnants of headstones belong to.

 
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