Local History

Old Leadville Cemetery

The first Leadville Cemetery and the present Lake County High School football field occupy the same general location at the western end of Chestnut Street. The Cemetery's perimeters extend past the point where the Rio Grande railroad crews laid track over a number of graves, when the line came into Leadville in 1880. That same year, residents of the neighborhood complained loudly about the aroma which emanated from the sunken graves.

"In short, there was nothing about the Leadville Cemetery to make a well man want to die.”

For more information on the original Leadville Cemetery:

Evergreen Cemetery

The land for the Evergreen Cemetery was purchased by the Evergreen Cemetery Association in 1879. A news item in the local paper announced. "Those contemplating an early journey to the next world can purchase a stopping place in the Evergreen Cemetery today November 10th, 1879.”

The site of the Irish Immigrant Miners' Memorial - photo taken June 15, 2021 by Lake County Public Library staff.

The memorial is currently under development and recognizes the Irish immigrant community buried in unmarked, sunken graves in the Catholic Pauper section of Evergreen Cemetery. Phase one of the project is set to be completed in September 2022. To learn more about the project and see plans for what the memorial will look like, please visit the Irish Network Colorado website.

St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery

St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery was opened for use in June of 1888, at which time many people were moved from the Catholic section of the Evergreen Cemetery to the new Catholic Cemetery. The Mount Holy Cross Cemetery, immediately adjacent to St. Joseph’s, began accepting interments in 1919. A few moves from St. Joseph’s to Holy Cross occurred over the following years.