The strong attendance at a presentation about the Historic Graves of the Caribou Cemetery, hosted at the Nederland Community Library, indicates a profound local interest in this mostly ignored historical site located west of the town of Nederland.

Silvia Pettem, a renowned area historian, presented the program, which is a project of the Friends of Caribou Cemetery.

The goal of the group is to restore dignity and respect to the burial sites. “These are people and they are still there,” she asserted.

Nearly 70 people signed up for the event on Sunday, April 14, enough so that several were left standing.

Pettem gleamed and said, “I am overwhelmed at the turnout. I’m very happy about that.”

She continued to share, “Like many of you in this room, I knew Tom Hendricks. He talked about wanting to preserve the cemetery.” Hendricks died in January of 2020 and is buried at the Caribou Cemetery.

Many in the audience nodded.

Pettem explained that most of the graves have been badly vandalized, with all but one of the headstones completely missing. Some people were even camping in the cemetery, she said with disdain.

She showed photographs of how the cemetery has looked through the years. In 2019, it was completely overgrown and hard to find. By 2023, trees were cut and cleared and the cemetery was re-fenced with a gate and an arched sign added.

In 2023 the Friends cleaned and removed debris, mapped and photographed grave sites, identified 14 graves, enclosed the perimeter, and installed the gate and arched sign.

She mentioned the wonderful support the group has received with a website, newspaper publicity, donations, and a volunteer work crew.

“Everything just came together.”

CU student Sean Kosman mapped sites with GPS readings, photos, and notes on size, shape, and distinctive features of the stone bases. Kosman and volunteers then consulted with Anthropology Professor, Dr. Lauren Hosek.

In order to reconstruct the history behind the grave sites, Pettem and others gathered lists from private individuals and the Carnegie Branch Library in Boulder. Pettem beseeches anyone with knowledge on the subject or old photos to email her at silviapettem@gmail.com.

Of the burial sites, only one still has its iron fence. The site belongs to Margaret Perkins, who died in 1879 at the age of 45 years. Pettem said some of the fences were later found in yards in Nederland.

Cemetery symbolism included a hand with a finger pointing up, which Pettem said signifies confirmation of life after death. One stone was carved with stone draping, which symbolizes sadness.

Pettem explained that many who are buried at the cemetery were miners who died in mining accidents, women in childbirth, and children who were victims of diphtheria.

One family lost three children – Alice, Willie, and Anna – to diphtheria in 1879. The children’s gravesite contains the only obelisk at the cemetery. The mother’s name was Margaret Carrigan Richards, and when Margaret died in 1926, eight of her 15 children had preceded her in death.

Another gravesite was found outside the boundary that belonged to the daughter of a Methodist preacher. The child’s name was Agnes Julia Ewert, aged 7 months. Aptly, Pettem would like a Methodist pastor in Boulder to reconsecrate the cemetery.

The presentation showed that 16 graves have been identified of a total of 50 or more. A newspaper circa 1915 mentioned that there were two rows of babies with a path between them. There were at least 30 known burials between 1875 and 1898, with just a few more between 1968 and 2020.

Plans for 2024 include marking the known graves and bringing in GPR (Ground-Penetrating Radar) and forensic dogs in order to find more. The group also plans to continue researching burials and gathering historic photos, hoping to use genealogy techniques to find descendants. They plan to install interpretive signs for a walking tour, and to display Agnes Ewert’s stone at Gillaspie House Museum.

Pettem explained that the cemetery is on private property but anyone is allowed to enter for peaceful contemplation. The cemetery path is close to the Rainbow Lakes Trailhead and requires a 10-15 minute walk.

Pettem fielded questions and thanked the Nederland Area Historical Society, the Grand Island Mining Company, and the donors.