What's New?A handful of new articles have been added, including a new cemetery transcription, Rocky Mountain Independent Order of Oddfellows #2, in Gilpin County. A new article on cemetery traditions, and a page on epitaphs and tombstones sayings. Coming Soon!The long-awaited searchable database is scheduled to debut in April, with any luck. When it debuts, you will be able to see pictures for each grave marker, search across all cemeteries for a single surname, and do some custom searching. I'm considering a new newsletter feature called "Ask the editor," answering questions from readers. This is *only* for Grave News readers. I won't publish a question if you indicate you'd prefer a personal response. To ask a question, go to: http://www.colorado-cemeteries.com/editor.html. If the response if positive, I'll add it for the next issue. Any question is welcome, whether it's about the Colorado Cemetery site, or an article in this newsletter. Also coming soon, you will be able to purchase complete databases for each cemetery, to use and easy add details to your own records without needing to re-type anything! The cemetery packages will be reasonably priced, starting at about $3.00 for the smallest cemeteries (300 and fewer markers). For that price, you will get the full records of each cemetery, maps, pictures, GPS coordinates, inscriptions, and more. The files will be downloadable, so, instant access to the whole cemetery. Three more cemetery transcriptions are awaiting the completion of the database for inclusion on the site. They are: Wesley Chapel Cemetery in Adams County, and Central City's Masonic Cemetery in Gilpin County, and a few small cemeteries in Jefferson County. For a taste of these cemeteries, look for pictures on Facebook! Featured ArticleTwo of the articles featured in our "Around the Web" section this month are from the Rocky Mountain News. Yesterday, the Rocky Mountain News published its final issue, 55 days short of its 150th birthday. It's hard to think that Colorado will be without the paper older than the state itself. Perhaps what struck me as the saddest part of this loss, was the sense that the Rocky grew along with Colorado, and is more inextricably linked to the state's heritage as almost any current institution could ever be. This solid thread to our pioneer past has been cut. And yet, Colorado's cemeteries are perhaps the only other institutions that can match the Rocky's link to that pioneer past. As I pondered these thoughts, I decided to go visit the final resting place of the founder of the Rocky, William Newton Byers. As I drove into the entrance to Fairmount Cemetery, (the Byers plot is in Block 3) the local NBC affiliate had a news van exiting the cemetery. They had swung by to pay their respects, and to get some footage for a follow-up story yesterday evening. I found that the grave site had been decorated with a black wreath, circling the final issue of the newspaper that Byers had started with the printing press he'd hauled across the plains. Byers was one of those people who really saw the potential of Denver. His paper was the first published, just days after arriving in town, and beating the nearest competitor by a mere two hours. That other paper didn't last. The Rocky's first "home" was a very rickety hint of a building, closely matching its frontier environs, where all the buildings were held together with good thoughts and a handful of nails. In the fifth year of operation, there was even a flood which carried the "building" and the printing press floating down the Cherry Creek. Byers sold the paper after 19 years, but, remained committed to promoting the city of Denver, which he dubbed "The Queen city of the Plains," and to the state of Colorado. There's a town, a street, and a middle school named in his honor. Rest in Peace, Rocky. The Rocky Mountain News Cemetery of the MonthIt is my great pleasure to introduce Frisco Cemetery in the Summit County. I have a special place in my heart for this cemetery. I lived in Frisco for several years, when I was in grade school. The church I went to rented the small community center building (which no longer exists), right across the street from the cemetery. Many times did I wander over to the well-kept grounds, and imagine the lives of those buried there. Some were relatives of people I knew, and I that familiarity drew me to visit. Around the WebColorado Cemetery News There was much happening at Crown Hill Cemetery in Westminster the past few months. A rash of vandalism has caused some damage to headstones and the main mausoleum. Another story from Crown Hill, highlights the work of caretaker Wade Bratten Historic Riverside Cemetery, the oldest in Colorado, was featured in the Rocky Mountain News again this month. Outside Colorado One of the concerns for the Friends of Riverside Cemetery is the situation with the dying trees. Here's a look at how dangerous this can be, as a man is killed by a tree falling in a cemetery in North Carolina. A pioneer cemetery in Stanislaus County, California has been officially located. An expansion to the O'Hare airport in Chicago threatens a historic cemetery, while the NAACP works to prevent a recycling company from expanding into a historic church cemetery in Georgia. And, finally, one of the most famous burial grounds in the U.S. has offered a new secret, long hidden. A tourist literally stumbled upon a previously unknown crypt in Boston's Granary Burying Ground If you get a chance to visit Boston, this is one of the "must see" cemeteries in the area. Find us in Facebook!More pictures! More discussion! More cemeteries! Introducing a new way to keep up with all the Colorado-Cemeteries.com news, and even talk about the site with other "fans." Missed an Issue?Don't fret! All the issues of Grave News can be found online at: http://www.colorado-cemeteries.com/Grave_News-backissues.html |
