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Riverside Cemetery, Adams CountyAddress: 5201 Brighton Boulevard Directions:
While cemetery lots are no longer being sold, it is possible to purchase space for cremated remains at the cemetery. If you are a plot owner, you can still be buried at the site. The cemetery is owned and operated by Fairmount Cemetery Company. Volunteers from the Fairmount Heritage Foundation are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays to assist visitors with finding burial locations of loved ones. One thing to note, is that it is not uncommon to get blocked into the cemetery by passing trains. Usually it is only a brief wait, however, it can be a minimum of 30 minutes of the train stops. Since there is but one car entrance, it can make for a frustrating experience. Riverside is one of my favorite cemeteries, and I visit as often as possible. Each visit brings a new surprise, and reading the markers is like reading a map of Colorado. Evans. Ordway. Bennett. Routt. Elbert. Otero. All of these famous Coloradans are memorialized on Riverside's grounds. Unlike most cemeteries in the east, Riverside did not have pre-determined blocks based upon race, social status or religious affiliation. This unique arrangement meant that, at least in death, all men at this cemetery were truly equal. There are sections that were purchased by fraternal orders, unions or other groups, but, these sections are scattered throughout the cemetery. There is a military section (block 27), however, veteran's graves may be found throughout the burial grounds. Block 12 was often used for the internment of infant remains, and most often, these were not the children of wealthy, so most of the graves are unmarked. The center of the cemetery (block 7) is the resting place for some of the most prominent of Denver's early society, however, notable pioneers can be found in almost every block. The innermost circle of Block 7, still called the "Iliff Circle," was the original site for the impressive sculpture marking the grave of John Iliff, Denver's "Cattle King," and the namesake for the Iliff Theological Seminary, as well as of Iliff Avenue. This monument was moved, along with Iliff's remains, to Fairmount Cemetery in 1920. Be sure not to miss some of Riverside's unique markers. The Drake Cabin (block 4) is a full-scale replica of a mining cabin out of solid limestone. The life-sized monument of a horse marking the grave of Addison Baker, is the only statue of its kind, depicting a horse with nor rider or saddle. Zinc (also called White Bronze) markers can be found throughout the cemetery, and the collection on the cemetery's grounds is the best in the world. There are more unique and excellent examples of this short-lived marker style at Riverside Cemetery than anywhere else.
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