Ute Cemetery, listed on the NRHP in Aspen, Colorado, and sometimes known as Evergreen Cemetery
Ute Cemetery is a burial ground in Aspen, Colorado that has existed since 1880 and covers about four and a half acres. The graves are marked with simple stones, wooden fences, or just ground depressions, and the site sits on gently sloping terrain scattered with native aspen and oak trees.
The cemetery began in 1880 when a Texas prospector died and the growing town needed a burial place for early settlers and workers. After two railroad lines reached Aspen in 1888, markers and arrangements improved, with about 50 Civil War veterans eventually laid to rest in organized rows.
The cemetery reflects the early makeup of Aspen's community, with separate sections marking where Black residents were buried. Their presence in the town is documented through the graves, even though written records about them remain limited.
The cemetery is open to visitors with natural trails winding through the graves for exploring at your own pace. Recent restoration efforts have cleared vegetation and stabilized markers, making it easy to walk around and view the site without barriers.
About one third of all recorded deaths at the site were infants and children, reflecting the harsh conditions of the early mining community. Many succumbed to respiratory illnesses that doctors of the time called pneumonia, but which we now understand as occupational diseases from dust exposure.
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