Colorado Spirit Quest #194 - Manhattan Cemetery

!! Exciting New Cache Series!!

“COLORADO SPIRIT QUEST”

The Colorado Spirit Quest is a series of Caches placed by many individuals, near cemeteries and historic sites in hopes of paying respect to the many pioneer ancestors who have ‘walked’ before us.

There are hundreds of cemeteries in the rural and mountain communities across Colorado. This series will introduce you to many of them.

The cache pages will provide a virtual history tour of the cemeteries and tombstones.

COLORADO SPIRIT QUEST is not affiliated with any other ‘Spirit Quest’ group. Special thanks and credit are given to SixDogTeam who started the Indiana Spirit Quest in 2004. The idea has rapidly spread into many states.

The CSQ endeavor is an enormous and relentless task. It cannot be accomplished by just one or two people. This project will only flourish if there is a multitude of volunteer cachers willing to place these caches.

After locating the cache container, take some time to reflect back on the lives of those pioneers and the effort it took to make Colorado such a great state.

If you are interested in joining the “Walking Through History Clan” contact may be made by sending an e-mail to the owner of “Colorado Spirit Quest #1 – Mountain Passage”. Use the ‘Send Message’ link at the center of the page of their profile.

Each person who places a CSQ cache is responsible for its maintenance.

REMEMBER:

If you are APPREHENSIVE about cemeteries – AVOID this series.

Thanks to Clan Members: Greasepot, Taylorgeotracker, Ivy Dog Parents, Team Boogity3, Grand High Pobah, Boborr 80909,Imusttravel2000, Buzz Lightyear I, Sandhill 49er, MrVolkswagen, Isisfan, LadyCoots, Rockymtn8iv, Fork-L-Man, *Sparky*, TwoCs, Outdrlvr201, Condor1, 2Cachedivers, arthurat, smilz787, Kyotmoon and Mountain Roamer.

New Clan members are always Welcome

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The Manhattan Cemetery is located between Red Feather Lakes and Rustic on County Road 162. The small cemetery is about 0.6 of a mile west of Goodell Corner and about 200 feet north of the road.

Based on what I could find on the internet, this little cemetery was called "Graveyard Draw" when it served the small mining town of Manhattan and is all that remains of the town. There are a total of nine graves in the cemetery but only two are marked with headstones.

There is a bronze US Military plaque for Joseph F. Brinkhoff who was born Feb. 15, 1897 and died March 21, 1970. His nickname as “Rattlesnake Jack.” Above that grave is a wooden sign that was carved and painted by Joseph's wife, “Polly”. The sign reads: “My Good People, as you pass by as you are now so once was I. As I am now soon you shall be, prepare yourself to follow me.”

“Polly”, Her real name was Linnie Bess Powell Brinkhoff, was born in Missouri on October 16, 1915. She died on March 31, 1999. Her ashes are buried next to her husband.

Two other individuals buried in the Manhattan Cemetery are George Grill and Lawrence J. Mahar. They were both buried on November 13, 1892, and died following an explosion at the Black Hawk Mine. George Grill was once the mayor of Manhattan.

Two other graves in the cemetery are believed to be those of Mr. Reagan and Mr. Ragan. Despite the similarities in their names these are two different people. Based on what I could find, Mr. Ragan's first name was Mat or Mathew and he died on June 10, 1893, as the result of a horse-drawn wagon accident while he was taking a load of wood to a local widow. Mr. Reagan died of old age.

One other unmarked grave in the Manhattan Cemetery is believed to be that of a baby girl. This grave may be the second grave from the left (on the south).

As always, please be courteous to any other visitors you may encounter while visiting and be respectful of this historic cemetery.

The cache is a decon container.