Colorado Spirit Quest #394 - Pitkin Cemetery

Colorado Spirit Quest Series

Pitkin Cemetery

Micro located in the cemetery. Room for small travel bugs & micro coins.
Use parking waypoint below. The cemetery CANNOT be accessed off of Cemetery Rd.
Bring your own pen. Do NOT disturb or deface any graves.

Please make sure container is closed securely and re-hidden as well or better than you found it. Maintaining the difficulty rating depends on you.

History:

Quartzville was settled in early 1879 by Frank Curtiss, George P. Chiles, and Wayne Scott. On August 11, 1879, it was incorporated and renamed Pitkin for Colorado Governor Frederick W. Pitkin.

Pitkin was Colorado’s first mining camp west of the Continental Divide. Over 30 mines were functioning by the winter of 1880. Pitkin boasted of one rarity in 1880: no shooting, knifing, or killing had ever occurred within its boundaries, though men had been killed in surrounding camps. By July 1881, newcomers were pouring in at the rate of 25 a day. In June 1882, there were over 60 substantial business structures and 300 - 400 homes. In the 1880s, the most notorious recreational business was the “sporting house” or saloon. A booming city of over 2,000 people in the 1880s became, by 1910, a hamlet of around 250 hardy but disillusioned dreamers. Population declined to all-time low of 25 people in 1971.

In January 1880, the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railway Company (DSP&P) began construction on the Alpine Tunnel. The Alpine Tunnel, which is 10 miles above and northeast of Pitkin, was the first railroad tunnel through the Continental Divide. In 1882, the tunnel was the highest one in the world. It was 1,845 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 17 feet high. The tunnel was supported and lined with California redwood. On July 12, 1882, the first train arrived in Pitkin. From 1882 to 1910, Pitkin was an important stop on the South Park Line. In November 1910, the last train came through the tunnel. In 1923, the rails were removed. The railroad grade became the present day automobile road. In the 12 miles from Pitkin to the Alpine Tunnel, the grade does not exceed 4% though the gain in elevation is more than 2200 feet.

Information primarily taken from "Pitkin Past Times 1879-84" by Freeda Brown (1981) & "Pitkin" by Ray Moretz (1973).

Lower or "Ragged End" of Pitkin dated July 1880 Women & children sitting among wildflowers		Pitkin between 1900-1920 by Louis Charles McClure. Shows Jewell Mines/Mill

Prospectors in Pitkin between 1880-1890 by Olark's Studio		Billy Reese Saloon between 1880-1890 Shows William Reese (behind the bar)

South Park Line Excursion Train on Alpine Pass between 1895-1900. Shows men on cowcatcher with passengers on top of coal car & along the tracks		Alpine Pass between 1900-1910 by Harry H. Buckwalter The road is about this width today!!

Cemetery Sign		Unmarked Grave

Cemetery 2011 Note Wooden Grave Marker Leaning Against Tree		Cemetery 2011

Cemetery 2011		Cemetery 2011

Please take some time to reflect back on the lives of these pioneers and the effort it took to make Colorado such a great state!! The only guarantee in life is death. Where will you be?

Colorado Spirit Quest Information:

The Colorado Spirit Quest (CSQ) is a series of caches placed by many individuals, near cemeteries and historic sites in hopes of paying respect to the many pioneer ancestors that have “walked” before us. There are hundreds of cemeteries in the rural and mountain communities across Colorado. This series will provide a history tour of these cemeteries. If you are apprehensive about cemeteries, avoid this series.

The CSQ endeavor is an enormous and relentless task. It will only flourish if there is a multitude of volunteer cachers willing to place these caches. Each person that places a CSQ cache is responsible for its maintenance.

New volunteers are always Welcome!! If you are interested in being a part of this project, email the owner of Colorado Spirit Quest #1 – Golden Mountain Passage.

Thanks to the current volunteers: Greasepot, Taylorgeotracker, Ivy Dog Parents, Team Boogity3, Grand High Pobah, Boborr 80909, Imusttravel2000, Buzz Lightyear I, Sandhill 49er, MrVolkswagen, Isisfan, Rockymtn8iv, Fork-L-Man, Outdrlvr201, Condor1, 2Cachedivers, arthurat, smilz787, Kyotmoon, Mountain Roamer, SugarPug, Team Tiger Pride, ernie66, drnetwork, Team w-bar-v, Dynamite Rabbit, DustyKat, mtnbirders, RustyBeerCan & Marma, grymreaper, nteclpr, Moose1 & Mama Moose, Joe Friday, 3cacheteers, Dasha Aussies, KB0UMW, hiking_fool, tripping, res71cue and 1Mrs1Ogre, and nickgatt, kingbee, The misgnoners, rbradu, shashyaz&foxy, Bugranger, Lyonden ut., Any Direction, Sewnssew, and The Meandering Monkeys.

Additional Waypoints

PK31EBJ - GC31EBJ Parking
N 38° 36.344 W 106° 31.762