Colorado Spirit Quest #480. Evergreen Cemetery

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! The Exciting Cache Series!

“COLORADO SPIRIT QUEST”

REMEMBER:

If you are APPREHENSIVE about cemeteries – AVOID this series.

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 that have ‘walked’ before us.

If you are interested in being a part of this project, 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.

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.

The CSQ endeavor is an enormous and relentless task and 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.

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

Thanks to the 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, 3cacheteers, Dasha Aussies, KB0UMW, hiking_fool, tripping, res71cue and 1Mrs1Ogre, and nickgatt, kingbee, The misgnoners, rbradu, shashyaz&foxy, Bugranger, Lyonden ut., Any Direction, Sewnssew, The Meandering Monkeys, Charlie-n-Geri, skibum1, gooftroop 4, stubywwjd, MaDDoGGaming, kingbee, Wolverine, Random Acts, lbmiller, BTBugs, God chaser, imcasey, lesslost2, Back Country Horseman, vorticity, Triggur, Eagle 2 and imyy4u2.

New VOLUNTEERS are always Welcome

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In 1871, the El Paso County Cemetery was located near present day Sawatch St. and Pueblo St., where the old Crissey Fowler building was located and not too far from the railroad station where tourists arrived. Gen. William Palmer and others saw a potential for Colorado Springs to be advertised for it's "Health" benefits as they were planning the community. The cemetery held more interred residents than the living residents of the city. This was not seen as being a positive thing when they were trying to encourage new visitors. Colorado Springs was an up and coming metropolis. Gen. Palmer set aside 40 acres for a new cemetery. In 1875, General Palmer's 40 acres of land were deeded to the city for a new cemetery on Mt. Washington, which was located approx. 10 miles out of the new city. It was called Mt. Washington Cemetery. In 1877, the name was changed to Evergreen Cemetery. The original 40 acres is located around sections 2,3,4,9,39,40,41,44,32,31,and 15. Some from the El County Cemetery were moved to Mt. Washington. Through the years this cemetery has grown and presently interrs over 90,000 residents. The oldest graves are in Potter's Field where the poor were buried. Some are marked with stone monuments, but many more had no monument or wooden monuments that have rotted away through time. It is estimated that 1200 to 1400 people were buried in that field. Potter's Field is located on the south east section of the cemetery. The gentle rolling field is not only a home for the some of the first pioneers, but also deer, fox, and even some prairie dogs. The chapel was built after Gen. Palmer's death. In March 1909, General Palmer passed away and the mourners had no place to shelter them from the freezing temperatures. The Ladies Aid Society lobbied the Colorado Springs City Council for a chapel that would offer a comfortable setting to accomidate loved ones. The chapel was completed in 1910 at the cost of $10,000.

CONGRATZ to MikeandJuli and Cache Crazed for CO-FTF!

And a shout out to CONDOR1 for placing the original CSQ cache at Evergreen Cemetery!!