Saturday in mountains

Sometimes you just cannot stay home and need to go somewhere. Just to change the environment and to see something new. Maybe not exactly new, but something you don't see every day. And when you feel this way, nothing is better than going to the mountains. Just driving along the windy road and enjoying the views. And that was exactly what I did a couple weeks ago. Just left Denver, got out of I-70 to Evergreen and took the right turn on Squaw Pass Road. 

 

I love this road. Narrow and winding all the way up to the Squaw Pass. It's always a pleasure driving this road. And I didn't have any special plans this day, just wanted to drive... from time to time, when I saw a nice opening, I stopped, left the car, breathed some fresh mountain air and looked to the edges and peaks.

It didn't take long to reach the summit and start seeing different landscapes on the way down.

When I almost reached I-70 again, I saw a sign and made a turn. I just couldn't resist, as I never was at the Idaho Spring Cemetery. 

And, honestly, I was really surprised to explore this place. I've been to many mountain's cemeteries but I've never seen something like this one. Steep slopes and rough terrain. Walking along the trails felt more like hiking in the mountains and... as usual, there was a lot to learn.

This is a lot of history you can learn while walking between grave stones and reading on them. And I wasn't ready to see so many dates in the range of 1900-1910. Honestly, I expected to find more later dates, but... probably I don't know the history of this place well enough. 

And... as usual you can find many tombstones that marked with "Woodmen of the World". This non-profit fraternal benefit society was found in 1890 and helped the members with burial. You can find this sign on the many stones at any mountain cemetery.

 Reading on some stones can reveal some history. It just looks like a couple of the words is not enough to tell you much. But... just think about "Thomas, son of William & Jane Oliver, born at Cornwall, Eng, died at Idaho Springs Colo, Nov. 23, 1900, aged 23 years, 8 month". So a young boy... traveled across the ocean to find a better life and ended it in the mountains... The writer can write a novel based on this, can't he?

 Some gravestones are quite a piece of art, like this log house made from concrete. In fact it was erected in 1899 in memory of Bunton, who lived here only for 6 years, 9 months and 11 days.

Another benevolent organization helping the members was a Women of Woodcraft. Founded in 1899 to help the women as the Woodmen of the World helped the men. Women of Woodcraft provided headstones when a member died and I guess that was a big help for the families of the deceased. 

Interesting crosses. I found only two of this kind there and they looked very different from all other gravestones you can find at this cemetery.

Another member of Woodmen of the World. Elisha A. Allen lived a long life. I'd say longer than most of his friends especially as most of them were miners and didn't survive long.

Eleanor Lottie, Dau of Robert J & Evalena Callow, died Mar,4, 1899, aged 1 year, 11 mos 24 days and Evalena Violet daughter of E. & R. J. Callow, Apr. 27, 1908, May 23, 1912. The sisters. And so young again. 

Their father died just 3 years after Evalena Violet when he was just 48 years old. Member of Woodmen of the World and, probably, miner...

Gravestones in the shape of the wood stumps were very common for the members of the Woodmen of the World society, and some of them were also quite elaborate...

Carl. He was just 4 months old when his life was taken away... Hard times and this is a really sad part of reading on these stones. So many kids are buried in any cemetery in the mountains. 

Ralph E.T. Wilkins, fell at the battle of the Marne. He was one of the 243,000 Americans who joined French divisions to push Germans during the last major German offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. And he never came back home from this...

That was interesting, but sad... really sad. So soon after I left the cemetery and needed something to raise my spirit. And this something was Idaho Springs. A small mining town up in the mountains.

The history of this place is colorful and interesting, but... maybe we talk about it next time. Now let's just walk along its streets. And let's just move out of the main (everybody was there) street and walk up, closer to the slope and dirty roads, where the houses are not as nice, but definitely still worth to look at ;)

This house was built for the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States of America.  On February 16, 1868, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was established. Its social activities and benefit performances increased the popularity of the new Order. Membership grew rapidly. But among the entertainment, the order also served those in need and this lodge, I guess, did a lot of good for people in this small town.

This street is climbing up and you have to see to the houses with your head up. They are sitting on the steep slopes and I have no idea how the tenants are driving up there every day during the winter.

Pictures were taken on November 07, 2020.