Construction & Alteration History
Date Event
Source
1860
Anderson Ditch dug for irrigation of Marinus G. Smith’s land.
NRHP Columbia Cemetery, 7. 4 City of Boulder, "Columbia Cemetery History" City of Boulder, "Columbia Cemetery History" City of Boulder, "Columbia Cemetery History" Boulder Carnegie Library Historic Images, Figure 1-3 Boulder Carnegie Library Historic Images NRHP Columbia Cemetery, 7. 4 NRHP Columbia Cemetery, 8.9 1997 Cemetery Preservation Master Plan April 1912, Boulder Daily Camera
1870, April 28
Marinus G. Smith, a member of the Masons, sold 10.5 acres of his land for $200 to Columbia Lodge #14 A.F. & A.M. for future use as a cemetery.
1870, May First person buried in the cemetery, Anna Eggleston, who died on May 16, 1870.
1870, December
The Masons sold one-fourth of the cemetery (all of Section A; Section E, Lots 1-9, 87-102; Section F, Lots 1-8, 29-37) to Boulder Lodge No.9 Independent Order of Odd Fellows (chartered July 10, 1869). Columbia Cemetery had little to no budget for maintenance. Early photographs show cattle among tombstones using New Anderson Ditch. Individuals erected fencing around some burials and family plots to keep the cattle out. Individual and family grave markers added. Individual wooden and metal fences erected by family plot owners around individual and family grave sites. Some plots lined with stone coping or low stone walls. Historic Maintenance Shed was likely constructed with an outhouse to the west of the shed. A caretaker appointed by the Masons planted shrubbery and flowers, and maintained the lawn. It may have been around this time a wire fence was added around the cemetery. Park Cemetery Association developed a new cemetery named Green Mountain in south Boulder. One-hundred forty-eight bodies eventually disinterred from Columbia Cemetery and reburied in Green Mountain Cemetery. A small stile was constructed at the northeast corner of the cemetery (date unknown).
1870 to 1900
1870s to 1945
1882
1886
1904
1912
1912
Spruce and western cedar planted.
NRHP Columbia Cemetery, 7. 5 NRHP Columbia Cemetery, 7. 3
1913
Pioneer Gateway was built of twin piers of coursed rustic stone. The south pier was stamped with “Pioneer Gateway” and the north side with “Columbia Cemetery.” A metal gate secured the entrance and a metal fence was constructed around the cemetery’s perimeter. Gravel roads were constructed in 1915. It appears likely that the Park Cemetery Association had a planting effort that included ash trees and other deciduous trees planted in a linear pattern. Original rose bushes were removed by cemetery management likely between the 1930s and 1950s. Metal fence along the western edge of the cemetery bordering Flatirons Elementary was removed when the elementary school was built. The fence was replaced with a chainlink fence. City of Boulder took ownership of the cemetery and the property was administered as part of the Parks and Recreation Department.
1927
NRHP Columbia Cemetery, 7. 5 City of Boulder
1930s to 1950s
1956
NRHP Columbia Cemetery, 7. 3
1965
City of Boulder, "Columbia Cemetery History"
1970s
Additional plants added including lilac, spirea, roses, and juniper. Iris beds added along 9th Street, Pleasant Street, and College Avenue.
City of Boulder
8-13
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