![]() When the Rocky Mountain News printed the story, the cemetery also became known as “Jack O’Neil’s Ranch.”Īfter receiving these many nicknames, the cemetery never gained the respect that Larimer intended for it to have. A couple of days later, Rooker shot O’Neil down as he passed by the door of the Western Saloon. However, when Rooker refused, O’Neill questioned his heritage and that of several of his family members. The event began when O’Neil, a handsome Irish man, quarreled with a less-than-credible man named “Rooker.” As the argument progressed, O’Neill suggested the two settle the argument with bowie knives in a back room. Prospect gained another nickname when a popular professional gambler named Jack O’Neill was gunned down outside a saloon in March 1860. Afterward, his body and his brother’s were dumped into the same grave at the edge of the cemetery.Īs the outermost edge of the cemetery began to fill with outlaws, vagrants, and paupers, Denver citizens began to call the cemetery the “Old Boneyard” and “Boot Hill.” Mt. Though Denver consisted of only 150 buildings at the time, about 1,000 spectators attended the Stoefel hanging. On April 9, 1859, he was hanged from a cottonwood tree at the intersection of 10th and Cherry Creek Streets. Because the nearest official court was in Leavenworth, Kansas, a “people’s court” was assembled, where Stoefel was convicted of murder. Both men were gold prospectors, and witnesses believed Stoefel was there because he wanted his brother-in-law’s gold dust. Having arrived in Denver to allegedly settle a dispute with his brother-in-law, he shot the man on April 7, 1859. ![]() The second man buried at the cemetery was a Hungarian immigrant named John Stoefel. Making for a far more interesting tale, it has become the preferred version. ![]() However, the most often story told of the first person buried was a man hanged for murder. The first man buried in the cemetery was named Abraham Kay, who died after being suddenly stricken with a lung infection. The outermost edge of the cemetery was reserved for criminals and paupers, while the middle class was to be interred somewhere in between. Larimer called it Mount Prospect Cemetery, and several large plots were designated on the crest of the hill for the exclusive use of the city’s wealthy and most influential citizens. In November 1858, Larimer set aside 320 acres for a cemetery, now the site of present-day Cheesman and Congress Parks. In actuality, the property didn’t belong to the Town Company either rather, the land legally belonged to the Arapaho Indians. Charles Town Company and established his own town, which he called Denver. ![]() The park’s history began in 1858 when General William Larimer jumped the claim of the St. Surrounded by Capitol Hill mansions in the heart of downtown Denver, Colorado Cheesman Park is not only frequented by visitors wanting to explore its botanical gardens or enjoy its 150-mile panoramic view from the pavilion but is also said to be home to several restless spirits. While taking a stroll on the rolling hills or having a picnic under the shade of one of the many trees in the beautiful 80-acre Cheesman Park, many visitors don’t realize that they very well may be walking or sitting right upon the grave of one of the many who were buried here in the 19th century. Pavillion at Cheesman Park in Denver, Colorado, by Carol Highsmith.
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