More people than ever are choosing to move to Denver because of its amazing beer, weather and access to recreation. One of Denver’s can’t miss spots is Cheesman Park. It’s a beautiful and seemingly serene place where Denver residents can play sports, enjoy picnics or just take in the beautiful views of downtown Denver. But if most people knew Cheesman Park’s dark history, they might not see it as such a relaxing place.
In the late 19th century, Cheesman Park was a huge cemetery called Mt. Prospect Cemetery. Many Chinese immigrants as well as members of the Society of Masons were buried there. In 1890, congress authorized the city to vacate Mt. Prospect Cemetery and for the land to be converted into a park. Families were given 90 days to remove the bodies of their loved ones to other locations. Many fringe type people buried in the cemetery weren’t moved because they had no families to speak of, so in 1893 Denver contracted undertaker E.P. McGovern to remove the remains. McGovern was to provide a new coffins for each body and then transfer it to the Riverside Cemetery at a cost of $1.90 each.
To make more of a profit, McGovern dismembered many bodies and crammed as many as 3 bodies at a time into child sized coffins. Body parts and bones were literally strewn everywhere in a disorganized mess. Onlookers helped themselves to items from the caskets. Many Denver residents believe that Cheesman Park is haunted, and some have complained of experiencing erie pockets of cool air when walking through the park in the middle of summer.
Ready for a few beers now? The Denver Microbrew Tour is a guided walking tour through downtown Denver, Colorado’s historic LODO (lower downtown) and Ballpark Neighborhood districts. The tour includes beer samplings at severalmicrobreweries and a localtap room, everything you could want to know about beer, a coupon for a pint of your favorite beer on the tour, and local Denver history. For more info on The Denver Microbrew tour, contact us today!