Bent County Las Animas Cemetery

Las Animas Cemetery is a peaceful oasis on the plains. Famous pioneers including William Bent, John Wesley Prowers and Amache Ochinee Prowers rest in the shade of its tall trees and carpet of green grass. Complete, intact, hand-written, burial records are held in the cemetery office. Though there are extensive computer records, cemetery officials lovingly continue the tradition of hand writing burial records today. 

Rumalda Luna Boggs, a founder of Boggsville, donated the original land from her portion of the Vigil-St. Vrain land grant. John Prowers, another founder of Boggsville, gave an additional ten acres on condition there always be a plot for the Prowers family. A special area was designated for babies and children younger than two. Baby Land is a narrow strip along the south side of the cemetery.

Legend tells us the first person buried was a boy, Juan Basquez, who was dragged to death by a horse in the pasture south of the cemetery in 1839. Mrs. Boggs reportedly visited the grave often. No marker remains. Cemetery records show him buried in Old Baby Land but the legend has his tiny grave surrounded by a small wrought-iron crib among the unmarked graves. Nameless visitors continue to decorate it to this day. *

In the early days, the cemetery did not have water. Grass, flowers and trees could not grow in the harsh prairie conditions – only cactus, yucca and sage brush. If someone wanted flowers or grass on a family plot, they had to haul water in buckets. In 1901, a group of ten women started an association to maintain the cemetery. They called it Hillside Cemetery and solicited families and friends of those interned to join them. The group got city officials to agree to furnish a well if the cemetery association would furnish the pipe. The project never got off the ground and a second attempt also failed in 1906.

In 1913, the city agreed to maintain the cemetery. They hired a part-time sexton, Caleb C. Lewis, to care for the grounds. Mr. Lewis was paid fifty cents to dig graves. More grounds were purchased in 1915 to bring it to its present size of 40 acres, but still there was no water.

At last, in 1927, city council approved $11,000 to construct a well and bring power to the cemetery. Completed in March, 1928, the new well made possible the beautiful lawn and shade trees you see today. In June that same year the name changed to Las Animas Cemetery and in 1947, voters approved a mill levy to support the preservation and upkeep of the cemetery grounds. This community tax support continues today.

Each Memorial Weekend, cemetery residents come to life and tell their stories for the Boggsville Voices of the Passed Cemetery Tour. Come and join us and take a horse-drawn wagon ride from Boggsville and hear early heroes and scoundrels tell tales of life in the old west.

* The legend most likely started when someone misread the hand-written records of burials. A closer examination of the records reveals that Juan Basquez actually died and was buried in 1939, not 1839 and that he was a middle-aged laborer. The first person actually buried in the cemetery was six-year-old Susie Prowers, daughter of Amache and John Prowers. She was buried January 7, 1868 in Section 13, Block 8, which would become the Prowers’ family plot.

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Las Animas Cemetery is located at 28002 County Road 10.75, Las Animas, Colorado, 81054.It is about a mile and a half south of Las Animas, just off Highway 101. Cemetery grounds are open from sunrise to sunset, year-round. The administration office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 9:00 a.m. to noon on Thursday.
719-456-0617 • www.bentcountycemetery.com/