This is a small cemetery with only two graves. They are Sally Buckner and Lydia Ann Hart. Sally Buckner was reported to be a black lady. We do not have dates of death for either of these women. It has been reported that there was a third grave at this site. It is possible a Mrs. Carr or Card was also buried here and may have been moved.

In an article printed in the Craig Courier Jan. 1, 1925, written by Mrs. Robert Ratcliff, there are references to these graves. "Thirty-four years ago (1891) a school was built just above Pagoda. Mrs. Brown was the first teacher, Miss Rosella Johnson, the second, and the pupils were: Vivian Ratcliff, Nora Turner, Sadie Turner, Eathel Deal, Jesse Card and Albert Buckner (a negro boy).... Two graves (Mrs. Hart and Mrs. Buckner) are near it. The students kept fresh flowers on those graves all summer long, for many years." Little has been found on the Buckner family.

From a personal history written by Clyde E. Kelly (1991), we glean the following information about the Hart family. Two brothers landed in Ipswich Mass. in 1635. One was Deacon Stephen Hart, the other was John Hart. Stephen had a son named Lewis, who had a son named Russell.
Russell Hart was born Apr. 2, 1820 and died Feb. 11, 1897. He married Lydia Ann Ratcliff and had five children, two of which died in infancy. Apparently like many others, the Harts could not resist the call to move westward. Records show that Russell Hart and family moved from Minnesota to Grinill, Iowa. In 1878, Russell took his three sons and drove fifty head of cattle and horses to Colorado. They homesteaded on Beaver Creek west of Denver. A few years later they moved to the western slope and homesteaded on Waddle Creek in the Williams Fork area. Note: In the article mentioned above it also states that: "Mr. Wadsworth and W.S. Deal and family arrived on the Williams Fork August 20, 1886. Mrs. Hart and sons, W.W. Hart and James Hart, located the same week about six miles up Waddle Creek." After Lydia's death about 1893-1894, she was buried near two other graves that hold a Mrs. "Carr" and a Mrs. "Buckley".

Land records show that this area was deeded from W.S. Bennett to Geo. Alfred Haron in 1897. A Geo. D. Heron got a home stead exemption on forty acres in 1909. There are two patent entries for Heron, one in 1937 and the other in 1938. Heron sold to James Crawford in 1947, he in turn sold to L. Wyman in 1959. This site probably laid within the property, but as the road was developed it is now on the County Right-of-Way for Routt County Road 29.

ROUTT COUNTY CEMETERY: #RT017
COLORADO HISTORICAL SITE: #5RT795
LOCATION: 30 ft South of Routt County Road 29
BURIALS: 2 burials with 0 inscribed stones
CONDITION: 10 ft X 18 ft in poor condition, enclosed with a metal fence, sign in fair condition
USGS QUAD MAP: PAGODA, COLO. 7.5 1971; UTM 13; 295580 mE 4466180 mN
LEGAL DESCRIPTION: T4N R89W 6th PM; NE4, NW4, NE4, NE4 SEC 17

© 2004-2008 Roger & Joyce Cusick
National Association for Cemetery Preservation, Inc.nacpinc@hotmail.com

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
All materials contained on these pages are furnished for the free use of those engaged in researching their family history. Any commercial use or distribution, without the consent of the author of these pages is prohibited. All images used on these pages were obtained from sources permitting free distribution, or generated by the author, and are subject to the same restrictions/permissions.