VIDEO: Douglas Pioneer Cemetery Has A Unique And Morbid Feature
A beautiful wrought iron turn-style gate guards the entrance to the old Pioneer Cemetery near Douglas Wyoming.
The cemetery is located on the north side of town on Highway 59, just over the two bridges. The southern bridge crosses the Platte River. The northern bridge crosses the railroad track.
Driving north on 59 you'll find the entrance on your right. That gate is unusual enough and worth taking a photo of- but there is an even more unusual feature in the cemetery.
Follow the winding road, past the sleeping pronghorns, and park in the small grass parking area just to the left of the gate.
The fencing around the gate has old metal doorknobs and locks. I have no idea why. In the center is a spinning iron gate.
Several of the old pioneer graves also have beautiful wrought iron around them. Their craftsmanship is outstanding as well.
Take a look here:
According to the YouTube description, by a Laramie Film company, a journey through the Douglas Pioneer Cemetery will show stones that describe the lives of some of the first residents in that area.
The Douglas city website describes the history of the Douglas Pioneer Cemetery which it says was opened in 1886 and closed in 1902 when Douglas Park Cemetery was created.
Over time some wooden grave markers have fallen apart and vanished. At one point cadaver sniffing dogs were used to find and mark where a grave was. But it was not always known who was buried there. You'll find a lot of wooden crosses at those unknown graves.
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Gallery Credit: Glenn Woods
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Gallery Credit: Glenn Woods