The second location on my tour was the private Glenwood Cemetery, a 5-acre resting place at the foot of the ski slopes. The site was first established in 1885 as an affordable burial place for members of the City's numerous fraternal orders. It is still in use, and has 976 interments. In addition, it is on the National Register of Historic Places.

This Cemetery (created five years after the City Cemetery), virtually abandoned after the mines shut down, became overgrown and badly vandalized. Conditions remained unchanged until 1982, when the Glenwood Cemetery Association was reactivated and a protective fence and locked gate installed. Now, it is an incredible place to explore.


Samuel Simmons died in one of the most gruesome accidents in the town's history. In 1895, he and two other men were working in a mineshaft. It was time for lunch, so they entered the cage and rang the bell to be pulled up. Suddenly, something malfunctioned and the cage crashed into the side wall of the shaft, with Samuel falling to the bottom of the shaft. This so exemplies the dangers these hardy souls endured.
I love this gravestone. John Simpson Gibson was born in Salt Lake City in 1866 and moved to Park City around 1877 to work as a teamster. Most likely, he hauled freight for the mines, but eventually wound up working in the Ontario mine. In early 1899, John had a streak of bad luck and was eventually killed at the mine while loading waste-filled ore cars on the cage.



When everyone returned from skiing, we walked here to be in history together.
And while the tales are often sad, being here allows the fascinating tales to be told and not forgotten. The local people are brought to life giving us a sense of the past. I believe that is the value of a cemetery.