Union – Highland Cemetery, Florence, Colorado

Union highland

Union highland cemetery in Florence, Colorado.

Quick Facts and tales – listed as having over 8,900 graves, the cemetery serves the Florence area, including the coal camp towns of Coal Creek, Chandler, Williamsburg and Rockvale.

It began as Tanner Family Cemetery in 1873, first burial was Charlotte Hoshaw Tanner who passed away on August 29th, 1873. Her stone inscription reads ‘First person buried in Union Highland Cemetery’ just look for the petrified wood stump near the center of the cemetery.

The cemetery was later aquired in a large acerage purchase by the Coal Creek Scottish fraternal order. The fraternal order purchased the land to care for miners and their family working in Coal Creek. Deaths were imminent as Mining was dangerous work.

The fraternal order that purchased the land was the Thistle Lodge #1 of the Free Gardeners. Their symbol can be found throughout the old section, it was a square and compass with a sickle. I’ll get back out there are find some of the symbols to do another story.

Then named Highland Cemetery, the name was changed to Union Highland when it was given to the city of Florence in 1930 for Florence and the surrounding communities including Rockvale and Williamsburg to use. Over 200 miners are buried on the grounds. Pioneers of the area are also buried there.

Coal Creek also had a cemetery in the past, up on the hill. At some point the Coal Creek Cemetery graves were re-interred to the Union Highland Cemetery. The location of the old Coal Creek Cemetery is restricted. I’ve never found evidence of Chandler, Rockvale or Williamsburg having cemeteries in the past, but could be wrong.

Today Union Highland is still under the care of the City of Florence. Watch your step in the old section!

Disclaimer, I’m not a historian, scholar or writer. Ask my high school teachers, they’ll confirm that. I do my best to find information and I’m always open to edits and corrections when needed. I have a love for cemeteries and ghost towns. Cemeteries are full of stories, sometimes I can find them, sometimes I can’t!