Pauper’s, Prisoner’s and Potter’s

Many old cemeteries have what are known as Pauper’s Fields, or Potter’s Fields. These were fields where indigent, unclaimed and unknown people were buried. This could be simple those that couldn’t afford to claim thier passed family, traveler’s and more. Rarely did they get stones to mark the graves. Inmates were handled the same in many cemeteries. Sometimes not even getting markers for the burial location.

These videos and images are of Pauper’s Field and the inmate graves in Greenwood Cemetery, Cañon City, Colorado. There are rumors that hundreds of people are buried in this Pauper’s section. It looks like less than 20 buried in the section by the stones that you can see in this wide open area. It is so many more. It is rumored to also have stacked occupancy due to limited space. The inmate section has many more markers, but they are mostly unidentified and unnamed. This cemetery housed the wealthy, the poor and in the imprisoned.

These fields when in use, were also neglected and unvisited. In segregated cemeteries, religions and races, other than the common one in that area, were often also buried in Pauper’s/Potter’s fields. It is said that many of the people buried there were of religions not common to the area. I’ve seen a few cemeteries that have entirely different sections for anyone that was not a particular religion. Tin Cup Cemetery has sections “knolls” marked by religion.

Pauper’s and Potter’s sections were also often associated with Poor Farms, Workhouses and Institutions. Poor farms and institutions that housed the ill, didn’t always have the resources to deal with the number of deaths happenening and would bury them at times in mass. Many times this was the entire quarantined family, that left no one to take care of the ones that passed. Records were likely not kept as well on these sections either.

This cemetery has a few sections for the inmates of the Colorado State Pennitentary. Those are actually seperate from Pauper’s field. Those graves were once marked by just wooden stakes. They now simply say CSP Inmate. Some have been identified many years later, likely by family members, and given gravestones with thier information on them. That is, if they could be located through records.

*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! Be respectful if visiting any of the places I share. These places won’t be around forever, especially if not treated with the utmost in respect. Want to see more? Visit our blog at listed in our Bio!