Tincup Cemetery

Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.”  Ezekiel 37:13

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice.” John 5:28

Tin Cup Cemetery from Parking Area

Tincup Cemetery is less than a mile out of town. I love visiting cemeteries wherever I hike and travel.  For your information, you cannot camp in the cemetery. They have to tell people this? 

From the parking lot, you see two large knolls.  The first is the Jewish Knoll and is smaller and set away from the other one.  The bridges and fences are well maintained in the surrounding field.  We headed across the creek that separates the Catholic Knoll from the Jewish Knoll.  

These people have a sense of humor as you can see from the signs of Catholic Knoll or Boot Hill.  Boot Hill or Catholic Knoll.   

The name “Boot Hill” was usually for unmarked graves.  In the Old West, the people were buried in their boots and covered with dirt.  Thus the distinctive rounded shape much higher than the surrounding area.  It reminded me of the unmarked graves of soldiers I have seen in European cemeteries. 

Looking East from Catholic Knoll OR Boot Hill

The tombstone markers ranged from simple wooden sticks surrounded by rocks, wooden outlines of graves, barrier fences in various stages of survival, to current marble and limestone tombstones.  

Markers showed death dates from 1879 to 2018. The grave markers had scriptures, poems, descriptions of the people, simple birth and death dates, benches, and angels and ribbons by a newly planted tree. All looking out on this beautiful valley.  

We climbed the Catholic Knoll and crossed the bridge to enter the Protestant Knoll, which was much larger and shaded by pine trees. 

My favorite marker was the tombstone covered with three sets of newer hiking boots. What a story the boots could tell if they could talk about Ollie Miller?!

Do you visit cemeteries and what is your favorite memory? What do you like about gravestones? 

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