Forgotten Souls of Grand Junction's Potter's Field Cemetery

A historic cemetery tells the stories of the city's early 'friendless poor' who were laid to rest in a remote, rugged corner of Colorado.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 10:11pm

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An impressionistic, out-of-focus photograph depicting an overgrown, neglected cemetery surrounded by tumbleweeds and a barbed wire fence, conveying a sense of melancholy and the passage of time through its warm, muted colors and soft, blurred edges.A forgotten corner of Grand Junction's history, where the city's early 'friendless poor' were laid to rest in a rugged, almost abandoned cemetery.Grand Junction Today

Tucked away near the Department of Energy facility, Potter's Field Historical Cemetery in Grand Junction, Colorado is a small, quiet resting place for the city's early 'friendless poor' - people with no family, no money, or simply no one to claim them. Unlike the manicured memorial parks around town, Potter's Field is overgrown with tumbleweeds, has uneven ground, and is surrounded by a barbed-wire fence, giving it a raw, almost forgotten vibe. But the community has stepped in to care for this historic site, where records are spotty but a few names and stories have survived.

Why it matters

Potter's Field provides a window into the tangled history of Grand Junction, Colorado, honoring the lives of the city's forgotten pioneers who built it from the ground up but didn't quite make it. The cemetery's rugged, almost abandoned state reflects the hardships faced by the 'friendless poor' buried there, reminding visitors of the community's roots and the stories that might otherwise be lost to time.

The details

Potter's Field Historical Cemetery dates back to at least 1881, when the land was homesteaded and later sold to the city in 1919. Records are spotty, but a few names have survived, including Baby Garland (1881), B.A. Scott (1881, who drowned in the Grand River), P.H. Gordon (1883), Bertha Kaufman (1909-1911), and Julian Pacheco (1913-1936), who is often cited as the last burial. There's also at least one World War I veteran buried there, though the name on the stone has been worn away by time.

  • Potter's Field was homesteaded in 1883 and sold to the city in 1919.
  • The earliest known burial dates back to 1881.
  • Julian Pacheco, often cited as the last burial, was interred between 1913 and 1936.

The players

Potter's Field Historical Cemetery

A small, rugged cemetery in Grand Junction, Colorado that served as the final resting place for the city's early 'friendless poor' - people with no family, no money, or no one to claim them.

Mark Ludwig

An Eagle Scout who led a major cleanup and research effort to identify those buried at Potter's Field in 1983.

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The takeaway

Potter's Field Cemetery serves as a poignant reminder of Grand Junction's humble origins and the hardships faced by its early pioneers. Though the records are spotty and the cemetery itself is in a remote, rugged state, the community has worked to preserve this historic site and honor the forgotten souls laid to rest there, ensuring their stories are not lost to time.