The Lower Cemetery Map is located on the side of our shop as you enter the cemetery on your left.  Please notice the posted instructions on how to read the map. Spaces are arranged as: space-section-lot.  For example: 02-03-11 would be space 2, section 3 in lot 11.  Sections are groups of usually 8 spaces and lots are the larger pieces of land which are posted with signs.  If you have any trouble finding anyone you can call 970-872-2347 and someone will come and assist you.  Thank you for visiting our beautiful cemetery!

On December 14, 1897, Enos T. Hotchkiss gave a deed to the Hotchkiss Cemetery Association for a section of land containing 18 acres for one dollar.  About half of this area could be used for burials. This land has been called “The Lower Cemetery” and “Riverside”.  On December 7, 1903 John M. Hall deeded to the Trustees and Successors of the Riverside Cemetery a tract of land containing 5.26 acres for $75.00. About one acre of this could be used for burial spaces.  This deed was filed with the Delta County Courthouse by George H. Duke on June 21, 1909.  This has been called “The Upper Cemetery” and the “Old Cemetery”.  This land was a part of that taken up by George Rogers in 1883 and had been used as a private burial ground for at least 14 years.  It is said that when this plot was bought in 1903, there were five burials on it, two of them being Native Americans.  No records have ever been kept for the location of graves in the Upper Cemetery, no charge made for burial spaces or maintenance.

The Hotchkiss Cemetery Company was incorporated in 1897 and is corporate life expired in 1917.  During its twenty year life, some of the first officers were W. F. Duke, Charles L. Pike and Erice Bobbitt.  The first deed was issued on March 27, 1906 to Esther Hotchkiss (not related to Enos Hotchkiss) who had been a teacher in the Hotchkiss school.  She paid $17.50 for four burial spaces.

The Ladies Cemetery Association was organized in 1921 under the leadership of Mrs. S.D. Sylvester, Mrs. Leila Copeland, Mrs. Thomas Blackwell, and Mrs. W.T. W Riley.  You can read the obituaries of these distinguished community members on our online map under “family notes”.  This group was responsible for the survey, planning the driveways and burial spaces, making the plat, obtaining irrigation water, building the reservoir, installing the portable rubber hose sprinkler system, seeding certain areas with grass and planting trees and shrubs in the Lower Cemetery.

Many dinners were given to raise the necessary money for this project and many days of hard work by both men and women were spent to carry it to completion. The ladies also instituted the collection of an annual fee for maintenance.  Too much credit cannot be given to those men and women who gave so much of their time to improve and maintain the cemetery during the 28 years of the existence of the Ladies Association.

After 1942, The Cemetery Company and the Ladies Cemetery Association gradually became inactive.  During the next eleven years, Harry H. Addams and Roe Taylor took care of the necessary records and Lura Brinton continued to collect some of the yearly maintenance fees.  Many men including, Peter Wolfenbarger and C. B. McElvain tried to maintain the cemetery on a voluntary basis receiving little or no compensation.  Because of inadequate supervision and no legal organization the cemetery deteriorated.

In the Spring of 1953, another group of people became interested in the condition of the cemetery.  A meeting was held at which Harry H. Addams, Roe Taylor, Alma Patton, Edith Blide, Margaret Swisher, Robert Stewart and Richard Sylvester were elected directors of the Third Cemetery Company.

The directors made a thorough study of the immediate and long-term needs of both cemeteries.  After getting advise from directors of other cemeteries, engineers, our county commissioners, agricultural agents, lawyers and more, the directors decided that there was no way to meet the financial needs but to ask the people to set up a tax district.  A petition was circulated, the tax district set up, and the Hotchkiss Cemetery Company became the Hotchkiss Cemetery District.  Elected to the board was Margaret Swisher; President, Robert Stewart; Vice-President and Hortense Smith; Secretary.

Over the next twelve years, due to the continuous efforts of the Board, many things were accomplished including obtaining water, a new watering system was installed replacing an inadequate system from 1921 and seeding in several lots took place,  In 1953 over 200 graves in the Lower Cemetery were unmarked and 129 of these unidentified.  Finally almost all of the unmarked graves were supplied with markers .  All but nine of the 129 unknown bodies were identified.  During this time, it should be said that the Board and the people interested in the cemetery should be grateful for Vance Sinsel, the first full time paid maintenance man, for his faithful, loyal cooperation in renovating the cemeteries and in perfecting the operation of the new watering system.

Over the years, our Board of Directors have striven to keep the cemetery fiscally responsible, well maintained and a place where the community can come to visit their loved ones in a beautiful, peaceful setting.  People like the above mentioned board members, Margery Houseweart, Nancy Phillips, Melvin White, Jim Pierce, Marlin McCracken, Dennis Green and our current Board Members, Steve O’Connell, Gary Violett and Cody Houseweart are such a gift to our community.  They have volunteered countless hours to make our beautiful Hotchkiss Riverside Cemetery the place where we all want to end up.