Bugtown Cemetery

The exact site of the Bugtown Cemetery is probably lost forever. Only through an archaeological dig would it be possible to locate this site. According to the Routt County Historical Guide, "the first settlement in Routt County was established by men in search of gold. In 1866, four years after Joseph Hahn and two companions found gold in the area of Hahns Peak, the first miners made camp and established a mining district there. By 1874 mines were operating on an extensive scale and two major camps flourished: International Camp nicknamed "Bug Town" and Poverty Bar later called Hahns Peak. International Camp, the first gold camp in Routt County, was established by Farwell to house his miners who called it Bug Town because of the "big bugs", Farwell and his wealthy eastern friends who were frequent visitors. International Camp, also called National City had a boarding house with a reading room where the first church services were held. The first post office in the newly created county opened at International Camp in 1877."

In Charles Leckenby's book Tread of Pioneers, published in 1945 we find the following information. "The district soon divided into two camps, nearly two miles apart. Farwell was operating in Way's Gulch and the Long Elk River ditch was built to develop String Ridge. His camp was on the ridge between Way's and Nova Scotia Gulches and was called International Camp, that being the name of his mining company, but with the perversity of miners and their penchant for nicknames it was dubbed Bugtown, because all of the 'big bugs' lived there and Bugtown it remained during all the period of its existence, even when the county seat was moved there...International Camp was abandoned. A forest fire destroyed the buildings. A few rock foundations may be found there today."

In the book Historical Hahns Peak by Thelma Stevenson she relates the following information on Bugtown. "In 1875 Chicago's wealthy John V. Farwell have been enticed into the gold industry and really big money blossomed when Mr. Farwell arrived in 1876 to supervise his placer known then as The Continental Mining Company. Encompassed in Farwell's holdings were six of the diggings whose names are bequeathed us from Hahn's venture in 1866: Hahns Gulch, Doyles Gulch, Way's Gulch, Virginia Gulch, German Gulch and Nova Scotia Gulch. On the ridge of Way's and Nova Scotia Gulches was born Farwell's International Camp...In 1876 when Colorado gained statehood there were at International Camp seventy five adults, no children. This, according to historian and pioneer-surveyor Ezekiel Shelton, was the greater part of the population of Routt County. International Camp sprawled along the String Ridge between Way's and Nova Scotia Gulches northward to the bald mountain peak. Farwell's headquarters soon became Bugtown, so dubbed by local miners because the Company officials resided there. Old Bugtown and Hahns Peak historically were separated by Whiskey Gap, the cut made by Cow Creek, a small stream flowing north to south under highway 129 just east of the Village. At an unrecorded date of that era, what was left of old Bugtown burned to the ground in a forest fire. For many years foundation remnants and a small graveyard marked the site of the settlement. Except for tell-tale vegetation, no trace of old landmarks could be found in 1974."

In the History of Routt National Forest 1905 - 1972 on page 44 there is a reference to a large fire in this region. It is a copy of a letter from J. B. Donaldson to James B. Thompson, Special Agent, General Land Office, Washington, D. C. Donaldson was the Superintendent of the Farwell Mining interests at International Camp, Colorado. The letter is dated September 19, 1879. We are not certain if this could be the fire referred to in Stevenson's writing. (note: J. B. Donaldson was later to become one of the first Sheriff's of Routt County)

ROUTT COUNTY CEMETERY: #RT036
COLORADO HISTORICAL SITE: #5RT965
LOCATION: from RCR#129
BURIALS: unknown
CONDITION:
USGS QUAD MAP: HAHNS PEAK, CO 7.5 1962 UTM 13;
LEGAL DESCRIPTION: T10N R85W 6th PM

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