This site is located in the Routt National Forest, in an area that has been referred to as "Dead Mexican Park" for many years. This name is used on several maps, including USGS Quad maps and Forest Service maps. The origin of this site name has been debated for many years. Some contend that it was named for the two sheepherders that were murdered there in 1915. The other story is that a Mexican named Apallino Barros was killed there by lightning.
It appears that this burial site is in fact the graves of Quintana and Velasquez. A letter that was obtained from the Forest Service in Steamboat Springs confirms this. The letter is a copy of a letter from Frank H. Rose to his mother, dated Aug. 18, 1915. He was the Ranger at the Hahns Peak Ranger Station. In part it states: "Just another chapter to this to tell you that night before last two J O herders were shot over north of Little Red Park. I am out near the edge of civilazation, I sometimes think that I get over the line. Yesterday I went over to the place where the J O sheep had camped in trailing out and put out the fire that was still burning the bed and body of one of the J O herders. The other herder lay some fourty feet away. Both had been killed by a high power rifle. One probably did not wake up, the other had tried to get away. Joe Balaria, a Mexican that had rode around with me more or less this summer and who has been quite friendly to me did the shooting. There had evidently been a fight earlier in the evening and Joe had gone to town and got the gun and did the shooting. He has not been seen since. I was talking with him the day before about noon and rode down the rode with him for a ways as he went back to camp. I covered up the dead men and left them for the coriner to examine today. Joe has been drunk all summer." With this information, we strongly believe that the two graves at this site are those of M.G. Quintana and C. Velasquez. Research will continue to identify the grave of Apallino Baros.
The Forest Service placed a fence around the graves in 1951. The fence still exists, but the sign marking the graves has been stolen. Land records confirm that this area has not been in private ownership and has always been in the Routt National Forest.
ROUTT COUNTY CEMETERY: #RT001
COLORADO HISTORICAL SITE: #5RT430
LOCATION: East of Trail Road 75 off of Routt County Road 19 (FR550)
BURIALS: 2 burials with no inscribed stone
CONDITION: 10 ft x 10 ft in fair condition, witha wooden fence, sign missing
USGS QUAD MAP: ELKHORN MOUNTAIN, COLO. 7.5 1962; UTM 13; 338670 mE 4528740 mN
LEGAL DESCRIPTION: T6N R11W 6th PM SE4, SW4, NW4, SW4 SEC 22
© 2004-2008 Roger & Joyce Cusick
National Association for Cemetery Preservation, Inc.nacpinc@hotmail.com
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