The Haunted History of Cheesman Park

By Claire Farrell

One of the most popular parks in Denver is Cheesman Park due to its beautiful greenery and the historic neighborhood that surrounds it. But from 1858-1890 Cheesman went by a different name: The Mount Prospect Cemetery. Many locals don't realize when they are at the park that the ground they walk on is home to over 2,000 bodies.

     The Mount Prospect cemetery was Denver's first graveyard and was four times the size it is today. Residents of all different races, religions, and backgrounds were buried there and soon enough, the cemetery became the most popular cemetery in Denver. As the city industrialized, more cemeteries started opening up and residents began moving to the Capitol Hill area. Over time, Cheesman became more and more rundown, until eventually it was abandoned. Around the 1880’s it was realized that the graveyard sat on federal land, so it completely shut down. The people of Denver pleaded with Congress to make it a park, and on January 25, 1890, Congress agreed to the demands. The city hired E.P. McGovern to remove all the bodies for $2 per coffin. To make more of a profit, McGovern ordered children's coffins and dismembered the bodies so they would fit inside. This way he had about four coffins for one body which meant he would make more money than originally anticipated. The city fired McGovern and instead of moving the rest of the bodies, they removed the headstones. Soon enough, graverobbers flooded the area and left bits and pieces of people's bodies all over the park. This is when strange paranormal sightings first started being reported.

     Cheesman Park ghost tour guide Will (no last name) talked about how over decades there have been countless sightings of paranormal activity.“They reported in the mirrors that there would be an apparition of someone standing beside them or an apparition of someone knocking on the door but no one was there. There would be wails, cries, and screams all across the graves.” 

The first sighting of strange activity happening at Cheesman Park was reported by one of E.P. McGovern's own men, Jim Astor. He claimed that someone had knocked everything out of his hand and slapped him so hard that he vowed to never return to the park. After that, more sightings and stories were being reported, especially by residents who lived in the neighborhood next to Cheesman. Will the tour guide claimed to have his own experiences with the park.

“I've experienced my own things there like when you're riding your bike or just walking through I’ll feel hot and cold areas.” 

Back when the park was still a graveyard, there was a hospital next to it called the pet house. Patients with tuberculosis, smallpox, and other diseases came to the pet house, and it was known to be the final destination before people died and were buried underground. It was located on what is now York and Race St. and is considered the most haunted area of the park. When asking Will about it, he shared his family's own experience when visiting it. 

 “So it was 2019 and my ex-wife was there… She went to get a drink of water and she felt a very heavy weight on her body. The weight was so heavy that when she tried to move she couldn't. She came back running in the house screaming freaking out, and I'm thinking the whole time she fell asleep and got sleep paralysis. Now we had a lady on our tour that said she was a medium and that we were close to the pet house when this happened and a ghost was telling my ex-wife that she was a tuberculosis patient and she had to sleep and rest. So you can say what you want but each individual has their own experience.” 

  There is of course controversy on if the park is haunted, but whether it is or not, Cheesman Park has an interesting past that plays a huge role in contributing to the history of Denver. Will explained how many bodies still remain underground at the park and underneath all the homes in the area.“Most people don't know that when you die you think you're never gonna be disturbed and your bodies forever buried and all that but the truth is that's unfortunately not true.”  Remains of Cheesman Park's past life are still scattered along the park. For example, every shrub and tree is planted in an open casket. Small things like this serve as a reminder of Cheesman Park's past and rich history.