Six-year-old Helen Brown Bailar died Oct. 26, 1894, at the family farm about three miles south of Glenwood Springs. Like many farming families, Lewis and Margaret Bailar rejected burying their daughter in a cemetery, choosing instead to bury her on the family farm.

The Bailars had purchased their farm, located near the Roaring Fork River, in 1886. Their farm produced a variety of crops, which proved profitable to the family. However, in 1899 Lewis decided to take a small portion of the land and dedicate it to a different use.

Over the years, people had approached the Bailars, wanting to bury their own loved ones on the Bailar farm. The site would be a beautiful and convenient resting place for the dead. Bailar considered the requests, and on April 15, 1899, filed a plat for the new cemetery. He named the new venture “Rosebud Cemetery.” On May 9, 1899, the first recorded plot purchases were made at Rosebud. In 1910, the cemetery operations were incorporated.

Lewis Bailar died in 1915, but the Bailar descendants continued to operate Rosebud Cemetery. In the 1920s the financial situation of the cemetery fell into decline. A lot owner complained about alleged lack of grounds care. This complaint set in motion a chain of events which lead to a court hearing and the placement of the cemetery into receivership.

The Glenwood Springs City Council investigated taking control of Rosebud Cemetery. On Oct. 7, 1929, a deed was prepared, and on Nov. 19, 1929, the Bailar Family transferred the cemetery to city ownership as a gift to the community.

Lewis Bailar possibly did not envision his cemetery nearly filled to capacity. He would, though, approve of its success, beauty and peace.

“Frontier Diary” is provided to the Post Independent by the Frontier Historical Society and Museum, 1001 Colorado Ave., Glenwood Springs. Summer hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Willa is on vacation, so Frontier Diary will be on hiatus the week of Sept. 25, but will resume on Oct. 4.