Pioneer (Boothill) Cemetery

JohnHart · Mist Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 35

Location: Idaho City, ID

History: Gold was discovered in Grimes Creek by a party of men working for Moses Splawn and George Grimes, in 1862. Thousands of prospectors from all over the country flocked into the Boise Basin searching for a quick fortune. With the massive influx of people, towns sprang up all around the basin. Almost overnight, Idaho City became the largest city in the area.

By the end of 1863, there were close to twenty thousand people living in Idaho City. There were over 250 businesses ranging from the respectable opera house to the not so respectable saloons, there were more saloons than anything else. The population of Idaho City was a rowdy bunch; most men were armed at all times. Bar fights were common and more often than not they were settled with guns. The winner usually went to jail and the losers found their way the Pioneer (Boothill) Cemetery.

When the gold ran out, the prospectors left by the thousands, leaving Idaho City to become just another part of American history.

Haunting: Boothill Cemetery was established around 1863. The cemetery is filled with the graves of murder victims and the losers of many gun fights. There are more than 3000 graves in the cemetery but only 300 of them are identifiable.

There are stories of numerous ghosts that roam the cemetery after dark.