A Walk Through The Past with Marilu Waybourn

By: Marilu Waybourn and Wilann Thomas

Photos: Wilann Thomas and Marilu Waybourn

Abandoned settlements and cemeteries scattered around San Juan County tell
a story about past residents and our communities.

This past September I took a tour of lesser known areas of the county and visited

several cemeteries. Actually seven sites around San Juan County were visited: La Plata,
Greenhorn, Old Cedar Hill, St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery - Bloomfield, East Hammond,
Old Flora Vista, and Brown Gravesite.

Join us as we travel the county...and take A Walk Through the Past!

Marilu's Notes: La Plata

    Entrance sign spelled wrong.

    Still is open for burials.  Mrs. Gentry McCarty kept the
records for many years. Several interesting stones in this area.

    Among the oldest burials are Lula Virginia Green - buried in
1896, age 4; and Janes Anderson, buried Nov. 1886, age 70.

Marilu's Notes: Greenhorn

    This is private land and belongs to the Montoya family. 
I called to get permission and was told it would be okay.

    The first time we came here there it was nicely fenced and
it seemed there were more headstones.  Also there was an
adobe building nearly melted at the corner - am assuming
that was perhaps the church. Notice the handcrafted
iron fences. The oldest burial I spotted was Antonio G. Montoya,
buried August 1924.  It is still open for family burials and
there are a couple of fairly new graves.

Marilu's Notes: Old Cedar Hill

    First trip here . . . weeds and mud.  Crawl through fence. 
Wade through weeds and the field to find the markers.  No road.

    Much nicer now that it has been fenced off and better kept.

Marilu's Notes: St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery Bloomfield

    The newer of the two cemeteries in Bloomfield.  The older
one is over this hill and on the right.  It was started in
1918 and has some of the old timers of Bloomfield are in it. 
Peter M. Salmon and much of his family are buried there.

    St. Mary’s is the newer of the two cemeteries.  It was
opened in 1949 on land donated by William and Florence Saiz. 

Marilu's Notes: East Hammond

    Hammond community began settling about 1888. 
The group of Mormon settlers were planning to pilot
an irrigation project from the San Juan River. 
The ditch would start in Blanco just below where
the Largo canyon emptied into the river. 
It would continue through Hammond, Bloomfield
and Mesa City and end in Farmington. Floods and
washouts ended the project.  The town was pretty
empty by 1914 and now there is nothing left except
the cemetery.  Which is still open to burials.

    The first burial here was six year old J. Lyman Deaton
in 1901.  His father, Mormon bishop James L. Deaton
was buried beside him in 1902.

Marilu's Notes: Old Flora Vista

    The only markers left are dated 1887.  There was an outbreak
of scarlet fever and many were buried here.  Also many of the
Blancett family whose homestead is nearby were buried here
but were moved to the Aztec  cemetery. The last burial here
was John Sanchez, a baby that was born and died on
Feb. 18, 1958.  The marker read merely “Baby.” 

Marilu's Notes: Brown Gravesite

    First Farmington cemetery was on “First Mesa.”  

Formerly Tibbetts football field.  An irrigation ditch 

overflowed and many of the graves were washed out  

(school story). Dr. Brown, who may have been Farmington’s first

 doctor, said he wanted to be buried somewhere that would 

never flood.  Dr. Brown's son, George, was killed by the 

Stockton gang on Christmas Eve 1880 and Aaron Barker 

for whom Barker Dome and Barker Arroyo are named 

was killed by the Stockton gang March 2, 1881.  So they 

are buried on top of the mesa overlooking San Juan 

College.  There are six graves there including the two

cowboys, Dr. and Mrs. Brown, their son Lee 

and his wife.  Dr. Brown died in 1896.

Cemetery Map Route