PUEBLO — As Black History Month continues, we look at how Pueblo is preserving the legacy of Black pioneers buried at Roselawn Cemetery.
The cemetery is the final resting place for 600 African-Americans, many in unmarked graves. Among them is Aunt Eliza Boone, a former slave of the Daniel Boone family, who was buried in 1893 at the age of 105.
In recent years, the community has worked to recognize and celebrate these pioneers.
"When we celebrate them, when we honor them, including when we honor Eliza Boone, there was a tremendous amount of support and participation by the community, and we are excited to continue that opportunity of educating people," said Ray Brown, Grounds and Facilities Director and Historian at Roselawn Cemetery.
Eventually, the cemetery would like to have a permanent memorial installed to honor those buried in unmarked graves and display their names.
Roselawn was originally designed with separate sections, however, after the financial crisis known as the Panic of 1893, the cemetery lost land and had to adjust its boundaries.
The area once considered the back later became the front where many African-Americans were laid to rest.
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