Cemeteries
Between Silver Reef, Leeds and Harrisburg, there were a total of five cemeteries, four of which that can still be visited today. Mostly Mormons were buried in the Leeds cemetery located on the southwest side of town. Most people associated with the Silver Reef boom years were buried in either the Catholic or Protestant cemetery. There was also a Chinese cemetery.
About the Cemeteries
During those years, members of the Catholic church outnumbered the others, including members of the more prominent Mormon church, mainly because of the large number of Irish people working in the mines and mills. A fair number of people were splintered between the various Protestant denominations such as Presbyterian. The cemetery in Harrisburg consisted mostly of people from the Mormon Church.
The Chinese established their own cemetery. Archeological evidence suggests its location was adjacent to and on the east side of the Catholic cemetery. After Silver Reef declined, all the bodies were exhumed and sent to China, as it is their belief that their deceased should rest in their homeland.
According to records, the Catholic cemetery has 3 graves with tombstones and 15 graves with “unknown markers, whereas the Protestant cemetery has 11 graves with tombstones and 32 graves with “unknown” markers.
The Catholic and Protestant cemeteries were restored by the Leeds Lion’s Club in 1998. Much of the white picket fences and walls you see today were constructed then.
Visiting the Cemeteries
All of the cemeteries are open and can be visited. Below is a map pointing out all four cemeteries.