Of the more than 1,300 now sunken graves that surround the memorial site in Evergreen Cemetery, about 80 percent were dug for Irish immigrants, and almost half for children younger than 12, said Jim Walsh, historian for the memorial project and Clinical Associate Professor of Political Science, who has researched Irish history in Leadville for two decades. According to old church records that Walsh and a group of graduate students are studying, about 100 of those graves sites are listed as “stillborn.” Walsh said these are likely results of prostitution in Leadville and the stigma surrounding abortion procedures. Those 100 graves are marked with wooden planks in the unbaptized section of the burial ground.
Irish memorial is under construction
Herald Democrat, June 23