Cemetery In Collbran, Colorado Has Memorials Dating Back to the Mid-1800’s

The next time you visit Western Colorado's Grand Mesa, take a moment to visit the Eagalite cemetery near Collbran. Take a look around and you'll find several graves dating back to the mid-1800's.

This particular site is part of the Collbran Cemetery District, which consists of the Eagalite, Cedar Crest, and Clover cemeteries.

Awesome Cemetery on Western Colorado's Grand Mesa

You'll find the Eagalite Cemetery at 14777 57 Road in Collbran, Colorado. It's surprisingly easy to find. Simply head up the Grand Mesa, turn on 330 just before the town of Mesa, and follow it for 11 miles or so as you approach Collbran. Just before town turn south onto 57 1/2 Road. After a short distance, turn west on O Road. Follow that to 57 road, turn south, and you're there.

If you're more technologically savvy than I am, and trust me, you are, the coordinates for the cemetery are 39.22280, -107.98940.

Note: Other sources list Eagalite Cemetery's address as Plateau City, Mesa County, Colorado.

A Scenic, Well-Maintained Cemetery

This location is magnificent. There are those who enjoy visiting memorials. If that's you, then you'll definitely want to visit Eagalite. The view is spectacular. Given that death is a part of life, if one has to die and be buried, it's hard to imagine a more ideal place.

More Than a Century and a Half of Memorials

A number of memorials dated back to the 1860s. The most recent grave I found was as recent as 2021.

Not to Argue, But....

According to Find-a-Grave, Eagalite Cemetery is home to 509 memorials. The website Billion Graves disagrees, citing a total of 499 memorials. Having spent the afternoon visiting every grave, both counts seems a bit inflated. I, of course, have no idea.

Then again, there are undoubtedly unmarked graves throughout. Still, that number seems a bit high. I've reached out to the caretaker, Lester Wheeler, for more information regarding the number of memorials.

Where Does the Name 'Eagalite' Come From?

The Colorado UsGenWeb Archives shed a little light on the Eagalite designation. According to their webpage, "The town of Eagalite was established in 1895 and was, in 1901, renamed Plateau City."