This cemetery is east of Gardner Village in Midvale just off 7800 South and Holden Street (700 West). It is nestled between construction of home living condominiums and a law office, and the burial spot is surrounded by a white vinyl fence.

Midvale claims two cemeteries: the old Pioneer or Indian Burial Ground Cemetery in front of the U.S. Smelter, behind the rows of Smelter homes on North Holden Street and the present city cemetery located on Locust Street.

The Pioneer Cemetery had been an Indian burial ground. The pioneers used it in early days and many people were buried there. Tea plants or matrimony vines marked off the northern and southern boundaries and iris bloomed there. It was estimated that the original cemetery was about 170' by 100'. Ten years ago [abt 1970], small mounds of earth showed where the bodies had been buried. Some monuments marked family plots including one at the north end placed by Harmon Cutler descendants. Agnes McGregor Cutler, young widow of Harmon Cutler, appealed to the U.S. Smelter to respect that plot of ground. They did and routed their railroad tracks around it and gave employees instructions that no rubbish was to be placed there. During Casper Nelson's administration the broken board fence was replaced with steel fence posts connected with wire cable.

About 1906, the smelter offered to pay for removal of the bodies to other cemeteries. Some relatives took advantage of this offer, but others decided not to accept the offer or had moved away and could not be contacted. So, the Pioneer Cemetery remained the resting place for quite a number. It is understood that some Indians were also buried in this cemetery"


Source: Midvale History 1851-1979, written by Anita and Mary Hyke, page 121.

This cemetery is east of Gardner Village in Midvale just off 7800 South and Holden Street (700 West). It is nestled between construction of home living condominiums and a law office, and the burial spot is surrounded by a white vinyl fence.

Midvale claims two cemeteries: the old Pioneer or Indian Burial Ground Cemetery in front of the U.S. Smelter, behind the rows of Smelter homes on North Holden Street and the present city cemetery located on Locust Street.

The Pioneer Cemetery had been an Indian burial ground. The pioneers used it in early days and many people were buried there. Tea plants or matrimony vines marked off the northern and southern boundaries and iris bloomed there. It was estimated that the original cemetery was about 170' by 100'. Ten years ago [abt 1970], small mounds of earth showed where the bodies had been buried. Some monuments marked family plots including one at the north end placed by Harmon Cutler descendants. Agnes McGregor Cutler, young widow of Harmon Cutler, appealed to the U.S. Smelter to respect that plot of ground. They did and routed their railroad tracks around it and gave employees instructions that no rubbish was to be placed there. During Casper Nelson's administration the broken board fence was replaced with steel fence posts connected with wire cable.

About 1906, the smelter offered to pay for removal of the bodies to other cemeteries. Some relatives took advantage of this offer, but others decided not to accept the offer or had moved away and could not be contacted. So, the Pioneer Cemetery remained the resting place for quite a number. It is understood that some Indians were also buried in this cemetery"


Source: Midvale History 1851-1979, written by Anita and Mary Hyke, page 121.