The Melvin-Lewis Cemetery draws its name from two pioneer families who were instrumental to early settlers. Arriving in 1859 John and Jane Melvin built what became known as the 12 Mile House that served as a way station along Cherry Creek for westward travelers. "Mile houses" were spaced every two to three miles along the Cherokee/Smoky Hill wagon trails from Kansas and were named according to their distance from the intersection of Colfax Avenue and North Broadway in Denver. Travelers could get a meal, spend the night, rest their animals, or have minor repairs made to coaches or wagons while staying at a mile house. In 1883 John and Emma Lewis purchased the land, which included the cemetery. It is thought that it began as a burial place for the Melvin and Lewis families and later for settlers heading west.

In addition to pioneers, the cemetery also contains the cremated remains of over 1600 people who had donated their bodies to medical research. In 1957, the property that included the cemetery was acquired by the University of Colorado and was used for research until 1986. It is believed that the land reverted to the ownership of the City of Aurora until it was purchased by Collette, a real estate firm. The preservation of the cemetery was part of the land-use protections that accompanied the shopping center acquisition.

In the 1990s, the cemetery contained more than 15 pioneer head- or footstones, however, as of 2002 no stones remained and only a few bases had survived years of neglect. As the cemetery fell into disuse it was abandoned and some remains were moved to other cemeteries. Currently, the site is preserved as part of the Pioneer Hills Shopping Center and sits just north of where Orchard Road intersects with Parker Road in Aurora.

By Shelly J. Lange