For many years, all that remained was the town's cemetery, final resting place for 150 Coal Branchers. But over time, it too withered from the elements and neglect.
| Mountain Park ...3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For many years, all that remained was the town's cemetery, final resting place for 150 Coal Branchers. But over time, it too withered from the elements and neglect. |
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| Left: Mount Cheviot overlooking the former community of Mountain Park, now barren and a ghost town since 1950. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| @Johnnie Bachusky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The cemetery sits on a hill just behind the rail line and former site of the station. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| @Johnnie Bachusky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| However, since 1994, former residents have rallied to preserve the rich heritage of the Coal Branch town; placing handmade historical signage throughout the old mine and town sites, erecting monuments, restoring the cemetery and raising about $40,000 to publish 360 copies of an 800-page book called, "Mountain Park Memories". | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| @Johnnie Bachusky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| @Johnnie Bachusky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former Mountain Park residents have lovingly honored the town and its institutions by erecting signs at the ghost town to mark their former sites. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| During the 1990s, several former residents of Mountain Park returned to the alpine ghost town to preserve the memories of the historic site. One project was to erect several tree-shaped blue signs in a long row; the former site of a residential street and the homes of miners and their families. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Below left : Former Mountain Park residents Mary (Lee) Salzsauler (left) and her mother Jane Lee in front of their family home in Edson, Alberta. The home is the same structure that housed their family more than 60 years ago in Mountain Park and where Mary was born. When the town and mine closed in 1950, the family transported the home east to Mercoal in the Coal Branch. When Mercoal closed in 1959, the house was again moved, this time north to Edson. For the past decade, Mary has been a key figure in the preservation of what little remains in Mountain Park, notably the historic cemetery where she spends several weekends each summer clearing away buck brush and white-washing the picket fences of graves. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| @Johnnie Bachusky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Right: A freshly white-washed cross in the buck brush of Mountain Park’s historic cemetery, the final resting place of more than 150 Coal Branchers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| @Johnnie Bachusky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| @Johnnie Bachusky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A determined effort in the 1990s by former residents and descendants of the former alpine mining community has restored the hauntingly beautiful Mountain Park cemetery to its past pioneer elegance. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| @Johnnie Bachusky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| @Johnnie Bachusky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A recently white-washed grave marker shines in the morning sun. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By the year 2000, much of the pioneer cemetery, once totally abandoned and neglected, was lovingly restored by former town residents and descendants. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| @Johnnie Bachusky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| @Johnnie Bachusky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Above and right: Although restoration efforts have dramatically improved the appearance of the cemetery, grave sites still fight off buck brush and alpine grass. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| @Johnnie Bachusky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A restored grave plot in the Mountain Park cemetery glistens in the morning sun. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Today, the cemetery is the focal point of countless pilgrimages by former residents and their families and friends who come to the alpine wonderland to honor the brave efforts of pioneer Coal Branchers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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