Entry No. 95 — the Denver file — filed under: history
Grave of Silas Soule
Silas Soule was the Union cavalry officer who, at Sand Creek in 1864, ordered his men to hold fire and refused to take part in the massacre of around 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho — then testified to the truth of it, and was assassinated on a downtown Denver street weeks later. His grave isn't a monument: it's a plain government-issue soldier's headstone in Section 27 of Riverside, Denver's oldest operating cemetery (1876), tucked in the far northeast corner south of the flagpole, easy to walk right past. The Cheyenne still decorate it out of respect, and every fall it's the starting point of the Sand Creek Spiritual Healing Run from this grave to the massacre site. Riverside itself is a half-forgotten National Historic District along the Brighton industrial corridor that most Denverites have never set foot in.
The move: Go on a quiet weekday: print the section map first, find the headstone in Section 27, then walk the rest of Riverside's 1876 grounds — it's a slow, reflective, slightly off-the-grid history walk rather than a light outing.
📍 Before you go Riverside sits along the Brighton Blvd industrial corridor northeast of downtown; the entrance has shifted over the years near the South Platte, so follow the posted gate signage rather than an old pin. There's no staffed welcome desk to point the way, so print or screenshot a section map before you arrive. Aim for Section 27 in the far northeast corner: the plain headstone is a few yards right of the flagpole as you face the back fence, easy to walk past. This is a working historic cemetery, so keep voices low and read any decorations left on the grave as offerings, not litter. The grounds run wild and largely unwatered, so spring and fall are most pleasant; midsummer is hot, dry, and shadeless. Pair it with a meal or coffee in nearby RiNo afterward.
- 📍 Swansea / Brighton Blvd corridor (Riverside Cemetery)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Riverside Cemetery, 5201 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216 (Section 27, far northeast corner, south of the flagpole)
Hours: Riverside Cemetery open daily 8am-5pm. Grave is unmarked by signage; bring/print a section map. Sand Creek Spiritual Healing Run gathers here annually in fall (Oct/Nov).
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · Wikipedia · friendsofriversidecemetery.org
last checked: 2026-06-07