The first cemetery in Breckenridge was just southwest of the Broken Lance Road/State Highway 9 intersection at the south end of town. All but one of those early graves, that of Baby Eberlein, were moved to Valley Brook Cemetery in 1882. In 1997, the infant girl's grave was moved next to the graves of her mother and brother in the Masonic section of the cemetery.
Valley Brook Cemetery is laid out in streets and circles, with small brooks (thus its name) running through it. The brooks simplify plot irrigation. Valley Brook is really two cemeteries, both platted in 1882 and delineated with markers. The 150-grave Masonic cemetery lies to the south above Cucumber Creek. Owned by Lodge No. 47 A.F. & A.M., it is reserved for burial of its members and their families. In 1896, groups of lots were sold to the Joseph A. Mower G.A.R. Post (where the flagpole and Memory to the Unknown cross stand), to the Improved Order of Red Men Kiowa Tribe No. 6, to the International Order of Odd Fellows Blue River Lodge No. 49 and to the Knights of Pythias Gold Nugget Lodge for burial of their members and families. The town cemetery, at the north end, included several sections: Catholic (west of the sexton house), Methodist/Episcopal and Loyalist, as well as a Potter's Field. The latter consists of a double line of graves, all unmarked except for Bob Lott's, on the east side. Before Social Security, many a worker, especially a miner, ended up with nothing after a lifetime of hard work. Unless his friends or fraternal order buried him, Summit County interred him in the pauper section.
North of the entrance road is the sexton house, built in 1904. Also in 1904 the Lincoln City Cemetery was moved to Valley Brook because placer mining forced the relocation of that entire town. The two large plots at the western edge of the cemetery contain graves removed from the towns of Robinson/Recen and Kokomo; they were moved to make way for the Climax Molybdenum Mine's settling ponds.
Many of the headstones are handcarved out of local materials such as marble from Marble, Colorado. The historical fences around the various plots are a unique blend of ornate posts with chains, delicate baby wire, filigreed wrought-iron gates, arches, early wooden pickets, concrete barriers and stone pillars.
Directions: The Valley View Cemetary is located near the intersection of Airport Road and Valley Brook Road on the northern side of Breckenridge. From Blue River Plaza in the center of Breckenridge, proceed north on Main Street (toward Frisco) for one block to the stoplight at Main and Lincoln. Turn left (west) and proceed one block to Park Ave. Turn right onto Park Ave. and proceed approximately one-half mile to Airport road. Turn left onto Airport Road and proceed north approximately one-half mile past the Library and Breckenridge Rec Center to Valley Brook Road. The cemetary is on the left (west) side of the road.