Who was Frank Hamilton? No one really knows. Simple grave markers pay a humble tribute to the five miners buried at the Sand Park Cemetery between 1898 and 1914. Little more is known than their names and year of death. Most of the other hard-rock-era miners who had family and means chose to be buried in "consecrated ground" in metropolitan areas like Missoula and Deer Lodge.

You're invited to walk across the road and spend a quiet moment at their graves. We can only surmise that these men died far from family in their quest for gold. They rest close to the source of their dreams of wealth, here in the heart of the Garnet Mountains.

They Hailed From Coloma

The nearby ghost town of Coloma (1895-1908) once hustled with fortune seekers, including some of the miners who rest in this cemetery. They probably bought grub at the company store and took a turn or two in one of Coloma's saloons.

"Frank Hamilton died last Tuesday and was buried in the Coloma Cemetery on Thursday, under the auspices of the Garnet Miners Union. Deceased was about 35 years of age, but nothing is known of his antecedents, further than that. He was born in Colorado, presumably at Canon City."

• Drummond Call, Friday, October 6, 1905

Remnants like this old pair of boots remind us of the hard life these early miners had. Adequate shelter and clothing were luxurious, and accidents, illness and lack of doctors often meant a much shorter lifespan.

Erected by Bureau of Land Management.