Know stories of folks buried in old Boise cemeteries? Expert wants to hear from you

David Habben is a self-described “taphophile,” a.k.a. “tombstone tourist” or lover of cemeteries and the stories they reveal.

Habben has been giving tours of Boise’s oldest cemeteries, Morris Hill on the Boise Bench and Pioneer on Warm Springs, through Boise Parks and Recreation for several years.

During that time, his tours have included the graves of well-known people, governors, senators, gubernatorial assassin Harry Orchard, fallen veterans and Boise pioneers. They’ve focused on figures like famed mule packer Jesus Urquides, buried at Pioneer, and Bonnie McCarroll, “one of the last lady bronc riders,” buried at Morris Hill.

Now, Habben wants to build new tours focused on graves that haven’t gotten as much attention, and he’s looking for help from the public.

“We try to visit the graves of some of the more well-known people, regarding Idaho history,” Habben said, “but we want to do more.”

“We’d like to ask the help of the people of the Treasure Valley in identifying new people to include in the tours. Not just historic, but hose with amazing and interesting stories.”

Do you know a story of someone buried in one of Boise’s historic cemeteries that deserves to be told? Can you stump the taphophile and share a story he doesn’t already know?

Your suggestion could be featured on an upcoming tour.

Email Habben at dhabben@aol.com or mail P.O. Box 15555, Boise, ID 83715. Please include your contact information and as much detail as possible.

This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 10:38 AM with the headline "Know stories of folks buried in old Boise cemeteries? Expert wants to hear from you."