On Aug. 10, construction workers at the Boulder Town Pump discovered a set of bones 12.5 feet underground, which the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office later identified as animal remains.
While digging a hole for the Town Pump’s stormwater retention system, Greg Garwood and two other workers noticed several bones in the dirt, along with pieces of metal and other materials. Bill McGladdery, director of corporate communications for the Town Pump Charitable Foundation, said that excavation halted at the discovery of the bones and the Sheriff’s Department was contacted. “We weren’t sure what it was,” Garwood told The Monitor. “We figured we better call the authorities and have them come check it out before we do any more digging.”
Sheriff Craig Doolittle said the office received a call at 11:11 a.m. on Aug. 10 reporting bones, shoes and a gun found at the Town Pump. After collecting the bones, Doolittle called Dr. Walter Kemp, Montana’s chief medical examiner. “We didn’t suspect that they were [human] at first,” Doolittle said, adding that Kemp confirmed that the bones were animal. “If we know they’re not human, it doesn’t matter if it’s a pig or a cow.”
Seeking clarity on how the bones and other items made their way under the gas station, Doolittle spoke with a former deputy and Ellen Rae Thiel at the Heritage Center. Doolittle determined that Town Pump sits on top of the town’s old landfill and a truck stop restaurant had operated in that same location later on. Doolittle said the bones had likely been there since the 60’s or 70’s.
Construction resumed within three hours of the initial call. “Once they determined they were not human remains, we were permitted to continue to work on the stormwater detention system,” McGladdery said. Doolittle confirmed that no other bones have been found since.
The stormwater retention system is one of the final projects being worked on before the Boulder Town Pump can host its grand opening, McGladdery said.
