top of page
1. Cover Photo Old Cemeteries.JPG

Cemeteries A-H

Aurum Cemetery 3.JPG
Battle Mtn Cem 6.JPG
1. Cover Photo Bowers Cem.JPG
1. Cover Photo Carlin Cemetery.JPG

 Aurum 

 Battle Mountain

 Bowers Mansion

 Carlin- Fraternal Burials

1. Cover Photo Cherry Creek Lower.JPG
1. Cover Photo Cherry Creek Upper.JPG
1. Cover Photo Clover Cem North.JPG
1. Cover Photo Clover Cem South.JPG

 Cherry Creek- Lower

 Cherry Creek- Upper

 Clover Valley- North

 Clover Valley- South

1. Cover Photo Comstock Mine Victims.JPG
1. Cover Photo Cortez Cemetery.JPG
Dun Glen Cem 3.JPG
1. Cover Photo Egan Graves.JPG

 Comstock Mining Deaths Compilation

 Cortez

 Dun Glen

 Egan Canyon Soldiers Graves

1. Cover Photo Elko City Cemetery.JPG
1. Cover Photo Elko County Cem.JPG
1. Cover Photo Elko Elks Cemetery.JPG
1. Cover Photo Elko IOOF.JPG

 Elko City

 Elko County

 Elko Elks

 Elko I.O.O.F.

1. Cover Photo Elko Masonic.JPG
1. Cover Photo Galena Cem.JPG
1. Cover Photo Gold Hill Cemetery.JPG

 Elko Masonic

 Galena

 Gold Hill

1. Cover Photo Gold Hill Masonic IOOF.JPG

 Gold Hill Masonic/ I.O.O.F

1. Cover Photo Humboldt City Burial.JPG

 Humboldt City Burial

Cemeteries I-Z

1. Cover Photo Maiden's Grave.JPG
1. Cover Photo Mazuma Cem.JPG
1. Cover Photo Mineral Hill Cem.JPG
1. Cover Photo Montello Cemetery.JPG

 Maidens Grave (Beowawe)

 Mazuma

 Mineral Hill

 Montello

1. Cover Photo Palisade Cemetery.JPG
1. Cover Photo Winnemucca Pioneer Cem.JPG
1. Cover Photo Ruby Mountain Burials.JPG
Silver City Cem 2.JPG

 Palisade

 Pioneer (Winnemucca)

 Ruby Mountain Graves

 Silver City

1. Cover Photo Starr Valley Cemetery.JPG
Tusc Cem 2.JPG
1. Cover Photo Unionville Cemetery.JPG
1. Cover Photo VC Cemetery.JPG

 Starr Valley

 Tuscarora

 Unionville

 Virginia City- Silver Terrace

1. Cover Photo VC IOOF K of P Cemetery.JPG
VC Masonic 26.JPG
1. Cover Photo Washoe City Cem.JPG
1. Cover Photo Wells Cemetery.JPG

 Virginia City- I.O.O.F/ K.P.

 Virginia City- Masonic

 Washoe City

 Wells

Cemeteries- North of Highway 50

In my opinion, one of the most fascinating aspects about life in these mining and ranching towns were the fraternal societies. There were no phones or television. Social interaction was required for entertainment. It was very common to see fraternal lodges in these towns. The Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Elks, Eagles, Woodmen, Ancient Order of United Workmen, etc. Governors, senators and mining/cattle barons were members. For example, all four Bonanza Kings on the Comstock were Masons (Fair, Flood, Mackay, O'Brien). So were Fred Balzar, Walt Baring, Frank Bell, Henry Blasdel, R.K. Colcord, Denver Dickerson, Charles Henderson, John Jones, Richard Kirman, George Malone, Thomas Miller, George Nixon, James Nye, Tasker Oddie, Key Kittman, Charles Richards, Charles Russell, Reinhold Sadler, Grant Sawyer, James Scrugham and William Stewart. Lewis 'Longhorns' Bradley was a member of the Odd Fellows. Members also included shop keepers, ranchers and laborers. Many of the blue-collar miners who died in the mining accidents were also members. Inside of the lodge, they sat as brothers and equals. Many of these men belonged to more than one fraternity. When you see the intricate carvings on their gravestones, you may wonder what the symbolism means. Most of the time, they are fraternal. These men were proud to belong to these organizations in life. And after death, they often wanted it memorialized on their gravestones.

 

Some common fraternal symbols:

Masonic:  Square and compasses with the letter "G"; Rounded sword and crescent moon (Shriners); "FHC"- Faith, Hope, Charity; Star and/or initials "OES" (Order of Eastern Star- Womens appendant body); "F&AM" Free and Accepted Masons. 

Odd Fellows:  Three chain links; "FLT"- Faith, Love, Truth; Flying dove and flowers (Rebekahs- Womens appendant body); Dove with chain links, stars and/or crescent moon (Rebekahs). "IOOF"- Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Ancient Order of United Workmen:  "A.O.U.W"; Anchor in front of a shield.

Knights of Pythias:  "K of P"; Knight wearing armor; Triangle with the letters "FCB"- Friendship, Charity, Benevolence; Battle axes are often incorporated into their symbolism.

Elks, Eagles, Moose, etc:  The animal represented such as an Elk or an Eagle. "B.P.O.E."- Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; "F.O.E."- Fraternal Order of Eagles.

Woodman:  Represented by axes, logs of wood and sometimes a dove; You may also see the phrase "Here Rests a Woodman". They use the word "Rests" because a Woodman would never Lie. 

If you see the Square and Compasses incorporated with three chain links, the man was a member of the Masons and the Odd Fellows. Fraternal organizations like the Masons have appendant bodies such as the York Rite, Scottish Rite and Shriners. There are many symbols for those bodies as well. These are easy enough to research. The Odd Fellows have the Encampment, etc. Some of these cemeteries only contain a few gravestones. Other cemeteries have hundreds of burials. The bigger cemeteries require a lot more time and website space. I have to crop and clean up these photos. Therefore, I had to limit how many gravestones I could publish per cemetery. 

bottom of page