I took a stroll through Boothill Cemetery here in Pioche today. It actually does sit on a hill and has a full panoramic view of surrounding Lincoln County and also a glimpse of far off mountains in Utah.
My short visit was an enlightening, inspiring, but also a sad and touching experience. I got to see in my mind’s eye a few fragments of history of this quaint old mining town; the life and times of some courageous people who built it and whose bones are laid to rest on this quiet and lonely spot.
I took a brief class in journalism many years ago. The theme of the class stressed the importance of pointing out the who, what, where, how and, if possible, even the why of your story.
Well the “who” of my stroll experience would be the individual town’s people with their names inscribed on headstones, the miners and characters of this community’s past.
The “what” of course, would be their demise, death and departure from this life’s struggle.
The “when” was clearly marked on the more recent headstones dating back some eighty years or so. Prior to that time all that remained of previous burials were a few old broken and deteriorated wooden markers with dates ranging around the eighteen hundreds scratched on them.
It shows, I suppose, how time takes its toll on all things material.
The “where” would be this present local high elevation community of Pioche, Nevada where these people lived their lives and have become part of its history and its dramatic past.
The “how” of their passing was not usually mentioned amid the vital statistics engraved on those markers. However, I read from a couple of old wooden planks of one fellow being shot in the back and another guy who was shot five times by officers.
Life was fraught with danger back in those days and mining prospectors were ever so protective of their claims.
And as for the “why” of this sad story, well I just figure it’s because a human life is limited and has to end sometime, be it through natural causes or via sudden violence. And, also quite sadly, lifespans were more limited back in those wild west mining days.
Some of the more modern headstones displayed a few touching thoughts of love, caring and fond farewells from grieving families.
The remains of husbands and wives were laid side by side and sealed in their final resting places. It was easy to feel the emotional sentiment from those they left behind. It still lingers faintly in the mountain air.
Surprisingly, just a short walk away from this location is yet another graveyard which is dedicated to a different group. It’s the Masonic Cemetery.
While also, only a few blocks down the hill, you can find the Catholic Cemetery.
Each one consists of a sizable number of graves that are regularly kept neat and tidy. The grass at each site is watered and mowed on schedule and it’s evident that a good deal of respect is paid to the town’s dearly departed.
Quite a large number of graves for a town of less than a thousand inhabitants, you might think. But then you might also realize that this has not always been the case.
There were boon times here back in the day. Fortune and glory might be found from the discovery of gold and silver in these hills.
And adventurous people with hopes and dreams of riches and fame flocked here from near and far.
At its height Pioche counted over ten thousand inhabitants. A few struck it rich. Many did not. And like so many other small mining towns scattered across Nevada, the ore finally ran out and the people moved on.
But some remained and so, today, this is not a ghost town. The desert has not reclaimed this lovely spot. There is life, vitaly and business here. There are families with kids here.
Even though it’s living in a town which looks like an old western movie set, you know the surrounding ancient buildings and mining headframes are not movie props. They are real.
We just recently had our Labor Day weekend annual celebrations here. A tremendous number of people came from far and wide to take part in the three day festivities and its many events. It’s more tourists than we’ve had in months.
Although we are surrounded by our past, we live in the present and each day is new and special here in Pioche, Nevada.
Dan is at danhughoconnor@gmail.com
