"Death is a mystery, and burial a secret"

This graveyard is said to date back to the early 1950s. There are also rumors that it was established as a mafia burial ground. (Makes sense right? Give 'em a pet name, construct a little headstone or makeshift wood shrine and let nature do the rest) Realistically, one could argue that all of the deserts out here served as a "mafia burial ground," so I don't maintain an opinion about whether or not I buy into this theory.

What I do know is that this 3 acre plot of land is filled with all kinds of hand-constructed shrines, headstones, alters, and various other fabrications honoring the dead. Some headstones date as far back as the 1953, others are as recent as 2012 and some even have electricity at night. It was really unsettling and I've not seen anything like this before. Spooky pet cemetery is spooky, and the desert is a very strange place indeed.
1.

2.


3.


4.


5.




6.


7.


8.


9.

10.

11.

Beautiful set....

Posted by DigitalDirtbag Beautiful set....

thank you ^_^

Great pictures and spooky location!

I love these types of abandonments. Awesome thread. It seems super peaceful right there, even though its kinda creepy.

Delmar?

Thank you everyone.

Posted by Phobia It seems super peaceful right there, even though its kinda creepy.

It did feel really peaceful and still there.......

Tremendous set of photos. One of the great posts I've seen here.

Posted by thefivefool Tremendous set of photos. One of the great posts I've seen here.

thank you. I really appreciate that

I'm really feeling that creepy vibe. What a beautiful capture.
I'd love to shoot this spot under a full moon.

Posted by TRUE I'm really feeling that creepy vibe. What a beautiful capture. I'd love to shoot this spot under a full moon.

thank you. I bet it would be super spooky and beautiful under the full moon.

So desolate. Places like this really tug at my heartstrings. People put together a memorial for their beloved pet and years go by and no one knows that love that existed. I HOPE that's what this place is.

Either that or some goon who didn't put equal blueberries in his batch of muffins got offed and planted by a guy named Joey two-times.

Touching set Katharsys. Really speaks to me
You need to go back at night with candles and make your face up with day of the dead paint. That would ROCK !

Thanks for sharing.

this is awesome

thats pretty cool and creepy too

Posted by bonnie&clyde So desolate. Places like this really tug at my heartstrings. People put together a memorial for their beloved pet and years go by and no one knows that love that existed. I HOPE that's what this place is. Either that or some goon who didn't put equal blueberries in his batch of muffins got offed and planted by a guy named Joey two-times. Touching set Katharsys. Really speaks to me You need to go back at night with candles and make your face up with day of the dead paint. That would ROCK ! Thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much. Being there was really touching in a way that is hard to put into words. There is something really powerful and moving about the hand-arranged memorials, and the specific things people chose to leave. As I am getting to know the desert better, I have found several graveyards and notice that people mark the graves in a much more rural, rugged and raw way than in other more traditional cemeteries.

I do plan to go back and spend a bit more time there. Perhaps this day of the dead idea will come to life (ah......that was a bad one! hahah)

Thanks again.