Taphophile Tuesdays

- Tonopah Cemetery - Tonopah, Nevada, 1901-1911

I first heard of Tonopah while researching interesting, weird, and off-beat hotels to stay at in Nevada.

I didn't know much about Tonopah, except that it was the home of the infamous Clown Motel and the haunted Mizpah Hotel.

I planned on stopping by the Clown Motel just to take some quick snapshots. We were doing the Extraterrestrial Hwy the same day, so it was a long drive. Little did I know Tonopah Cemetery was right next to it. Making the motel even spookier than it already was.

This was my first desert cemetery. I had never seen something so dry, barren... and full of life. Seriously, this cemetery had more life to it than many of the cemeteries I had been to before. The raw materials depicted the raw mining life that the town was once known for.

The causes of death were not glossed over or hidden.

I felt closer to these people than I had at any cemetery I had ever been to before.

I didn't get to spend very much time here or at the Clown Motel. But this is one for the records, and one I will cover much more in depth on a future episode. If you're driving through the Nevada desert and want a moment to stretch your legs, and really embrace the culture that once was, take a stroll through the Tonopah Cemetery.