History of Grant County Cemeteries
by Charles Barnum and Janet Wasson
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This study clears up some of the mystery of the names and re-naming of various locations in Grant County. Probably no other county in New Mexico has had as many name changes for settlements as Grant County.

Historical Notes:
Central, or Central City, has reverted to the original name of Santa Clara.
Fierro is north Hanover—a handful of houses and abandoned mining buildings, etc. The canyon area is isolated and seldom visited today.
Fort Bayard National Cemetery is in Fort Bayard, not Central City. The Fort Bayard settlement is a handful of homes, and the town exists mostly because of the state hospital there--Fort Bayard newly designated as a state historical place, dedicated to the Buffalo Soldier.
Georgetown Cemetery is about 15 miles east of Silver City--the town of course, was torn town and burned at the time of an epidemic that killed most everyone there, including entire families.
Hanover is about 12 miles due east of Silver City. What is called Santa Rita may be called Hanover--the different sections of the cemetery wind around through the trees and the mine tailings in that same area used to exist many small settlements. Even within the last 20 years each has been as miscalled as the others, parts of towns disappeared into the mine, other parts took on the names of the towns swallowed up by the mines towns.
There is the large cemetery at Hurley, and then a very small one at the very southern most edge of town. The Hurley City Clerk indicated that they don't actually "claim" that little cemetery as part of Hurley. Some records title one Hurley and the other New Hurley and another Old Hurley.
Memory Lane and the Masonic cemeteries are large, and the Catholic Cemetery across the street from the Masonic is about as large or larger. Memory Lane is located on Highway 180 East, and the Masonic and Catholic are on Cooper street-south end of town.
There is much confusion about Mimbres Cemetery, Hicks Cemetery, and Coalson's Crossing cemetery. Coalson's Crossing is south of Faywood (the cemetery there is right smack in the middle of the road), and Alley Canyon is about 3 miles above the Mimbres store---so, opposite ends of the Mimbres Valley---these locations described in differing sources is confusing.
Mule Creek is probably the western most point of Grant County--Mogollon is probably the northern most point.
The Perrault Family cemetery is sometimes referred to as the Swartz cemetery, because of the fact that those two families owned the ranch; but, only Perrault family members are buried there. The word of mouth says there was a Swartz Cemetery, but no one I know has ever found it.
There is a small community at Redrock, but where the cemetery is located this author has not yet discovered.
Santa Rita is of course a memory, and now a giant strip mine. People who were born in what was the town of Santa Rita formed a group called "Born In Space".
Tony's Family Cemetery located northwest of Mangus in Grant County, one mile south of Fred McCauley Ranch. The Cemetery can be reached by going by the McCauley Ranch. The Toney's were land owner's and additional records may be at the courthouse in Silver City.
There is also a cemetery east and somewhat north of Bayard--it might be one of the Santa Rita cemeteries often referred to. There is a cemetery at San Juan/Sherman. The land was donated for it years ago way back by Mr. Candelaria, and it belongs to the church in the "village" named the San Juan Catholic Church. There is a cemetery in San Lorenzo-probably connected to the Catholic Church there as well. There is a very small family cemetery at Bear Canyon Dam. There are many ranch burials waiting to be recorded.

The information below was taken from various printed sources: Note: not all settlements had cemeteries.
Grant County established in 1868 after Gen. Grant.
Bayard (est. 1902) is 2 miles SE of Central City, but it is not to be confused with Fort Bayard.
Buckhorn (est. 1913) is 36 miles NW of Silver City.
Central, also called Central City (est. 1887) was first known as Santa Clara and came into existence as a mining community soon after the discovery of gold at Pinos Altos. Fort Bayard is a mile north at Ft. Bayard. This was the first county seat. The county seat moved to Pinos Altos in 1869, but in 1872 Silver City became the county seat.
Clark Cemetery is at Cliff (est. 1894).
Cliff (est. 1894) is a place 28 miles NW of Silver City near Gila. Cliff Cemetery is here. Dinwiddie Cemetery is 3 miles north of Cliff on the north side of Shields Canyon Road and east of Highway 180.
Dinwiddie Cemetery is 3 miles north of Cliff on the north side of Shields Canyon Road and east of Highway 180.
Dwyer (est. 1895) originally named San Jose after the Church established there pre-1900.
Faywood (est. 1901) was established about 1900 at Faywood Hot Springs (from 1850’s). Later the Post Office moved to Dwyer up the road, it but kept its name of Faywood. Originally, Dwyer was named San Jose.
Fierro Cemetery is at Santa Rita Mine. Fierro was est. 1899 named for iron ore, ie, fierro or hierro.
Fort Bayard National Cemetery is not at Bayard, It is near Central City. Fort Bayard was est. 1867.
Gila (est. 1903) is 25 miles NW of Silver City.
Gold Hill Cemetery is at Gold Hill (est. 1886) 13 miles NE of Lordsburg. No town now exists.
Georgetown (est. 1875) is 3 miles west of Mimbres. The cemetery is often incorrectly referred to as Mimbres.
Gustava Glaze Grave is a single grave located near White Signal off Highway 90 just south of Mile Marker 25 on the Separ Road.
Hachita (est. before 1900) was a small community north of Lordsburg. Hachita Cemetery is 2 miles south of Hachita.
Hanover (est. 1892) is an old RR settlement 4 miles NE of Silver City.. Hanover Cemetery is here.
Old Hurley Cemetery on private mine property.
New Hurley Cemetery owned by the town.
Hurley Cemetery (est. 1910) is located one-half mile west of Hurley.
Jackson Ranch Cemetery: Jackson was a small community on the old stage route from Silver City to Mogollon.
Maldonado Cemetery at Canteen Canyon.
Mangus Cemetery is at Mangus (est. 1896) 15 miles NW of Silver City.
Memory Lane Cemetery and the Masonic Cemetery are the two largest cemeteries in Silver City.
Mimbres Cemetery often called the Hicks Family Cemetery and/or the Coalson’s Crossing Cemetery is located three miles north of Mimbres at Alley Canyon, crossing State Route 61. At Coalson's Crossing of the Mimbres River and half a mile east there is an old Cemetery with ten burials and evidence of several others. The stones or markers have been destroyed or are illegible. Has been called Hicks Cemetery, Mimbres Cemetery, Coalson’s Crossing Cemetery and Hicks Cemetery at Alley Crossing.
Mule Creek (est. 1916) is north most place in Grant County, 6 miles from Arizona state line. Mule Creek is probably the western most point of Grant County.
Mogollon Cemetery is probably the northern most cemetery.
Perrault Family Cemetery is a small cemetery on private land probably the same as the phantom Swartz Cemetery.
Pinos Altos (est.1867) is off State Route 25, north of Silver City 8 miles. Pinos Altos began as a placer gold camp and had invaded the domain of Mangus Coloradas and his fierce Apache Indian followers. Later operations gave way to lode mining and the tent village was replaced with log and adobe buildings of a prosperous frontier mining town. After the founding of Silver City in the 1870's, the miners began to drift to the larger town.
Redrock Cemetery at Redrock (est. 1896). No town survives.
San Juan/Sherman Cemetery at Jan Juan.
Santa Rita Cemetery #3 is at Santa Rita Mine.
Santa Rita #4 is at Santa Rita Mine.
Santa Rita #5 is at Santa Rita.
Santa Rita (est. 1881) Santa Rita Mine. This was one of the more prosperous frontier mining towns of the seventies and eighties. St. Rita was an Italian Nun. Early Spanish community existed here from 1800. Santa Rita for many years after 1804 was the only white settlement in southwestern New Mexico. This was due to the discovery of native copper by a Spanish Amy officer. Today its status is one of the world's largest open-pit copper mines. The Cemetery is located one-half mile north of State 61 on the Georgetown Road. The first Old Santa Rita Cemetery was two hundred yards south of State Highway 61 and has two remaining markers: those of Edward L. Harrison and Peter Mariotti.
Silver City (est.1871) sprang into being due to the discovery of silver at San Vicente Spring in 1870. Like other frontier towns, life was precarious due to the Apache Indians, white bandits, killers and road agents, the latter even a greater menace than the Indians, according to old newspapers of the area. Today Silver City has survived to be a center of rich mining and one of the southwest's finest natural cattle ranges. Memory Lane Cemetery and the Masonic Cemetery are the two largest cemeteries in Silver City
Saint Vicente De Paul Catholic Cemetery, Silver City on the edge of town.
Stout Cemetery, location unknown.
Tony's Family Cemetery located northwest of Mangus in Grant County, one mile south of Fred McCauley Ranch. The Cemetery can be reached by going by the McCauley Ranch. The Toney's were land owner's and additional records may be at the courthouse in Silver City.
Tyrone (est. 1906) is located southwest of Silver City on New Mexico State Road 90. Savannah Cemetery here is small with several unidentified graves. Old Tyrone was established in 1900. The new Tyrone was established in 1969.
Vanadium (est. 1912) was a small community twelve miles east of Silver City. It is part of a former mining area, and was adjacent to the copper mining center of Santa Rita. Vanadium Cemetery is found here. As the strip mine got larger from the copper mine, the houses were jacked up and moved away. Two or three houses by the highway might be called Vanadium, but the actual town is gone.
Please submit any additional data you may have about cemeteries in Grant County

©2005