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Flowing Well Cemetery
Imperial County, California

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GPS: 33.210974, -115.441589

Contributed by Steve Paul Johnson [steve@cleardigitalmedia.com] and Stacy Vellas [stasia6@earthlink.net] on November 19, 2000.

Flowing Well originally was a stop along the Southern Pacific railway, during the late 1800s. In those days, the steam locomotives needed to stop about every 20 miles to reload with water. These days, the diesel engines just drive on by.

Flowing Well had also been a stop for passengers heading into Brawley and Niland. There used to be a depot here, where passengers could exit and hop aboard a coach that would carry them to town.

Flowing Well was located along Nider Road about 1 mile south of the intersection between Nofsinger Road and Flowing Wells Road. Both Nofsinger and Nider road are the same road, they change names right where Flowing Well once stood. There is still a lot of vegetation where the depot and water tank once stood, and the spring is still there The railroad track here is elevated atop a short bridge that allows a wash to flow under.

The name "Flowing Well" was derived by an underground spring that was discovered by railroad workers. Some people refer to the name in plural "Flowing Wells", but it is actually singular.

The cemetery lies about 0.2 miles north of the old train depot Flowing Well along Nider Road, to the west of the railroad tracks. This is located away from the spring, and thus there is little vegatation growing. Little trace of burials remain except for several placements of rocks. In some cases, sticks are planted into the ground but these are believed to have been placed recently.