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Old Niland Cemetery
Niland, Imperial County, California

Click photo to enlarge

Click photo to enlarge

GPS: 33.249387, -115.533313 (approx)

Contributed by Steve Paul Johnson [steve@cleardigitalmedia.com] and Stacy Vellas [stasia6@earthlink.net] on November 19, 2000. Total records = 1.

Driving Directions

To reach this cemetery, take Highway 111 north out of the Niland city limits. About 0.4 miles across the city line, you will pass over the "Marshy Wash" overcrossing. About 0.2 miles after that, you pass by a dirt road to your left (west), with two trees marking this dirt road (named "U Lateral" on maps). Take the dirt road about 0.3 miles, and you should see the cemetery off in the distance to your right (north).

Cemetery History

According to interviews Stacy had with some long time Niland residents, the Old Cemetery actually comprises of about some 40 acres. Over the years, farming slowing crept in over the borders of the cemetery, and now only about some 500 sq ft remain.

The Old Cemetery contains the remains of farmers and residents of Niland. no grave markers remain. Several pieces of sandstone can be found lying about, perhaps pieces of gravestones. If you look carefully enough, you can find sticks of wood stuck into the ground, but broken off at the ground. The ground is littered with "pasture pastries", indicating that cows may have destroyed this cemetery.

Torres, Mercedes, b. Sep 24, 1932, d. Aug 4, 1935, Hems & Rugg Funeral Home Calexico, CA, bur. Aug 8, 1935, [src: Joe Torres]
Torres, Mercedes, b. 24 Sep 1932, Niland, CA, d. 04 Aug 1935, El Centro, CA, bur. 05 Aug 1935, Hit by Train, d/o Joaquin Torres & Eufracia Albavado, [src: Imperial County Court Death Record]