The Old Tonopah Cemetery in the central Nevada mining town of Tonopah is a place with many stories—despite its relatively short life as an active burial ground.
Established in May 1901, it was only used until 1911 because its proximity to the Tonopah Extension Mine meant that tailings (the dirt pulled out of the ground during mining) kept getting washed over the graves, often destroying the headstones.
To prevent the cemetery from ever expanding onto the mining company’s property, in 1911, the company donated property for what became known as the New Tonopah Cemetery, located farther west of the town, which remains in use.
As a result, other than a hard rock miner named Norman N. “Curly” Coombs, who was buried in the Old Cemetery in 1966 (he had been born in Tonopah in 1914 and requested to be buried there), no one has been laid to rest in the cemetery in more than a century.
In spite of his relatively short life as an active burial ground, the Old Cemetery is a fascinating place to visit. Located adjacent to the Clown Motel, it contains the final resting spots for an estimated 300 people.
An informative brochure prepared by the town of Tonopah (available online at https://www.tonopahnevada.com/CemeteryBrochureOnline.pdf) contains an image of the original map of the cemetery as well as short descriptions about some of the more interesting folks buried in the cemetery, including:
• Nye County Sheriff Thomas Logan, who, in his third term, was shot to death by a drunk gambler in the Red-Light District in the mining town of Manhattan in April 1906. According to historical sources, Logan, age 44, was killed while attempting to eject the man, who was harassing a saloon matron, from the bar. Despite being shot five times, Logan, who was an imposing six-foot, four-inches tall, was able to subdue the drunk until a deputy arrived on the scene. He died shortly after from his wounds.
• George “Devil” Davis, who was the first Black person to live in Tonopah, is another resident of the cemetery. According to the brochure, Davis was known as a bit of a prankster and was well liked in the town. But, Davis apparently had a “dark side” because he was also an abusive husband.
One evening, his wife, Ruth, came into a saloon and shot Davis in the back. She was sentenced to serve one year in the penitentiary for manslaughter. An article in the Tonopah Times Bonanza quoted the judge saying, “The evidence shows that the deceased was a bad and worthless man . . . [but] this did not warrant her in taking his life; she could have left him or applied to the court to dissolve the bonds that bound her to him.”
• Bridget “Bina” Verrault is perhaps one of the most intriguing people buried in the cemetery. The brochure notes that Verrault and a partner, Izella Browne, ran a “Love Syndicate” in New York for many years. They would claim to be wealth widows and seduce rich men into giving them gifts.
After they were arrested, prosecutors claimed the two had acquired nearly $100,000 in fine clothing, jewelry and money from their marks. Apparently Verrault managed to pawn some of her diamond rings and took off. She ended up in Tonopah, where she died of alcoholism at the young age of between 32-33 in 1907.
• William “Big Bill” Murphy, who is applauded because of his bravery during a deadly fire in the Belmont Mine in February 1911. Murphy, who was only 25-26 at the time of his death, was born in Canada in about 1885.
According to the February 25, 1911 Tonopah Daily Bonanza, Murphy “made three descents in the Belmont cage, on the first two of which he brought to the surface a number of his comrades but on the third and last trip down he was evidently overcome and met death as a hero, fighting for the lives of his fellow workmen.”
For more information about the Old Tonopah Cemetery, go to: https://travelnevada.com/historical-interests/old-tonopah-cemetery/.
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