Pinal City Cemetery
Near Superior, Arizona on a hill overlooking the old townsite of Pinal City lies an old cemetery that is all but forgotten. All that is left of many of the graves are scattered stone piles, tattered flowers and a few headstones that lie haphazard on the rocky ground. As far as we can tell the last person was buried here in 1916. The cemetery gets more visitors than one might expect though, as it claims a famous permanent resident.
Celia Ann Blaylock (or Mattie to her friends) died in Pinal City on July 4th, 1888. At thirty-eight she succumbed to her addiction to alcohol and laudanum (an opiate).
Mattie and Wyatt met in Dodge City in 1879, where Wyatt was an Assistant Marshall. Though not officially married, Mattie introduced herself as Wyatt Earp’s second wife.
In 1879 Wyatt, Mattie, Bat Masterson, Doc Holliday and his wife “Big Nose” Kate Elder left Dodge City for Tombstone, Arizona. Wyatt’s brothers and their wives were living there and Wyatt wanted to be near them.
On the way to Tombstone the party stopped for several months to try prospecting at the booming silver town of Pinal City. Wyatt decided the silver badge was the only kind of silver for him and the group moved on to make history at Tombstone.
In 1881, shortly after the famous “Shootout at the OK Corral” Wyatt left Mattie for the last time. Heartbroken, Mattie returned to Pinal City to live out her days. The boom was long over in Pinal City and the town died less than a year after Mattie.
As Lance and I walked the hillside we tried to imagine what the missing headstones would say. A short grave might signal a small child, a cluster of graves might be a family plot. The most heart-wrenching was a small wooden cross that simply said Mom.
It seems like we are losing something valuable, perhaps the only remaining proof of that person’s existence. Or perhaps it is better this way, to let them fade into the earth, into the sunset.
View the Pinal City Cemetery photos.
[UPDATE: In case you are interested in visiting this cemetery, we have posted detailed directions to get there.]
Do you have detailed directions to get to this cemetary? I live near Superior and in fact today my wife and I went there and could not find it.
I heard that it was NorthWest of Superior.
Thank you.
Hi Vic,
The cemetery is west of Superior between Hwy 60 and the hills. We’ve posted detailed directions on how to get there.
This is the second time I have been to the cemetery. And we have a had alot of paranormal activity. It is very well kept. I will keep coming to your site to see where else your travel will take you
It is west of Superior but easier to find if you turn on the “Silver King Mine Road’ (well post on 60). Then follow the road around to the rightr of the piles of white dirt. First junction go left. When you top out there will be two roads to your left, take the second one (marked with a mound of rocks). Follow the road south for about a mile, you will see the Mattie Blaylock marker on your right. Just walk around!
I have in hand my Great Great Aunts Death Certificate, her name is Estefana Gamboa Magallanes. It says she was burried at “Pinal Cemetary” in Miami, AZ. She passed on July 13, 1931 and was born on July 10, 1894 in New Mexico. Is it possible she is burried at this cemetary, or is there another?
I read above and seen there hasn’t been anyone burried there since 1916. Can you please direct me to the right cemetary or is this the one? I appreciate all your help in my search, thank you.
Ray J. Valentine Sr.
Hello Ray,
Miami, Arizona is about 18 miles northwest of the Superior area cemetery that we visited. The names of the two cemeteries (Pinal City and Pinal) are similiar but they are quite different places. I did a quick Google search for Pinal Cemetery in Miami and have included a website that might be of assistance to you:
http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=299467
You can just click on that link, hope that helps!
We visited the cemetery on Dec. 28, 2007, a regular trek to maintain the graves of our relatives (Harkey). The marker for Celia Blaylock Earp was completely vandalized and the handsome plaque (shown in the picture above) was gone. I have pictures of its deplorable state. I believe that publicity about the locations of these remote sites contributes to their pilfering. I think that posting detailed information on an open website just accelerates the depredation of these historically important cemeteries.
Robert,
Thank you for your comment and for expressing your concern. We are very sorry to hear about the damage.
That said, we respectfully disagree with your assessment that publishing information about the cemetery led to the destruction. The possibility that someone looked it up on our website and then directly went out to vandalize the site is highly unlikely.
Without judging too much of the local population (since we used to be a part of it), it’s probably safe to say they have never seen our website nor would think of looking it up before heading out into the desert. The cemetery is on heavily used, public, Forest Service land and judging from the debris strewn around the area (bullet casings, broken beer bottles and shot up cans) most of those folks were not history or nature buffs.
The information on getting to Pinal Cemetery is already publicly available in several locations, including the Superior Chamber of Commerce and the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Which is how we first found it.
From our perspective, the more exposure important places like this have, the better. If awareness is raised about the historical and sentimental importance of the site perhaps steps will be taken to protect it from thoughtless vandals.
The steel loop at the Old Pinal City was used to chain drunks in the town until they sobered up. I do desert tours in the Superstition Mountains. I was at Mattie’s grave today and the picture and poem have all been restored.
Thank you for the update Carl. I love the sobering up story about the steel loop—of all the things to have survived…
We are relieved that Mattie’s grave is back in shape, hopefully it will stay that way!
Again thank you, we appreciate the information.
Just wanted to say thank you for the pictures and all about the cemetery. I love history and have always been fascinated with Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday etc. I visited Tombstone a few years back and hated to leave that place. I have always said I was born in the wrong place and time.
I feel like I have been set down in another world. I have tromped those hills all of my life from the time I was a little kid. I not only have missed the graveyard I didn’t even know that town had ever been there. We went out today looking for it 105 degrees with the directions we had we missed it. We now have good directions and are going to head out there again as soon as we can.
I have seen so much of my beautiful desert and historical things destroyed by people that just don’t care. I hope that with the knowledge that it is there instead of hurting it will help.
I understand Mr Schmieder feelings about it totally. I can look across the beautiful desert from Apache Junction to Superior and see the destruction that has happened by progress. I hate that also. But maybe we can keep it safe by people knowing it is there and watching for the others that just don’t care
We agree with your last statement Stacey. We hope that by talking about these special places they will not be forgotten or destroyed. The desert southwest is a special place and deserves to be remembered and appreciated.
“The past is the key to the future.”
T.L. Moore,
It is amazing because I have always said the same thing…I live in the wrong time. I would have loved to have lived in the late 1800’s! I just had to leave a comment and tell you that!
I live in Mississippi and I am unfortunately unable to come see this place. I have always have been fascinated with Wyatt Earp and everyone connected. (I have a copy of the movie, Tombstone, and have watched it at least 20 times!)
I recently discovered while working on my family tree that my great great grandmother was an Earp and descends from Wyatt’s grandfather. That made me very excited.
This is a great site and I hope that people will realize how much it is important to keep history alive!
CMC –
Apparently your fascination with Wyatt Earp is in your blood, literally. What a neat find! Perhaps someday you’ll be able to take a trip and follow in Earp’s footsteps. Of course, you’ll end up in Tombstone but now you know of at least two other places in Arizona to explore.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! We too, hope that these sites will not disappear into the dust or be completely erased from memory.
? on mattie or matilda Blaylock
do you have information on her decendancy I believe her to be the baby daugher of Elbert Blaylock who lived in meigs co tenn unil 1858 the year of his death would love to know more on her .I decend from frankland her brother and am trying to uncover a axidental shooting of nancy yarbrough benjamins 1 wife would love to see old photos or letters in her hands writing to conferm her brothers name thank you again melisa
Hi Melisa,
Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, we don’t have any other information on Mattie.
Best of luck with your research!