Paradise Cemetery, Mexican Unknown

In the Chiricahua Mountains are remnants of a mining boom town called Paradise. The old cemetery is a fascinating place. Have I mentioned before that I love cemeteries?  They draw me like a moth to flame; places I can get lost in for hours.

In Paradise Cemetery you'll find graves of people born in the mid 1800's, but the earliest burial date is 1904. There was a large population here for a few years. Part of that population were from Mexico. This was, after all, Mexico long before it became the United States. After the Americans settled here, the Mexican people became second class citizens, usually living separately from the Anglos in neighborhoods of their own. 

5.5" x 16"
Photographed with my cell phone, grainy image...

The cemetery is a striking illustration of the social situation of the day. Under a huge oak tree lie the graves of some of these people. Most of them have a simple black cross with an engraved brass plaque marked with the words, "Mexican unknown." The little crosses tell the sad story that tugs at my heart and makes me so glad that we don't do things this way anymore. This little watercolor sketch in my book is much more than a landscape painting. It is a nod to those who are buried here. 

Thanks for visiting me today!