Immigrant Grave: Oreana

Mary Ann Alice Spence died of cholera in 1867. She was 5 years old. Newspaper records from that time tell us that James and Matilda Spence lived there. Oreana was home to the Montezuma Smelting Works (see photo) and had a post office, hotel general store, boarding houses, restaurant, blacksmith shop, livery sable and several saloons. Sometime after her death the Spence family headed to Oregon or California where they would have a tombstone created for her and Alice's father would bring it back by to Oreana train. The grave site has been cared for by the Duncan family since they purchased the ranch in Oreana in 1949. It sits on the bluff overlooking the town site.  [Winnemucca Publishing online site and Interview with Dan Duncan]

1) View of grave looking toward the desert and the emigrant trail, 2) view towards the valley and the Duncan Ranch, 3) Emigrant Trail, 4) close-up of grave stone, 5) photograph of Montezuma Smelter.