Historic Cemetery

Torcer Cemetery

a.k.a. Chinese Worker Graves

Sierra Blanca, Texas
Location: I-10 west from Sierra Blanca 8 miles to Bankhead Highway (gravel). North 7 miles, following the road in a NW direction to old RR bridge. Left (south) on gravel road just east of bridge onto old railroad bed onto State owned property. Follow railroad bed and road as it cuts detours around gaps in the bed a total of 2.5 miles, just before reaching the famous "Horseshoe Curve". This road is rough and you may need 4X4. Cemetery is south of the railroad bed about 100 yards on an elevated area near the old railroad camp. This site has 4 visible graves, 3 fenced, and one between the fence that looks as if someone has tried to remove the remains. Graves are covered with rocksTorcer was originally a Southern Pacific RR town with repair crews located just to the east of the neck of the famous Horseshoe Curve. The town can be seen in a late 1950s photograph in the Hudspeth County Historic Museum. Oral history indicates this was a Chinese Cemetery but the only historic documentation is the " Short History of Southern Pacific RR" which says Chinese workers were buried at the camp sites (Jerry Mayfield)There appear to be 4-5 visible graves at the site. The picket fences enclosing the graves are falling. The wood crosses are located at the site but have fallen. This site is remote and a guide may be necessary. This site is not on any maps.

Source: RIP Fields Table

To address the problem of cemetery destruction and to record as many cemeteries as possible, the Texas Historical Commission offers the Historic Texas Cemetery designation.

The Historic Texas Cemetery designation was developed in 1998 to help protect historic cemeteries by recording cemetery boundaries in county deed records to alert present and future owners of land adjacent to the cemetery of its existence. Every county in Texas has at least one cemetery designated as a Historic Texas Cemetery through this program. The HTC designation is the first step toward preservation of a historic cemetery.

A cemetery is eligible for designation if it is at least 50 years old and is deemed worthy of recognition for its historical associations. The very nature of a cemetery being a landmark of a family’s or community’s presence is considered to validate the criteria of historical associations. Any individual, organization, or agency may submit a request for designation.