True Legends: The Secret Graveyard

[This a part of the True Legends series I’m doing on my blog–about interesting things I’ve encountered in the real world that serve as inspiration for my writing.]

The Old Mission Peninsula of Northern Michigan is a finger of land that extends 20 miles out into Lake Michigan and divides Grand Traverse Bay into East Bay and West Bay. It’s a patchwork of vineyards and cherry farms (giving it a Shire-like feel) and is one of the places in the world I call home.

It’s also home to a secret graveyard hidden in the woods.

I learned about this hidden cemetery at the quaint Old Mission Library. While seated at a desk, working on my book, I overheard a meeting of peninsula natives. They gathered around the library’s fireplace to listen to a charming old man named Mr. Carroll, a local historian.

For this weekly gathering, he opened with a question: “How many graveyards are on the peninsula?”

“Four,” one of the audience members replied. Many heads nodded, the locals in general agreement to this number.

“Wrong,” Mr. Carroll said, with his eyes lighting up. “There are five.”

He then went on to explain how one graveyard was hidden in a patch of forest, overgrown and uncared for. Not found on any maps.

Up until this point, I’d been half-listening to Mr. Carroll’s presentation, sitting away from the group and trying to get my writing done. But when I heard about this secret cemetery, I perked up.

The lure of adventure stirred within me. Maybe this wasn’t quite on the Indiana Jones scale of things–no lost civilization deep in the jungle. But still, a hidden graveyard!

After his presentation, I approached Mr. Carroll and asked him where I could find the secret graveyard. He gave me some directions but also told me that the path to get there would be hard to find.

His warning proved true.

The Hunt

Following Mr. Carroll’s instructions, I drove down a country road through the forest until I came to its dead end. As I drove, I looked for the secret path that would take me to the secret graveyard. But no matter how hard I scrutinized the roadside, I couldn’t find where the path began. I went home in defeat.

That didn’t mean I stopped the search.

From time to time, I’d find excuses to drive or walk down that dead end country road and give it another look. Maybe I’d spot something I hadn’t seen before. I even asked the owners of the old general store for clarification on my search since they knew their share of local history. Still, I came up with nothing. Months passed, and I refused to give up on my search.

With my drives being fruitless, I thought I’d give Google a try. Mr. Carroll said the graveyard wasn’t on any maps, and he was right. When I looked on Google maps, there was no sign of it. But I did find a short road leading into the woods. One I hadn’t noticed before. The secret path!

When next I went down the country road, I went to where Google said the path would be. Sure enough it was there but not in plain sight. I had passed it so many times because it didn’t look like a road at all. It looked like a stretch of grass going through someone’s yard. There was no street sign for it either. Ironically (and darkly humorous) the only sign marking the path’s beginning was the sign on the country road that said “dead end.”

Discovery!

The path took me back into the woods, through the pines, maples, and oaks. At last, I arrived at the secret graveyard. It didn’t look much different than the forest around it. Except that there were gravestones sticking up out of the leaf litter and a rotting wooden fence to one side of the small cemetery. The whole place had a Blair Witch Project feel to it. I definitely wouldn’t have the courage to go there at night.

Walking among the graves, it felt like I had stumbled upon a hidden bit of history. (Some of the graves date back to the 1800’s.) True, its a far cry from a lost Machu Picchu or Chichen Itza. No hidden traps or treasures. But it was a fun discovery in my own neck of the woods. And it had taken research and patience to find it.

So for that, I’ll put on my Indiana Jones hat.

(I documented one of my walks to the graveyard in the video below.)

 

 

Are there any hidden or mysterious places near where you live?

Please share in the comments below.