Abandoned & Forgotten Cemetery: Rockland , Michigan
This little cemetery in Ontonagon County seems to have been swallowed up by the woods. It's the Rose Cemetery in Rockland.
Looking at burial records, it doesn't look like anybody was buried there during the 1900s or 2000s. The first burial – according to records – was Willie Rogers on March 12, 1862 at the age of ten months. However, a second site shows an even earlier burial: that of Charles Brooks on August 14, 1856 at the age of 21. Which was actually first is something we'd have to find out for ourselves by visiting this forgotten graveyard.
Records also show the final burial took place on May 19, 1893, with 63-year-old Elizabeth Stephens.
The town of Rockland has many original old buildings and storefronts still standing; some occupied, others are empty. Some old photos are seen in the gallery below
The town grew around the Rockland mine, which began operating in 1847. A post office opened in 1853 and closed in 1860. The town was actually formed when three mining settlements all combined together in 1864: Rosendale, Webster, and Williamsburg.
If you take a roadtrip and go thru town, you'll see plenty of old storefronts, of which you could probably figure out which ones were once saloons, shops, hotels, and other establishments.
If you decide to visit Rockland and the Rose Cemetery, do not confuse the Rose with another, easily-accessible graveyard: the Irish Hollow Cemetery. That one has a road sign and drive while Rose doesn't seem to have any access. Now have a look...
Forgotten Graveyard, Rockland
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