El Toro Cemetery

The land of the former El Toro ranch lies near San Perlita, Texas. The family cemetery contains the graves of at least four generations of Salazars and their families. It is the last of the ranch land still owned by the family and it is still used today. The graves lie undisturbed in the peaceful quiet, where the only sound is that of the wind blowing softly through the nearby field of young corn.

Upon my first visit to the cemetery, I was awed by the peace and beauty. The cemetery lies in the center of endless acres of lush, green fields. The blue of the sky here seems a bit more blue than most. Likewise, the green of the trees and the grass appears a bit greener.

Standing there, surrounded by the graves of those who had lived on the ranch, my spirit was immediately taken to another era. I could imagine the horses, cattle and sheep grazing on the land, tended by Vicente Salazar and his sons. I could see the houses, tended to by Francisca Salazar and her daughters. At the lagoon, I could imagine the young granddaughters, given the task of doing laundry, and Amalia Sosa playing pranks on her sister during their work. My first visit brought this family, whom at that point, I had only known through names and dates from census records, to life. It is an experience I will always treasure.

After subsequent visits to the valley, I learned that the cemetery is well known to the young people in the area. Many teenagers and young adults told me the story of "The Devil's Lagoon". For reasons known only to themselves, many young people have been in the area of the cemetery during the late night hours. They say that a carriage slowly rises from the waters of the lagoon. I asked if the carriage was empty or if anyone had ever been seen getting out of it. The best response I received was from a young man who said tht upon seeing the carriage, no one had ever stayed long enough to find out.

All cemeteries have their legends, I suppose, but someday I would like to make my own late night visit. The prospect of meeting even one spirit from this family, whom I have come to know so well through my research, is indeed intriguing.