Terlingua Cemetery dates from the early 1900's, when Terlingua became a flourishing mercury mining town. It served the district as the final resting place for residents and mine workers who succumbed to dangerous working conditions, gunfights, and the influenza epidemic of 1918. In the remote, untamed Big Bend, life could be good but also turn harsh. The cemetery is still used by the local community, as shown by newer graves, and each November 2 people gather there to celebrate the Day of the Dead and offer their respect to the departed.