The Maiden's Grave is located at the Maiden's Grave Cemetery outside of Beowawe, Nevada & features a tall white cross.  From the sign at the site:

Lucinda Parker Duncan

The grave of Lucinda Duncan, called "The Maiden's Grave," reportedly was moved a short distance to its present site during realignment of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1906.  Far from being a maiden, Lucinda Duncan was a seventy-one-year-old grandmother traveling with her family to Galena, Nevada, from their home near Richmond, Ray County, Missouri, in 1863.

The daughter of John and Charlotte Parker, Lucinda was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, ca. 1792.  Early in life she moved with her parents to Anderson County, Kentucky, where she married Daniel Duncan on December 11, 1820.  Around 1830 Daniel and Lucinda moved with their first four children to Ray County.  Four more children were added to the family in Missouri.  In 1849 Daniel and his three oldest sons joined a wagon train captained by Lucinda's cousin, Judge Daniel Parker.  Daniel Duncan died in the California gold fields late in 1849.  Duncan remained a widow for the rest of her life.

In 1863 Lucinda and her family decided to emigrate to Nevada, then in the middle of gold and silver mining boom.  Lucinda was called "the mother of the wagon train," as it consisted primarily of her seven surviving children, their wives or husbands, many grandchildren, and various other close relatives.  Lucinda, still strong and vigorous at the age of seventy, occasionally drove her own horse-drawn carriage, the only team of horses in the company of sixty ox teams and wagons.

Family stories say that she suffered a heart attack on the trail above Gravely Ford, lingered for a day, and then died the night of August 15.  The only contemporary account comes from the diary of James Yager, one of the contingent of non-Duncans in the train.

Sunday Morning 16.  An event occurred last night that has cast a gloom over our camp; the death of one of its members.  An old lady the mother and grandmother of a large part of our train.  She had been sick for several days & night before last she became very ill so much so our train was compelled to lay over yesterday & last night she died.  She was pious and beloved by the whole train, relatives & strangers.  Her relatives took her death very hard.  All of her children and grandchildren were present except a grandson who is in the confederate army.

Camp Wilde Meadows Monday 17.  We left Camp Reality yesterday about noon.  Before leaving Mrs. Duncans funeral was preached by Captain Peterson.  [Peterson was captain of another train.]  Her remains were carried to its last resting place as we proceeded on our journey & up on a high point to our left about one mile from camp, we paid our last debt & respect to the remains of the departed mother.  There upon that wild & lonely spot, we left her, until Gabriel shall sound his trumpet in the last day.  The scene was truly a sad one to leave a beloved mother on the wild & desolate plains.  A board with the name of the deceased was put up at the head & boulders was laid over the grave to keep wolves from scratching in it.  After this the train moved on.

Signing and Funding by:

The Oregon-California Trails Association

1997

This is a part of your American heritage.  Honor it, protect it, preserve it from your children.