Bell Cemetery…where the dead residents of Bell all are laid to rest. There are no living in Bell…just the dead. Even though that sounds somewhat morbid, the site that was once the town of Bell – and its awesome cemetery in the woods – bring the curious year after year…and happily, so one has vandalized it, stolen artifacts, or spoiled the experience for others.

The village of Bell was a lumber town that has now been swallowed up by the forest…no buildings are left standing. There are bits and pieces of old Bell buildings, though. Walking through the woods you’ll see part of an old general store wall, metal shop box, floor beams, an open shop safe, and parts of a fallen house. Scattered around are household items like bedsprings, photos, dishes, and more.

The path that cuts through the woods was once a street that accommodated horses, wagons, and buggies.

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So why wasn’t the town saved? Not enough money to salvage or preserve it…so it was left for the earth to reclaim.

At the end of a path lies the Bell Cemetery. A handful of concrete crosses are speckled throughout the small graveyard, making me wonder: were these made to replace old wooden ones? A picket fence cuts through the yard that also has a few headstones with names of past Bell residents.

As with most cemeteries, some claim this one is haunted, but that is not why one should visit. It’s the history and the strange feeling you get when you realize these people were once living in a town that doesn’t exist anymore…a town that was once on the place where you are standing.

Bell Cemetery is located near the Besser Natural Area 14 miles north of Alpena.
Oh, yeah, check this one out…at night, if you’d like to get the full effect…..

Read more about Bell and see more photos here...

Bell Cemetery, Presque Isle County

MORE MICHIGAN CEMETERIES:

Forgotten Cemetery in Salem, Michigan

Duck Lake and Cemetery

Vintage Michigan Graveyard Photos

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