About Melba Cemetery
Our History
Melba's roots date back to 1909 when the first 160 acre homesteads were established. After Congress passed the Reclamation Act of 1902 promoting settlement of arid regions, immigration soared. On August 1, 1912, aspiring homesteader from Florida Clayton C. Todd purchased 160 acres near Rock Spur on the B.N.O Railroad for $2,000 (later to become Melba).
Mr. Todd soon began putting his efforts into building a town out of the sagebrush covered valley. In 1912, the town was platted and named after Mr. Clayton Todd's four year old daughter "Melba."
Before his death in 1951, Clayton Todd donated the land where the Melba cemetery is located today. Mr. Todd, his wife Bessie, and daughter Melba along with other family members are buried in the cemetery.