We are Cemetery Buffs. We love to tour graveyards for their history. We have wanted to stop at this, the Marysville Cemetery, for years and years. I finally did stop one time right after the Flood of 2017, but the Cemetery was closed for repairs. It had flooded rather badly. So today, after some errands, Jeffery and I decided to stop and take a tour, despite the heat.
What we found was both profoundly wonderful and rather tragic. Jeffery remembered his Dad being incensed over some youths vandalizing the graves back in the 70's, and we saw evidence of that sad crime, and other more recent ravages, today. We also saw flood damage. However, what struck us most is the obvious attempt to preserve, maintain, and honor this cemetery, which is a historical Treasure. Most of the stones, monuments, and markers were from before the 1900's. The earliest date we saw was 1850, and many were from that time. It really struck us that the stones told how old the deceased were when they died - years, months, and days. Most didn't make it to 50 years old. I totally recommend that anyone who reads this make the time to visit this place, which so touchingly represents a piece of time in California's history.
I will let the photos tell the story:
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| Jeffery at the front entrance gate |
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| We were so excited to see the early date on this, one of our first-viewed stones |
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| This ornamental decoration made me smile. |
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| We were impressed with how groomed and attended the cemetery was, despite it's age and history of damage. |
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| A sign |
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| I want one of these for my yard, and as Jeffery noted, I could make it myself! |
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| The mausoleum was the oldest dated marker that we found - 1850 |
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| E. Hamilton - Sexton and Coroner - Erected November 1850 |
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| I liked this ornate temple and it's grassy roof |
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| We began to realize the scale of the damage as we wended further, and it saddened us. It also showed us how much love and work has been shared to make it look as good as it does, and we were touched by the honor done. |
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| Some gravestones were on pallets; presumably at the site of where they'd been, pre-damage. Other monuments, like this one, had their tops lopped off. |
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| This family didn't mark the outside, or we couldn't find any markers. |
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| Harriet Frances was a member of the Donner Party. |
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| We think this says she died in 1870. Tried to read it by braille. |
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| The green stick to the lower right indicates that this is one of the numbered graves on the pamphlet map, which we didn't find until we were leaving. |
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| Attempts to repair. |
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| This one caught our eye, both for the beanie baby and for the fact that John Sharp was murdered. |
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| One must assume that this area was once full of graves, but that floods entered here, so it was the most destroyed. I'll be reading up on it. |
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| I really loved this one. |
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| details |
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| view through the interior. |
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| I do not know if this is the Chinese area, since I can't differentiate the Asian scripts, but the more modern sign (dark) says You Are Not Forgotten, and there is a Japanese area farther along that's less destroyed, so I'm assuming it is the Chinese section, and that it got badly ruined. They were so integral to the new west, there had to be a place for them here. |
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| This is the Japanese Cemetery |
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| Most of these stones seemed less damaged or worn, thanks to the lay of the ground. |
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| This was one of the latest death dates that we found. |
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| No explanation needed, but note the date as part of history |
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| This mausoleum (or whatever these are called) had the most ornate door and window, and sat high enough to escape the worst damage from floods. |
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| The Door to the Knight Crypt. (is it a crypt?) |
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| The window |
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| The trees beyond the window |
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| I found this castle monument to be virtually intact and attractive |
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| The levee on this side is topped by the train, and it protects the cemetery from the worst of the damage that comes from the Yuba and Feather Rivers' merging in Marysville just about a mile down the road. |
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| The Jewish Cemetery |
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| 14 year old son. |
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| Respectful preservation attempts |
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| Mr. Worms died on my birthday, 134 years ago at a ripe old age. |
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| This is the monument of Charles Macy, brother of the founder of MACY'S, who made a life for himself here in Marysville. |
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| The son Mr. and Mrs. Macy lost |
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| The daughter they lost. |
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| I named my new kayak; made by Grant Irving; after Clara, because it means Clear |
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| The back side of her marker answers the question of the modernity of her stone. |
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| I conclude with this headstone, because it epitomizes the awe and curiosity I felt about people marking their passing in such elaborate fashion. Who made sure this young man had a marker? How did these folks cover the costs? Clearly it was important that they mark their place and include much information; these aren't just a name and a date on a small stone. It opened my mind to the times these graves represent. |
Here is a link that I'm going to try to embed, relevant to the post.
https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2017/02/15/floodwaters-overtake-historic-marysville-cemetery/
