Evergreen Cemetery (Santa Cruz, California)
| Evergreen Cemetery | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Interactive map of Evergreen Cemetery | |
| Details | |
| Established | c.1850 |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 36°58′51″N 122°02′08″W / 36.98083°N 122.03556°W |
| Type | Public |
| Find a Grave | Evergreen Cemetery |
Evergreen Cemetery is a public cemetery located on Evergreen Street in Santa Cruz, California and was established in the 1850s.[1] Since 2008, the Evergreen Cemetery is under the management of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH).[2]
About
The Evergreen Cemetery is built on 8 acres of land, and features wrought iron fences around some family grave sites.[3] It is located near Harvey West Park.
The cemetery is divided into five sections including the Grand Army of the Republic; the Freemasons; the main section; the "evergreen extension" added in the 1940s; and the Chinese section (due to the anti-Chinese sentiment, which led to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882).[3] The Chinese section of the cemetery allowed for traditional Chinese funerals featuring firecrackers, processions and a Chinese oven-onsite for food served.[1] The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History oversaw the construction of a Chinese gate in 2014, to honor those buried.[4] The Grand Army of the Republic section, was created by a fraternal organization of the American Civil War veterans honoring those who fought to end slavery and supported the Union.[1]
This cemetery is said to be haunted.[5][6]
History
The land for Evergreen Cemetery was a gift from the Imus family.[7] An early burial at this cemetery was a baby named Julia Arcan, who died in Death Valley in 1850.[5] Some say the first burial was in 1858, when Harry Speel fell off a cliff at what is now called Cowell Beach.[3][7]
In 1955, there was a Christmas flood and it left the cemetery in poor shape, and over time the cemetery was overgrown with plants and toppled gravestones.[1][8] In 1973, Renie Leaman led an effort to restore the cemetery.[1]
Notable burials
- Isaac Graham (1800–1863), fur trader, mountain man, and land grantee
- Frank Lucien Heath (1857–1921), painter, and teacher[9][10]
- Lillian Dake Heath (1864–1961), painter, and teacher[10]
- Lucien Heath (1819–1888), farmer, merchant, and politician from Oregon[10][11]
- Hiram A. Imus Jr. (1804–1875), politician, member of the California State Assembly[12]
- W. D. Storey (1830–1914), English-born American judge, lawyer, and district attorney[13]
- Arthur A. Taylor (1849–1923) newspaper publisher and editor, published the Santa Cruz Surf newspaper[14]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Gibson, Ross Eric (2020-09-06). "Evergreen Cemetery: The act of remembering". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
- ^ Isaacson, Joel (December 28, 2008). "Old Holy Cross Cemetery suffers from vandalism". Santa Cruz Sentinel.
- ^ a b c Chase, John; Gregory, Daniel Platt (2005). The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture. Kestrel Press. ISBN 978-0940283145.
- ^ Dunn, Geoffrey (2019-07-10). "The Hidden Legacy of Santa Cruz's Chinatown". Good Times Santa Cruz. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
- ^ a b "A Haunting Tour of Evergreen Cemetery Spooks Locals". Santa Cruz, CA Patch. 2011-10-30. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
- ^ Porter, Maryanne (2016). Haunted Santa Cruz, California. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1439657881.
- ^ a b Bliss, Traci; Brown, Randall (2020). Evergreen Cemetery of Santa Cruz. The History Press. ISBN 978-1467143868.
- ^ "Breathing New Life Into Santa Cruz's Cemetery for Everyone". 90.3 KAZU. 2017-05-25. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
- ^ Hughes, Edan Milton (1989). "Heath, Frank L.". Artists in California 1769–1940, II. San Francisco, California: Hughes Publishing. p. 246.
- ^ a b c Brown, Traci Bliss with Randall (2020). Evergreen Cemetery of Santa Cruz. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 74–75. ISBN 978-1-4671-4386-8 – via Google Books.
- ^ Harrison, Edward Sanford (1892). History of Santa Cruz County, California. Pacific Press Pub. Co. pp. 310.
History of Santa Cruz County, California
- ^ "Imus, Hiram Abiff, Jr. (c. 1804–1876)". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
- ^ "Judge W. D. Storey, Well Known Citizen, Has Passed Away". Santa Cruz Sentinel (Obituary). February 17, 1914. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Arthur A. Taylor Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database (HMDB). Retrieved 2025-10-11.