Pioneer Cemetery (Nevada City, California)
The Pioneer Cemetery is a cemetery established in c. 1851 behind the Nevada City United Methodist Church, in Nevada City, California.[1][2] This was the first cemetery in Nevada City, formed during the California Gold Rush.[3]
| Pioneer Cemetery | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Established | c. 1851 |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 39.26556°N 121.02417°W |
| Type | Church |
| Find a Grave | Pioneer Cemetery |
| The Political Graveyard | Pioneer Cemetery |
History
The Pioneer Cemetery was established in 1851 on a hill behind the Nevada City United Methodist Church.[1] The Nevada City United Methodist Church was the first denominational church in Nevada County.[4] Some sources cite the cemetery establishment date as 1849;[5] this was the first cemetery in Nevada City.[3] Many of the early grave markers were made of wood and no longer existing due to time and decay.[3] It is estimated there are 400 unmarked graves at Pioneer Cemetery.[3]
One of the notable burials is Henry Meredith (1826–1860) who was killed at the Battle of Lake Pyramid in Utah Territory (now Nixon, Nevada); his burial drew crowds to the cemetery.[3] Aaron Augustus Sargent (1827–1887), politician nicknamed, "the Senator for the Southern Pacific Railroad", has a grave marker at this cemetery.[6][7]
Other historic cemeteries in Nevada City include: the North Bloomfield Cemetery in the Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park; the Moores Flat cemetery in Moores Flat, a former mining site; the St. Canice Historical Cemetery; the Pine Grove Cemetery; and the Meadow Lake cemetery in the mining town of Meadow Lake.[8]
References
- "Point of Historic Interest in Nevada City, California: Pioneer Cemetery". noehill.com. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
- Varney, Philip (2012-07-15). Ghost Towns of California: Your Guide to the Hidden History and Old West Haunts of California. Voyageur Press. p. 65. ISBN 978-1-61058-563-7.
- Brower, Maria E. (2005). Nevada City. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 70–71. ISBN 978-0-7385-3062-8.
- "Nevada City United Methodist Church to host annual Craft Faire". The Union. November 19, 2021. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
- Inc, Active Interest Media (February 2008). American Cowboy. Active Interest Media, Inc. p. 87.
{{cite book}}:|last=has generic name (help) - Ward, Christopher A. (2016-09-12). Cemeteries of the Western Sierra. Arcadia Publishing. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-4396-5752-2.
- Enss, Chris (2007-07-01). Tales Behind the Tombstones: The Deaths and Burials of the Old West's Most Nefarious Outlaws, Notorious Women, and Celebrated Lawmen. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-7627-5186-0.
- Brown, Laura. "Gold Rush graves". The Union newspaper. Retrieved 2022-10-14.