Welcome to Marysville Cemetery, a fascinating historical landmark in Marysville, California, with a rich tapestry of stories waiting to be uncovered. Established in 1850, this cemetery is a significant reminder of the area’s vibrant past during the Gold Rush era.
Marysville Cemetery spans 14.5 acres and is the final resting place for nearly 10,000 souls. Each section of the cemetery tells a unique part of California’s history, reflecting the diverse communities that once thrived here. Among these sections are dedicated areas for Japanese, Chinese, Chilean, African American, Jewish, and Masonic communities, as well as a Potter’s Field for the indigent.
The cemetery’s history is marked by the theft of burial records by the former coroner, Ebenezer Hamilton, in a bid for a larger salary, leaving a mysterious gap in the records between 1850 and 1870. Despite this, the cemetery continues to hold the stories of many notable figures, including survivors of the infamous Donner Party, such as Charles Covillaud and Harriet Frances Murphy Nye.
One of the more intriguing tales involves the Chinese section of the cemetery, which features funerary burners over a century old and a Victorian-style brick oven from 1889 used for offerings. These artifacts connect the historical Marysville Cemetery to the broader Chinese immigrant experience in California.
In 2017, the cemetery faced a natural challenge when it was flooded due to the Oroville Dam crisis, submerging graves and causing some markers to collapse, a reminder of the region’s vulnerability to flooding that has been part of the cemetery’s history since its inception.
As you walk through the cemetery, you might ponder the lives of those buried here, from the gold miners seeking fortune to the diverse immigrant communities contributing to the tapestry of Marysville’s history. It’s a place where every gravestone has a story, a place where California’s history can be felt in the air.
