The Pioneer Cemetery is a cemetery established in c. 1851 behind the Nevada City United Methodist Church, in
Nevada City,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.
This was the first cemetery in Nevada City, formed during the
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...
.
History
The Pioneer Cemetery was established in 1851 on a hill behind the Nevada City United Methodist Church.
The Nevada City United Methodist Church was the first denominational church in
Nevada County. Some sources cite the cemetery establishment date as 1849; this was the first cemetery in Nevada City.
Many of the early grave markers were made of wood and no longer existing due to time and decay.
It is estimated there are 400 unmarked graves at Pioneer Cemetery.
One of the notable burials is Henry Meredith (1826–1860) who was killed at the
Battle of Lake Pyramid
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
in
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state. ...
(now
Nixon, Nevada
Nixon is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washoe County, Nevada, USA. The population was 374 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the seat of tribal government of the Paiute Pyramid Lake ...
); his burial drew crowds to the cemetery.
Aaron Augustus Sargent
Aaron Augustus Sargent (September 28, 1827 – August 14, 1887) was an American journalist, lawyer, politician and diplomat. In 1878, Sargent historically introduced what would later become the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giv ...
(1827–1887), politician nicknamed, "the Senator for the Southern Pacific Railroad", has a grave marker at this cemetery.
Other historic cemeteries in Nevada City include: the North Bloomfield Cemetery in the
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park is a state park unit preserving the largest hydraulic mining site in California, United States. The mine was one of several hydraulic mining sites at the center of the 1882 landmark case '' Woodruff v. Nor ...
; 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.
See also
*
List of cemeteries in California
This list of cemeteries in California includes currently operating, historical (closed for new interments), and defunct (graves abandoned or removed) cemeteries, columbaria, and mausolea which are historical and/or notable. It does not include ...
*
Nevada City Downtown Historic District
The Nevada City Downtown Historic District is a historic district in Nevada City within the U.S. state of California. Located in Nevada County, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It dates from 1917, with exampl ...
*
Pioneer cemetery
In the United States, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere, a pioneer cemetery is a cemetery that is the burial place for pioneers. American pioneers founded such cemeteries during territorial expansion of the United States, with founding dates span ...
References
{{Authority control
1851 establishments in California
Cemeteries in Nevada County, California
History of Nevada City, California