Located
adjacent to Harvey West Park in Santa Cruz, CA, historic
Evergreen Cemetery is one of the oldest Protestant grave sites
in California. The first burial in 1850 was the infant Julia
Arcan, child of Gold Rush pioneers who had crossed Death
Valley. In 1858 the cemetery was officially established by a
group of prominent pioneer citizens. The eight acre site was
divided into 241 parcels which were all sold by the 1930s. A
small extension was added in the 1940s and the additional
plots were all sold by the 1950s.
In the 1920s, the plot owners formed the Evergreen Cemetery
Association and hired a caretaker, but maintenance remained basic
at best. In 1974 a new volunteer organization was formed, Help
Evergreen Live Permanently (HELP). Then, in 1986 the ownership of
Evergeen Cemetery was transferred to the Santa Cruz County
Historical Trust, which now maintains the archives and grounds of
Evergreen.
Walking through Evergreen is like taking a walk back through
time. Don't forget to pay special attention to the trees and plants
around the cemetery, many are indigenous (the Coast Redwoods, the
California Bays, etc.) and quite a few trees and plants were
imported and planted as memorials over a period of nearly 150 years
(Japanese Cryptomeria, Arizona Cypress, Deodar Cedar native to the
Himalayas, and Mock Orange).
Cemetery is open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Not hidden in any ivy or
groundcover. Respectfully placed, you will not need to disturb
anyone's space or peace. Please replace EXACTLY as you found it.
(Thank you.)
Enjoy! And happy caching!
50sumtin