Woodlawn Memorial Park (Colma, California) Explained
Woodlawn Memorial Park, also known as the Masonic Burial Ground, is a cemetery located at 1000 El Camino Real in Colma, California. It was established in 1905.[1]
History
The Masonic Grand Lodge of California laid the cornerstone for the cemetery during a ceremony held on October 29, 1904, at a site formerly used as the Seven Mile House on the stagecoach route linking San Francisco and San Jose.[2] The entrance to the cemetery is marked by two prominent arches; T. Paterson Ross was responsible for designing the original entry arch, which was built with blue granite blocks quarried from Raymond, California. A second arch was added in the 1930s alongside administrative offices, a columbarium, mausoleum, and chapel, designed by William G. Merchant and Bernard Maybeck.[2]
When the former Masonic Cemetery in San Francisco closed around 1935, approximately 40,000 remains were moved to this cemetery in a project that spanned many years.[3] [4] The Masonic Cemetery Association erected a memorial pillar in April 1933 to honor those moved.[2]
Notable burials
- Alex Anderson (1920–2010), cartoonist who created the characters of Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Bullwinkle, and Dudley Do-Right, as well as Crusader Rabbit.
- Humbert Allen Astredo (1929–2016), stage, film, and television actor; was part of the cast of the television series. Dark Shadows (1968–1971).
- Thomas Henry Blythe (1822–1883), capitalist, tycoon, property developer.
- Henry Clausen (1905–1992), lawyer, investigator; authored the Clausen Report.
- Aylett R. Cotton (1826–1912), politician, lawyer, judge, educator and miner.
- Laura Fair (1837–1919), murderer; with a notable court case due to gender.
- Etienne Guittard (1838–1899), founder of the oldest continuously family-owned chocolate company, Guittard Chocolate Company.
- James Augustus Johnson (1829–1896), politician; 14th Lieutenant Governor of California.
- Charles H. Larrabee (1820–1883), politician; member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin for the 36th Congress (1859 to 1860); his grave was moved from the Masonic Cemetery, San Francisco.[5]
- Robert L. Lippert (1909–1976), film producer and cinema chain owner.
- Henry Miller (1827–1916), rancher who founded the cattle firm, Miller and Lux.
- Jacob H. Neff (1830–1909), politician, served as the 22nd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1899 to 1903.
- Emperor Norton (1819–1880), real name Joshua Abraham Norton, self-proclaimed Emperor of the United States; his grave was moved from the Masonic Cemetery, San Francisco in 1934.[6] [7]
- José Sarria (1922–2013), LGBT political activist, who styled himself as "The Widow Norton".[8] [9]
See also
Notes and References
- Book: Smookler, Michael . Colma . registration . 2007 . Arcadia Publishing . 978-0-7385-4727-5 . 65 . en.
- Book: City of Souls: San Francisco's Necropolis at Colma . Svanevik, Michael . Burgett, Shirley . 1995 . Custom & Limited Editions . San Francisco, California . 1-881529-04-5 . registration.
- Web site: Proctor . William A. . 1950 . Location, regulation, and removal of cemeteries in the City and County of San Francisco . 2022-10-23 . SFGenealogy.org . Department of City Planning, City and County of San Francisco.
- Web site: Kastler . Deanna L. . 2010-07-22 . SF Museum and Historical Society . Cemeteries . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100722233945/http://www.sfhistoryencyclopedia.com/articles/c/cemeteries.html . 2010-07-22 . 2022-10-23 . Encyclopedia of San Francisco.
- Web site: Larrabee, Charles Hathaway, 1820–1883. 2021-10-25. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. United States Congress.
- Web site: Mino-Bucheli. Sebastian. October 7, 2021. Some of the Most Famous People Buried in Colma (With Map). KQED.
- July 9, 1934. Emperor Reburied. Time.
- Web site: Roisman. Jon. 2014-11-07. Local Jewish history comes to life at cemetery walk. 2021-10-08. J.. en-US.
- Web site: September 11, 2013. Funeral fit for a queen. 2021-10-08. The Bay Area Reporter / B.A.R. Inc.. en.
