Guide to the Evergreen Cemetery Collection – History

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Evergreen Cemetery was established in 1850.  It was one of the first public gravesites in California.  Samual Bartlett, R.C. Kirby, F.M. Kittridge and William Cooper founded the cemetery with some of the land donated by Hiram Imus.  The cemetery is divided into five (5) sections: the Old Section (which included a paupers field), the Grand Army of the Republic Section, the Freemasons Section, the Chinese Section, and the Extension (added on several years later).  There is an interesting history behind many of the gravesites in the cemetery.

“Judge” William Blackburn emigrated to California in 1846.  He was appointed Mayor of Santa Cruz – he was appointed by the Mexican Governor in Monterey since Santa Cruz was still under the jurisdiction of the Mexican government.  As a judge he imposed some unique methods of punishment.  For example, he presided over a case in which a teenager cut off the mane and tail of a horse.  “Judge” Blackburn ruled “The young man was to be taken to the court house steps and his head to be shaved.”  Some accounts state the young man was actually shaved from head to foot.  Can we hear the outcry nowadays at this form of punishment.

Loudon Nelson was born into slavery on May 5, 1800.  He came to Santa Cruz about 1853 with his master, Matthew Nelson.  He earned his freedom by working in the gold mines.  After being freed he settled down in Santa Cruz, purchasing an acre of land near the present day location of the main downtown Santa Cruz Post Office.  He farmed his land and cobbled for a living.  On his death bed in 1860 he made an oral will that his entire estate was to be donated to the local school district, which had recently closed the only public school in town.