Hello List, Because so many of you are interested in the preservation of our historic cemeteries I thought that I would forward this message to you! Marilyn Docent/Researcher, Sacramento Old City Cemetery. > From Dr. Bob LaPerriere > > CALIFORNIA HISTORIC CEMETERY ALLIANCE (CHCA) > January, 2001 > > Our most recent quarterly meeting was held on February 27, 2001 with 15 > members in attendance. We were pleased to have representatives of both the > archeological and genealogy communities join us. Iowa Hill Cemetery > representatives are working with the community to encourage pride in the > cemetery and are planning a book on the cemetery and its inhabitants. > Marysville reported tremendous progress by a volunteer in the > rebuilding/restoration of a very unique Chinese oven in the cemetery. Their > last episode of vandalism caused over $25,000 in damage. Sutter Creek has > just started an Adopt-a-Plot program. Rancho Murieta area cemetery > volunteers hope to start restoration, but are limited by location and > rattlesnakes. El Dorado is continuing their excellent research, protection, > and restoration of their numerous cemeteries, through the El Dorado Pioneer > Cemetery Commission. Sacramento County has recently formed a Task Force to > develop a comprehensive list of all cemeteries and evaluate their ownership > and condition. > > Because of the diverse locations of members and other commitments, the > Alliance still does not have a formal board or officers. Dr. Bob > LaPerriere, the Chairman, is starting a registry of California Cemeteries, > as no accurate and comprehensive one exists to our knowledge. Reporting of > any cemeteries would be appreciated, including as much as is possible of the > following information: > > To assist networking and information gathering we are trying to develop > regional representatives who can report on one or several counties. > Represented to date are Contra Costa, Alameda, Merced, Stanislaus, Yuba, > Sutter, Nevada, Santa Cruz, Placer, El Dorado and Sacramento. Anyone > interested in being a liaison for their county, or several adjacent > counties, please contact Bob LaPerriere. > > Three major legal questions that need detailed evaluation include public > access to cemeteries, current ownership of cemetery (plots) when they were > originally deeded to a family, and the legality of "public" cemeteries being > sold and thereby placed under private ownership, not as a cemetery but as > part of a land parcel. > > The Alliance started as an outreach program of the Sacramento Old City > Cemetery Committee which is a committee of the Sacramento County Historical > Society. However it needs to consider obtaining its own 501 (c) 3. The > Alliance would welcome a volunteer to assist in this process. Until that > occurs, donations and dues are not tax deductible. Dues are annual and are > $25 for organizations/cemeteries, or $15 for individuals. > > The CHCA sponsored exhibit that was at the Folsom History Museum in 2000 > will eventually be available as a catalogue, thanks to Mary Ellen Jones, who > proposed the idea and intensively photographed the exhibit, and the City of > Sacramento Gifts to Share Program that approved a $500 grant for an intern > from CSUS to start the process of scanning photographs and organizing text. > > We were all very disappointed that Governor Davis vetoed AB 1779, thereby > perpetuating the lack of an agency with any interest or involvement in > protecting the final resting places, and therefore the memory, of tens of > thousands of pioneers and early settlers, many buried in cemeteries that are > currently neglected and threatened. This bill will be introduced again this > year, by Assemblyman Anthony Pescetti. AB 2580 did pass, which transfers > enforcement of cemetery vandalism from the Health and Safety Code to the > penal code. > > Members are encouraged to develop a master listing of all sites where any > records related to deaths, cemeteries and burials are located within their > county. > > The Alliance is considering the bulk printing of a metal sign which would be > available at cost for all members of the Alliance to post at their cemetery. > The preliminary text for this sign is: > > HERE REST MANY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO FIRST SAW THE BEAUTY AND VALUE OF > THIS LAND, CHOOSING TO REMAIN AND BUILD THE COUNTY WE CHERISH TODAY. YOU > ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THIS PIONEER BURIAL GROUND TO EXPRESS REVERENCE FOR THE > DEPARTED, OR FOR HISTORICAL STUDY, GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH, OR A PEACEFUL > WALK. PLEASE HELP US PRESERVE THESE GRAVES, LANDSCAPING AND MARKERS FOR > GENERATIONS TO COME. > > IN CALIFORNIA DESECRATION OF A CEMETERY IS PUNISHABLE BY FINE AND > IMPRISONMENT UNDER THE STATE PENAL CODE > > California Historic Cemetery Alliance > > Our website califhistcemeteries.org is up and gradually enlarging with > increasing links to other relevant websites. Another useful site is > rootsweb California Tombstone Project which contains listings from a variety > of California Cemeteries... http://www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/californ.html > > Overall Objectives of the Alliance include: > > *Forum for sharing ideas and resources > *Publicize plight of historic cemeteries > *Master registry of burials > *Network for lost stones, notification of vandalism etc. > *Vandalism Reward program for members > *County and/or State agency to help supervise historic cemeteries, > determine responsibility, oversee, collect data, and assist in > protection. > *Lobbying for stronger state/federal legislation > *Encourage photo documentation of all monuments > *Corporate sponsorship for projects > *Ideas for lectures, seminars, workshops > *Registry of historic cemeteries with a central file > > Meeting schedule was decided to be the third Saturday of January, April, > July and October, sites to be announced. > > California Historic Cemetery Alliance/Old City Cemetery Committee > POB 255345 > Sacramento CA 95865-5345 > Email: CHCA@inreach.com > Phone: (916) 481-4525 > Fax (916) 481-8229 > Website: califhistcemeteries.org