Why Care about Historic Cemeteries . . .

Pioneer Cemetery

 

   I have to say that my first interest in the Cemeteries at Marshall Gold was not as altruistic as I'd like to admit. I was fascinated by the ghost tales - the lady who beckons to people on the road to follow her into the Pioneer Cemetery, a photo sent by a visitor to the volunteer coordinator showing a light anomaly at a headstone in the St. John's Catholic Cemetery, stories that the Vineyard House (privately owned) is haunted by the tormented spirit of Robert Chalmers (more a myth than a reality).

My dream docent project was to eventually have a town ghost tour with visitors transported through historic Coloma on a hay wagon entertained by stories and ghostly historic scenes enacted on the porches of the various buildings.  It would all culminate in an evening cemetery tour where former Coloma residents would appear and tell their life stories . . . . from the touching to the truly creepy. 

Given that this would be a huge endeavor, I had to begin somewhere so I joined the Cemetery Committee and became fast friends with the Program Lead, Laura, and dug in to learn about the cemeteries, read about its inhabitants. Laura's passion, drive and commitment to the preservation of Coloma's cemeteries was infectious. Laura is a "mover and shaker" with a heart of gold and complete faith that where there's the will there's a way . . . and it can be fun! Together we created what became to be known as the Cemetery Players (more on the Players another time).

The cemetery town tour never manifested, but the process that became the current Cemetery Players program gave me a new appreciation for the importance of passing on the stories of our ancestors . . . the good, the bad, and the mundane. My task as artistic director for the Players is to work with docents on script and character development, and staging. This led me to becoming curious about my own roots. I learned that I'm the 7th generation on my mother's side to live in California and without the Gold Rush, I wouldn't be here.


Mom and me at the Prehn family gravesite
Old Shasta

The stories from that part of the family are archived up in Redding, Ca, and Old Shasta. The cemeteries there are beautifully maintained and preserved. In June of 2007, Mom and I took a trip to visit Old Shasta and photograph the family graves. We received a private tour of all the artifacts that had been donated by my great-grandmother's family. They are either on exhibit or stored in the museum at Shasta State Historic Park. Through the Shasta Historical Society I received copies of photos, diaries, and news articles. Most importantly, there was a book that my great-grandmother had been writing about her life because, as she wrote, "I saw the closing years of the Pioneer Days, the Gay Nineties, and the beginning of the Atomic Age . . ." 



In a time where we've lost touch with the value of family and community, our historic cemeteries and local archives remind us that we are a vital part of the continuity of life. What we leave in our wake as we navigate the flow of our lives matters . . .