San Carlos Cemetery (Monterey, California) Explained

San Carlos Cemetery, also known as San Carlos Catholic Cemetery, was established as San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo in 1834, and is located at 792 Fremont Street in Monterey, California.^[1] It is a Catholic cemetery.^[2]

History

Burials started in 1832, two years prior to becoming an official cemetery and there are some unmarked graves. In 1939, the eastern land of the Monterey City Cemetery (or Cementerio El Encinal) was combined to increase the space. The remains of many of the early local families are at San Carlos Cemetery, and it ranges from prominent Hispanic and European settlers, including working-class Sicilians (many worked in the local fishing industry); as well as immigrant families from China, the Philippines, and Japan.^[3]

In 1944, a local named Harry Downie led the town to repair Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, and he built two 20-ft tall religious crosses (nicknamed the Portola Crespi crosses) to replace the missing originals.^[4] In 1969, marking the 100th anniversary of the Portolá expedition, one of the cross was moved and installed on Del Monte Beach, public land. In 2009, the cross was vandalized and the ACLU threatened a lawsuit; as a result the cross was moved to San Carlos Cemetery.^[5]

Notable interments

• Ed Burns (1887–1942), professional baseball player^[6]
• Honoré Escolle (1832–1895), French businessman, and landowner in Monterey County^{[7] [8]}
• Al Espinosa (1891–1957), professional golfer^[9]
• Charles O. Goold (1871–1931), pioneer businessman, banker, landholder, and civic leader^[10]
• Dorothy Kingsley (1909–1997), screenplay writer, who worked in film, radio and television.
• Elsie Whitaker Martinez (1890–1984), an artists muse^[11]
• Louis S. Slevin (1878–1945), photographer^[12]
• Charles Warren Stoddard (1843–1909), author and editor

See also

• List of cemeteries in California

Notes and References

1. Book: Dwyer, Jeff . Ghost Hunter's Guide to Monterey and California's Central Coast . 2010 . Arcadia Publishing . 978-1589809031 . 28 . en.
2. Book: The Official Catholic Directory for the Year of Our Lord . 1993 . P.J. Kenedy . en.
3. Book: Walton, John . Storied Land: Community and Memory in Monterey . 2003 . University of California Press . 978-0520227231 . en.
4. Book: Laws, David . Secret Monterey: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure . 2022. Reedy Press LLC . 978-1681063652 . 36–37 . en.
5. News: 2010-03-27 . Bishop to bless cross at San Carlos Cemetery . 3 . . 2022-10-12.
6. Book: Lee, Bill . The Baseball Necrology: The Post-Baseball Lives and Deaths of More Than 7,600 Major League Players and Others . 2015. McFarland . 978-1476609300 . 54 . en.
7. Web site: December 19, 1895 . Death of H. Escolle . 2022-10-11 . The Californian . 2 . Salinas, California.
8. Web site: December 20, 1895 . Escolle . 2022-10-11 . . 14.
9. News: January 4, 1957 . Golfer Al Espinosa; Member of Early Monterey Family, Dies . 2 . Monterey Peninsula Herald.
10. Web site: San Carlos Cemetery in Monterey, CA burials list . 2022-10-12 . People Legacy.
11. News: February 3, 1984 . Mrs. Elsie Martinez Dies at 93, Obituary . 4 . Monterey Peninsula Herald.
12. Web site: 1945-11-23 . Louis Slevin . 2022-10-11 . . 2 . Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.