EVERGREEN CEMETERY – EXHUMING HISTORY
by Pebbla Wallace
Los Angeles has its libraries, historical and heritage museums, historical buildings, and various monuments to help tell the story of the early history of Los Angeles. But in my opinion, one of the most overlooked historical places that tell the story of early Los Angeles is the Evergreen Cemetery.
Evergreen Cemetery, established in 1877, is located in the heart of Boyle Heights and is the City of Angels’ oldest and largest cemetery with over 300,000 burials. But its historical significance isn’t just the age of the cemetery, but two other factors – its diversity and who is buried among the tombstones.
Evergreen Cemetery - Source: Evergreen Cemetery
Diversity. Just like Boyle Heights is well known for its early history of diversity (it’s one of the first communities that did not have restrictive housing covenants), so was the Evergreen Cemetery. Due to discrimination, many cemeteries did not accept people who were not Caucasian. Evergreen was notable for never banning people because of their race or ethnicity – with some caveats. Many early burials were segregated within the cemetery based on race and ethnicity. For example, there were separate sections established for African American and early residents of Mexican, Japanese, Armenian, and members of the Jewish faith. Also, early Chinese Americans were barred from cemeteries in Los Angeles (including Evergreen), and they were relegated to a corner of potter’s field which was located adjacent to Evergreen (Evergreen gave the city a 9-acre area of the cemetery in 1877 to develop a potter’s field). The Chinese community constructed a shrine on the site in 1888, and the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California purchased the shrine and its plot of land in 1992, and it was later declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
Early Pioneers and Politicians. The plots of some of our very early Los Angeles pioneers and politicians are buried here. For example, pioneers such as the Lankershim and the Van Nuys families – who owned most of the San Fernando Valley; The Coulter and the Robinson families – who owned a chain of departments stores throughout Los Angeles; the Workman and Hollenbeck families not only ventured into politics but also were large land developers/owners on Los Angeles’ east side; the Bixby family – who were instrumental in the development of Long Beach-- Bixby Park, Bixby Hill, Bixby Knolls and Bixby Village is named after the family.
Also laid to rest here you’ll find Los Angeles’ “first” of many…. The first African American journalist, the first African American Firefighter, and LAPD Officer, the first Women Librarian in Los Angeles, and the first University educated doctor to settle in Los Angeles. Also, Biddy Mason who came to Los Angeles as a slave and became an entrepreneur is buried in this historic cemetery, along with famous actors, singers, and circus performers (Evergreen has a large plot reserved for carnival and circus workers).
Despite being a cultural hub for centuries, the Mariachi Plaza we know today is fairly new! In 1992, on the feast day of Santa Cecilia, the patron Saint of great musicians, the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs announced plans to formally create a public square honoring the heritage, and today’s Plaza del Mariachi de Los Angeles was born. After years of racial strife, the city funded a true landmark honoring the area’s culture. The Plaza also serves as a bridge between countries. In 1998, the Mexican State of Jalisco funded the construction and design of the plaza’s Cantera kiosk. With this kiosk centering the Plaza, the connection between LA’s Mariachi Plaza and Mexico City’s Plaza Garibaldi is complete. Now a proper gathering space to celebrate, Mariachi Plaza can be accessible for all Angelenos as Metro also runs an extension of the E Line subway underground with a station directly entering Mariachi Plaza.
1 & 2 - Pacific Coast Showman's Association, 1922 & 1930. Photo: Pebbla Wallace
3 - Lankershim-Van Nuys Memorial. Photo: Pebbla Wallace
4 - Biddy Mason 1818-1891. Photo Pebbla Wallace
Here is a list of just some of the people buried at Evergreen Cemetery:
EDDIE “Rochester” ANDERSON
1905-1977
Was an American comedian and actor. Performed in early radio and television and is best known for playing the character “Rochester” on the Jack Benny radio and television show. First African American to have a regular role on radio.
1874–1969
African American journalist, and first African-American woman to own and operate a newspaper in the United States (The California Eagle)
MATTHEW BEARD JR.
1925-1981
An actor who played “Stymie” in the TV Shows the Little Rascals from 1930-35.
JOTHAM BIXBY
1831–1917
Jotham Bixby and the Bixby family were instrumental in the development of Long Beach.
CHARLES ADELBERT CANFIELD
1848–1913
An American oilman and real estate developer. He pioneered oil drilling in California. He was one of the co-founders (along with a group of oilmen) of Beverly Hills and Del Mar, CA.
BENJAMIN F. COULTER
1832-1911
Founded the Coulter's Department Store in Los Angeles (later brought by The Broadway).
MARY EMILY FOY
1862–1962
First woman appointed as head librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library.
EARL BELL GILMORE
1887–1964
He was an entrepreneur. When he inherited his father’s oil company (Gilmore Oil Company), he made it the largest oil marketer in California. Mobil Oil purchased the company in 1943.
JOHN STROTHER GRIFFIN
1816–1898
Was a pioneer physician that was the first university trained to settle in Los Angeles. He was also a major landowner and the founder of East Los Angeles.
1846-1895
The first African American Fire Fighter in Los Angeles, and the first to die in the line of duty.
JOHN EDWARD HOLLENBECK
1829-1885
He was a businessman and investor. In 1876 he bought and invested 160 acres of land in the Boyle Heights community.
ISAAC LANKERSHIM
1818-1882
He was a landowner and pioneer. In 1869 he purchased 60,000 acres of the San Fernando Valley from Pio Pico. These acres included what is now known as Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys. and North Hollywood. Lankershim Boulevard is named after him.
GILBERT WILLIAM LINDSAY
1900-1990
Famous for working his way up from city hall janitor to becoming the first black City Council member of Los Angeles.
JAMES “BIZ” MACKEY
1897-1965
Baseball Hall of Famer who played for the American Negro League.
1818-1891
Former slave, nurse, real estate entrepreneur, and philanthropist, founder of the First AME Church in Los Angeles.
WILLIAM HAYES PERRY
1832-1906
Lumber baron, and first president of LADWP.
GEORGE A. RALPHS
1850-1914
Founder of Ralphs Supermarket
JOSEPH ROBINSON
1846-1891
Founded a dry goods store called the Boston Store, which was later called Robinson's (which later became Robinson's May).
FREDERICK MADISON ROBERTS
1879-1952
An American newspaper owner and editor, educator, and business owner. The first known African American elected to the California State Assembly. Roberts was the great-grandson of Sally Hemings of Monticello and President Thomas Jefferson.
1869-1922
He was an American trial lawyer and professor in Los Angeles. He was famous for defending high-profile clients such as Clarence Darrow and Griffith J. Griffith. He later became the inspiration for Perry Mason.
SHOWMEN’S REST
various
An area of Evergreen Cemetery where over 400 carnival and circus workers/performers are buried. The area is memorialized with a decoration of a lion. It was established by the Pacific Coast Showmen’s Association & Women's Auxiliary Monument in 1922.
1850-1931
First African American LAPD Officer
CAMERON ERSKINE THOM
1825-1915
He was a Forty-Niner who came to California in search of gold. He was elected Los Angeles' District Attorney in 1854-57, and re-elected in 1870 -1873 and 1877-1879. He served as a state senator from 1859-60. Co-founder of the City of Glendale
ISAAC NEWTON VAN NUYS
1836-1912
He was an American businessman, farmer, and rancher. He owned the southern portion of the San Fernando Valley now known as Van Nuys.
WILLIAM WORKMAN
1839-1918
He was an American politician, banker, and businessman. He served two terms as the 18th Mayor of Los Angeles, California.
* Click for previous LACHS Blog articles on these historic people