Around the time California had became a state it was merely a small Mexican Village built around a Catholic Mission. The city grew rather fast you had lumberers, lime kiln workers and even the railroad moving on into the area. Many businesses owners came to set up shop right on the coastline and tourism was a new industry in Santa Cruz thanks to the Henry Cowell Redwoods & Pacific Coast Railroad and The Mystery Spot. Thus, with that being said an influx of Pioneers, Artist, Gold Miners, Civil War Veterans, Masons, Children, Chinese Immigrants, Families, Fraternal Groups and walks of all life begin to build their lives in Monterey Bay. Thus a cemetery would be needed to be able to handle the dearly departed. Evergreen Cemetery would be the first county cemetery but also the oldest of its kind in the city with the exception of the Mission Of The Holy Cross Cemetery which resides behind the church and contains many prominent burials from the congregation. 

Evergreen Cemeteries first actual internment was that of a young infant child who died in death valley so by the time the Arcane Family had arrived in Santa Cruz they would need a place to bury there child. This is actually how Death Valley had gotten its name because more then often crossing it led to death due to the lack of water. From that point on Evergreen grew to at least two thousand permanent interments. The cemetery was divided up into a Masonic, Chinese, Grand Army Of The Republic and Potters Field Sections which are still rather visible even today. At one time the cemetery fell into a state of disrepair thus many of the graves were vandalized and some were victims of landslides and earthquakes. Today many of the walls are cracked and many of the gravestones are in pieces its a real site of horror besides its decades of credible ghost stories passed down from one generation to the next which is what drew my interest in doing this small project for our viewers. 

While many of the gravestones here are unmarked their are many still standing of various notable residents and characters who came to Santa Cruz to make lives for themselves. I guess that is about all any of us can do but in the end we will end up either being honored or forgotten for the decisions we make while we are alive. So I would like to at least talk about some of those pioneers and historic figures because I am very keen on equally trying to teach history to our younger generation so that they realize that this is not just a cemetery you hang out or party at but rather a place that you can learn about some of California's first residents who came to the area when the golden state was born.  The people found buried here have some amazing stories and we should honor them. If you walk around Evergreen you can read some historic plaques about some of the more in depth history and pioneers buried in Evergreen Cemetery.

Issac Graham a true westerner came to the area to help overthrow a corrupt Mexican Governor. But he also created his Roaring Railroad Camp In Felton in the 1830's. The camp boasted a water powered saw mill the first one to be built west of the Mississippi. He also ran a distillery being an old timer no doubt he loved his moonshine and he was an intimidate gun toting westerner. Some believed that he was poisoned which resulted in his death in San Francisco. Today his gravesite found in Evergreen and the roaring railroad camp which boast relics of the past are about all that remains of his eventful past. The truth is he made plenty of enemies but he also operated one of the first towns in California which drew in lumberers, traders and quite a few people who wanted to experience all the west had to offer. 

Then we have a strange story about a Marie Holmes found buried here who was a prostitute who committed suicide in her young 20s by drinking carbolic acid not to far from here somewhere on Pacific Avenue. Her headstone went missing when the cemetery was abandoned perhaps someone stole it at the time or removed it. Strangely a hiker found it laying on its side in the woods on a hill near Bonny Doon about 12 miles from Evergreen Cemetery and I guess from what I read they restored it back in 2013. How the stone had gotten so far from Evergreen till this day remains a huge mystery but id assume that its attributed to someone who felt the need to desecrate the cemetery when it was forgotten. This is why today the cemetery is more heavily police watched because gravestones have a way of turning up elsewhere or simply vanishing here.

I also visited another very well known gravesite which is Louden Nelson who was a slave in Northern Carolina who arrived in Santa Cruz in the early 1850's prior to the Civil War. The land he purchased is today's current post office at least the main one in Santa Cruz. Nelson was a man of education not even sure he could really read so when he heard that the local two room schoolhouse nearby his property was closing he had donated his estate to the Santa Cruz School District to reopen the school. I must had visited Nelson's gravesite on three occasions during my first visit to Evergreen Cemetery. Really this is a story about a man who went from having rags to making a life and starting anew for himself in Santa Cruz. Despite how others felt towards the black community this man gave back before his death and today is one of the key historic local figures found in Evergreen Cemetery.

Then you have a man buried here known as AJ Sloan who was a soldier in the Mexican American War and really this is also the most famous ghost spotted in Evergreen Cemetery. His ghost is also sighted not to far away in Arana Gulch where supposedly he was murdered on his way from dinner. Supposedly the story goes that Sloan was shot to death in the gulch in 1865 by a Jose Rodriguez and Faustino Lorenzana. He was having dinner downtown Santa Cruz heading back home where he lived on 7th Avenue not to far from today's Court Of Mysteries where a man by the name of Kitchen built this temple which would foretale the apocalypse and was in alignment with the moon and stars. Long story short the Santa Cruz Daily Sentinle reported that his funeral was one of the largest in the cities history but also that this murder at the time could have been racially motivated. When a Thomas A. Sweetney carried Jack Sloan's body out of the gulch he saw his apparition. Often quite a few folks have seen his ghost which is said to be a floating figure in the woods wearing a long black overcoat and a broad brimmed hat. As a matter in fact in the late 1800's a mother and daughter were in a carriage through the gulch just passing through when saw his ghost and that article also ran in the local paper. Many of the locals have seen his ghost a couple who owns a house near the gulch who also claimed that Jack Sloan often was seen on their decks hovering. Nobody knows for sure if this is the ghost of A.J. Sloan but the fact remains is that you have dozens of sightings nearly dating back to the 1800's.

At first when the mother and daughter shared their story it took an elderly man who was Jack's coroner who told the women that their description fits Jackson Sloan. So this is why people call this ghost Jack but nobody knows for sure. Some said Jack Sloan wanted to fake his death and disappear that is also a possibility and lets not forget their is always that chance that people were not seeing any ghost at all in Arana Gulch but rather pioneers just passing through since this was a common woodsy wagon route that the people of Santa Cruz often took to get to and from downtown. One thing is for sure that while this notable figure may be buried in Evergreen not one person has ever found out turned up his grave so its possible he may not even be buried here if he is the gravesite is lost to history especially without a headstone. While quite a few ghost are sighted in Evergreen which is probably why its such a local hangout one must wonder if Jack haunts this cemetery because his ghost is restless and he has not had any resolution with the fact he was murdered on the way home from having dinner. 

I also read that the ghost of a female haunts Evergreen Cemetery then again that same ghost was said to haunt Santa Cruz Memorial Park Cemetery too which is Evergreens sister burial ground. If that is not strange enough on a hill where the Chinese Cemetery Section is located there was a stove where cloth, money and other relics had been buried. I guess during funerals the Chinese would burn certain objects in the stove so that the spirit could rest or even possibly take those items with them in the afterlife. If the ghost or the strange things you find in this forested cemetery do not deter you it is true that the homeless do sleep here. I found a pile of clothes with a rock on them near the main entrance into the cemetery. Its also possible some transients utilized the forest above the cemetery as a means to seek shelter and rest. Besides the homeless utilizing the cemetery their are also deer that are abundant here just grazing and walking around. Some people actually prefer to visit Evergreen Cemetery to jog or during the day utilize it as a park. With its pretty flowers, massive trees, green grass, historical feel and steps leading into a gulch greeting you with a giant stone heart its hard not to want to be here as its rather inviting. 

Another notable figure who also has his own plaque in Evergreen is the gravesite of Grove C. Cook who came to California in 1841 as a member of the Bidwell-Bartleson Party the first overland emigrant wagon train to set out from the US to cross the continent to the Pacific Slope. The party abandoned its wagons in eastern Nevada then crossed the Sierra Nevada's through Sonora Pass entering what was known at the time as Mexican Alta California. At the time very few men but trappers crossed the high sierras it was quite the feat. When Cook settled in California he ended up working for John C. Sutter at Sutters Fort in Sacramento. John Sutter is buried at Old City Cemetery today in Sacramento but he also ran a sawmill in Coloma California the location where gold was discovered which led to the American Gold Rush in later 1840's which brought many pioneers to California and even to Santa Cruz. Sadly Cook had died in Santa Cruz while visiting so he ended up being buried here. 

Judge Washburn another notable not to far from Cooks grave is also buried here who was a member of the Swasey-Todd Party of 1845 as a matter in fact members of the Imus family of the Joseph Aram Party of 1846 are also buried here. So with that being said their are many interments who were early pioneers who came here via wagon train across the sierras to fur trap, saw mill, explore and build lives in California. When you walk around Evergreen Cemetery one can see that many of these pioneers came to Santa Cruz but few ever left and they were indeed the true westerners who permanently rest among the shady trees of Evergreen Cemetery. Also you can take into account that many of the Chinese who are buried here were the men who helped build the transcontinental railroad like the beautiful Donner Summit Railroad Tunnels which also boast a great wall the Chinese Built which still partially stands today and in my opinion is a marvel of its time. 

Other interesting facts that you should know is that while burials begin in 1850 it was one of the first cemeteries in the state to provide a final resting place for both Protestants and other Non-Catholics. The infant buried by the Arcane family was buried here only two months after California became a state. The cemetery was not officially deeded as such until 1858 when numerous burials begin to take place and was donated by the farming Imus family who came here in 1846 to build a ranch here while California was still under Mexican rule. in 1973 Evergreen Cemetery was awarded Landmark Status by the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History and was added to the Santa Cruz Historic Building Survey in 1989. While today many ghost tours transpire I am not into big crowds this is a unique cemetery as its not only tiered but it goes up into the hills which offers nice views of the Santa Cruz Mountains and is a nature park like setting which makes it one of Californias more unique graveyards. Most of the people buried here came to Santa Cruz to enjoy the sun, fun, serenity of the ocean and its pristine beauty. Most never left and one can see why with all that the Santa Cruz Boardwalk & Natural Arches offers its visitors. 

Copyright By 
Lord Rick aka AngelOfThyNight 
PGS Founder 
Talk Show Host, Producer, Author, Paranormal Investigator, Urban Explorer & Journalist

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