The entrance to the Marysville City Cemetery. Photo by queerbychoice. The Marysville City Cemetery is located between Highway 70 and East 24th Street in Marysville. It was established in 1850 and is said to be the oldest city-owned cemetery west of the Mississippi River.1 Some 10,000 people are buried in it, including Charles Julian Covillaud, Harriet Frances Murphy Pike Nye, Edward Park Duplex, and W. T. Ellis, Jr.
The Marysville City Cemetery was formerly closed and locked at all times except by special appointment, due to vandalism that occurred when the cemetery was open to the public. At this time it is often open during daylight hours, depending on the schedule of the resident care-taker. The Marysville City Cemetery St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery is located directly across Highway 70 from it and is also kept closed and locked.
At the northeast corner of the cemetery is the Chinese Cemetery, with a brick structure for burning offerings. Nearby is the Grand Army of The Republic Cemetery, with graves of veterans of the War with Mexico, Civil War, and Spanish American War. (Many veterans are buried elsewhere in the cemetery instead.) Nearby is a Japanese plot, Some Japanese are buried elsewhere in the cemetery, also.
Adjacent to the Marysville City Cemetery, at its southeast corner, is the Marysville Jewish Cemetery. Purchased in 1855 by the Marysville Hebrew Benevolent Society, and now under the Commission for the Preservation of Pioneer Jewish Cemeteries and Landmarks in the West, this one-acre (180 feet by 242 feet) tract extends from the south edge of the City Cemetery north to four feet south of the visible line of plots, and from the eastern fence to the east edge of Third Avenue (the big trees). Though it was formerly surrounded by a high brick wall and formerly contained a brick building for preparing bodies for burial, the wall, building and bricks are now gone. Some interesting monuments to early Jewish people are visible on the south half of the property. The north half has been altered, and today there is no evidence that this area contains graves. Unknown persons trenched into the cemetery for power lines, and installed light standard. Unknown persons laid down gravel for parking and a road.
Links
The Historic Marysville City Cemetery on Facebook
Phantoms and Monsters: Video: Ghostly Cemetery Encounter - Marysville, California
