Hayward in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Legend of Lone Tree Cemetery
Hayward, California
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, May 16, 2020
1. Legend of Lone Tree Cemetery Marker
Inscription.
Legend of Lone Tree Cemetery. Hayward, California. One warm summer morning some four score years ago a young Spaniard and his señora rode into Señor Castro's old hacienda, situated near the present Pinedale Court tract in Hayward; and as many travelers asked for food and lodging here, it was freely given. After the young couple had accepted Señor Castro's hospitality, partaken of his delicious luncheon, they set out on fresh horses to ride to some point of interest in the surrounding country. Their host saw them depart in the direction of the lone tree, which was quite a mark of distinction in the days when Castro owned hundreds of acres on all sides, with not a sign of settlement anywhere within eyesight.
Two hours or more later, an old Spanish man, tired and travel-worn, arrived at the hacienda, presumably in pursuit of the young lovers, claiming to be the girl's father. He inquired for a pair answering the description of those two who had ridden away not long before, and when informed of the general direction of their course, chose that as his own.
Several hours later the old Spanish gentleman returned to bid Señor Castro farewell, and went on his way back to his home in Mexico.
Evening came on and Señor Castro harbored a certain anxiety for his young guests when they failed to return after nightfall. Questioning, he found that some of his vaqueros had seen two horsemen riding up to the lone tree, followed sometime later by a single rider.
When morning came, and they were still unfound, Señor Castro had some of his men launch a search for them. Great, indeed, was their shock and surprise to end their hunt for them by finding the dashing young Spaniard and his beautiful bride lying side by side, asleep? No. Both shot dead. The old gentleman had settled his score as he saw fit, and had gone his way, while the youthful lovers, their romance ended, lay dead under the great lone oak tree, killed by the avenging father and unwilling father-in-law.
And so the story goes, that attracted a group of men, intent on establishing a cemetery, to the site where the romantic adventure had ended and where the eloping couple had been buried-under the lone tree.
For the sake of the story, Edmund Dole, Dr. Edwin Kimball, Leander Linekin, Joel Russell and others of the early pioneers, acquired about thirty-five acres immediately around the Lone Tree, calling the land "Lone Tree Cemetery" since there had already been burials there, under the tragic circumstances. Years later, other trees were planted and the ground landscaped, but the original old lone tree still stands today.
Many of the best known and remembered of Hayward and vicinity's pioneers and their families are buried here, including the founder of the city that bears his name, William Hayward.
Thus few people have known the true story of why Lone Tree Cemetery was so called, and why situated as it is. It was not merely chance.
1948
One warm summer morning some four score years ago a young Spaniard
and his señora rode into Señor Castro's old hacienda, situated near the present
Pinedale Court tract in Hayward; and as many travelers asked for food and
lodging here, it was freely given. After the young couple had accepted
Señor Castro's hospitality, partaken of his delicious luncheon, they set out
on fresh horses to ride to some point of interest in the surrounding country.
Their host saw them depart in the direction of the lone tree, which was quite
a mark of distinction in the days when Castro owned hundreds of acres on
all sides, with not a sign of settlement anywhere within eyesight.
Two hours or more later, an old Spanish man, tired and travel-worn, arrived
at the hacienda, presumably in pursuit of the young lovers, claiming to be
the girl's father. He inquired for a pair answering the description of those
two who had ridden away not long before, and when informed of the general
direction of their course, chose that as his own.
Several hours later the old Spanish gentleman returned to bid Señor Castro
farewell, and went on his way back to his home in Mexico.
Evening came on and Señor Castro harbored a certain anxiety for his young
guests when they failed to return after nightfall. Questioning, he found
that some of his vaqueros
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had seen two horsemen riding up to the lone tree,
followed sometime later by a single rider.
When morning came, and they were still unfound, Señor Castro had some of
his men launch a search for them. Great, indeed, was their shock and surprise
to end their hunt for them by finding the dashing young Spaniard and his
beautiful bride lying side by side, asleep? No. Both shot dead. The old gentleman
had settled his score as he saw fit, and had gone his way, while the youthful
lovers, their romance ended, lay dead under the great lone oak tree, killed
by the avenging father and unwilling father-in-law.
And so the story goes, that attracted a group of men, intent on establishing
a cemetery, to the site where the romantic adventure had ended and where
the eloping couple had been buried-under the lone tree.
For the sake of the story, Edmund Dole, Dr. Edwin Kimball, Leander Linekin,
Joel Russell and others of the early pioneers, acquired about thirty-five
acres immediately around the Lone Tree, calling the land "Lone Tree Cemetery"
since there had already been burials there, under the tragic circumstances.
Years later, other trees were planted and the ground landscaped, but the
original old lone tree still stands today.
Many of the best known and remembered of Hayward and vicinity's pioneers
and their families are buried here, including the founder
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, May 16, 2020
2. Legend of Lone Tree Cemetery Marker - wide view
of the city that bears
his name, William Hayward.
Thus few people have known the true story of why Lone Tree Cemetery
was so called, and why situated as it is. It was not merely chance.
Location. 37° 40.52′ N, 122° 2.951′ W. Marker is in Hayward, California, in Alameda County. Marker is on Fairview Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 24591 Fairview Avenue, Hayward CA 94542, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. The marker is situated on top of the hill in the middle of the cemetery.
Regarding Legend of Lone Tree Cemetery.
Photographed By Craig Baker, September 28, 2021
3. Lone Tree Cemetery
At the bottom of the marker is the date 1948, and although undated, the marker is clearly of much more recent vintage than that date would indicate. Presumably then, the date reflects the date this "legend" was written, and given that the text indicates the event described was some four score prior to its telling, the tale would thus relate to an event transpiring about 1868.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 12, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 644 times since then and 150 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week July 19, 2020. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 17, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 3. submitted on October 12, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.
