Sacramento Historic City Cemetery in Sacramento County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Anna Madah Fletcher

1863-1925

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, May 7, 2023

1. Anna Madah Fletcher Marker

Inscription. Till on, sweet sisters from a golden shore; Emma and Anna, sing for us once more; Raise high your voices blending in accord: So shall your fame be widely spread abroad. – M.E.H., Boston Daily News

Anna Madah Hyer Fletcher was one half of the pioneering Hyers Sisters, who are regarded as the first crossover artists in American music. She and her younger sister, Emma Louise, were known for their beautiful soprano and contralto voices. The Sacramento natives made their performance debut on April 22, 1867, in San Francisco at the ages of 11 and 9. They performed popular concert music from Italian operas all over the country, transcending the expectations placed on them as African American and female performers. They earned the respect of the national theater audiences while still retaining their roots in African American music.

In 1877, Anna and Emma founded the first African American theater company, which produced three shows starring the sisters. These productions, based in San Francisco, were the first professional shows to feature a mixed race cast.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is April 22, 1867.

Location. 38° 33.665′ N, 121°

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30.1′ W. Marker is in Sacramento, California, in Sacramento County. It is in Sacramento Historic City Cemetery. Marker can be reached from Laburnum Avenue south of Junction Avenue, on the left when traveling south. The resin marker is mounted between two metal posts above a headstone. This spot is slightly off from the recorded burial site at plot 106, lot 2107. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1000 Broadway, Sacramento CA 95818, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. New Helvetia Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); James Logan Butler (within shouting distance of this marker); Pioneer Cemetery Grove (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); California Pioneers (about 300 feet away); General Albert Maver Winn (about 300 feet away); The Bennett Brothers (about 300 feet away); Alfred A. Hart (about 400 feet away); U.S.S. Maine (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sacramento.

More about this marker. Inset Image:
Anna Madah Hyers dressed as “Urlina” in the opera Urlina the African Princess (1879), Bradley and Rulofson, San Francisco, courtesy of the Huntington Library

Also see . . . Hyers Sisters. Wikipedia

"...the Hyers Sisters produced the 'first full-fledged musical
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, May 7, 2023

2. Anna Madah Fletcher Marker
A concrete grave marker is visible on the ground between the posts.
plays... in which African Americans themselves comment on the plight of the slaves and the relief of Emancipation without the disguises of minstrel comedy.'"

(Submitted on July 2, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, May 7, 2023

3. Anna Madah Fletcher Marker

Madah A. Fletcher Grave Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, May 7, 2023

4. Madah A. Fletcher Grave Marker

Madah A. Fletcher
Died Mar. 22, 1925
Aged 62 Yrs.

City Cemetery Map image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, May 7, 2023

5. City Cemetery Map

Founded 1849

Credits. This page was last revised on July 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 2, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 76 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 2, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. 5. submitted on June 29, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.