Pioneer Grove Cemetery

Pioneer Grove Cemetery. Sacramento Pioneer Association. The Sacramento Pioneer Association was founded in 1854 by men who came to California before 1850 and wished to preserve the memories of the epochal events in the Gold Rush era and the earliest days of Sacramento. Among the founding members resting here are Mark Hopkins, General Albert Maver Winn and James McClatchy. , The land for Pioneer Grove was purchased by the Association to provide a burial place for their deceased members and their families in remembrance and to never forget their place in history. In order to obtain a plot in the cemetery, one had to be a member of the Association. , Due to the annual flooding that had become such a problem in the city of Sacramento in the 1860s, cemeteries were restricted to areas of higher ground in the city. In October 1862, the Pioneers purchased their own burial land in what was then the "new Sacramento City Cemetery" which was situated on some of the highest ground in the outskirts of the city. Over the next 40 years, additional land was added through purchases and plot trades with the city of Sacramento. Property was gifted in 1880 from Mrs. Margaret Crocker, widow of E. B. Crocker. Pioneer Grove currently encompasses two and a half acres., In 1878, the Pioneers made the center of their property a grand mausoleum and burial place for Mark Hopkins. Today, the large Mausoleum is the architectural focus of the Grove and a renowned landmark within the Old Sacramento City Cemetery. Pioneer Grove is maintained and self-funded by the Sacramento Pioneer Association and does not receive any government funding. Over the last 150 years, the stone walkways, brick walls and headstones within the cemetery have deteriorated due to weather, pollution and vandals. The Pioneer Association's Maintenance Committee has restored much of the stonework to its original appearance and design , The Association also owns Pioneer Hall located at 1009 7th Street which was constructed in 1864 by the Association as their meeting facility. For more information about Pioneer Grove, go to the sacramentopioneer.org