Pioneer Park AKA Calvary Cemetery
A beautiful park situated within Mission Hills, People having a picnic. Children playing games beneath the towering Eucalyptus Trees. nothing to hint at the darker side of this beautiful park, till I walk over a rise in the lawn and spot something amiss.
A Monument of Tombstones adorn the western end of this park, to understand this one must look to the past. For the park at one time was an active cemetery. Today it is a lovely little park where people come to watch their children play while beneath the turf over two thousand souls lay buried, for though they removed all the Tombstones, the bodies remain.
The Cemetery was active from 1875 when the first body was interred, till 1960 when Rose Wilson Mallicoat became the last.
The Cemetery was active from 1875 when the first body was interred, till 1960 when Rose Wilson Mallicoat became the last.
A group of paranormal enthusiest sit at vigil. The park is popular with paranormal groups and tours. There are quite a few ghostly stories.
Look on the side of the car, yes there are graves under the parking lot and the weight of the cars are causing them to sink in
Within this park lie the remains of many notable San Diego figures of the 1800's and early 1900's. One person is father Ubach who was featured in the Novel Ramona. Father Ubach presided over many of the burials here. There was also a large amount of people buried during the Flu Outbreak of 1918
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1918 saw the most burials as The Spanish Flu ravaged the world.
by 1919 the cemetery started to fall into disrepair as the city open Holy Cross Cemetery. 1931 the city takes over care of the cemetery.1938 the adobe wall is built around the cemetery, section of the wall can be observed today. 1957 assembly bill no.275 is passed allowing the city to declare the cemetery abandoned. 1969 the cemetery is designated a historical site and work is begun to remove the Gravestones. beginning the change from cemetery to park. The Video ofthe smaller monument is located within Mount Hope Cemetery. I have included it in this page because this is where they buried the tombstones.Located next to the trolley tracks, it is a Tombstone for tombstones
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