San Lorenzo Cemetery
About the Cemetery
The San Lorenzo Pioneer Cemetery is the final resting place of over 2,500 Alameda County residents ranging from politicians to paupers. It is operated and managed by the Hayward Area Historical Society and the County of Alameda.
On February 27, 1864, San Lorenzo citizens organized the San Lorenzo Cemetery Association to oversee the cemetery. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s the cemetery became overgrown and fell into disrepair. With encouragement from local agencies, including HAHS, the county of Alameda agreed to take over care of the cemetery. On March 24, 1964, one hundred years after the creation of the Cemetery Association, the cemetery was dedicated as the San Lorenzo Pioneer Memorial Park, honoring early pioneers of the area.
Since that time, the County, with help from families, organizations, local residents and HAHS, have maintained the cemetery. County Supervisor Nate Miley approached HAHS to lead the efforts to have the site professionally conserved and interpreted. HAHS now partners with the County to preserve the cemetery.
Location
The cemetery is located at the corner of Hesperian Boulevard and College Street in San Lorenzo, CA.
Access to the Cemetery
Visits to the San Lorenzo Pioneer Cemetery are available and must be booked at least two weeks in advance. Please contact HAHS Collections Manager, Heather Farquhar, at 510-581-2516 or email heather@haywardareahistory.org for more information.
Schedule a Guided Visit
Guided visits from our Education Department are also available. See our Guided Visits page for more information.
The Friends of the San Lorenzo Pioneer Cemetery (FSLPC)
The Friends of the San Lorenzo Pioneer Cemetery was founded in 2010 by HAHS. It was established to assist HAHS with the preservation and promotion of public access to the site. It also serves as a conduit for members of the community and families with relatives interned in the cemetery to have input into management of the site.
Objectives of the FSLPC
- Maintain cemetery grounds
- Ensure the preservation and restoration of headstones and monuments
- Raise funds for conservation and restoration projects
- Aid in the historical research of cemetery burials
- Become an interpreter or tour guide
- Recruit new members
- Attend and participate in monthly meetings
To join the FSLPC or for more information, contact Heather Farquhar, 510-581-2516 or heather@haywardareahistory.org.
Who is buried in the cemetery?
You can find a list of names on USGenWeb (usgenweb.org) from the burial records at http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/alameda/cemeteries/san-lorenzo-pioneer.txt. Or you can contact a HAHS archivist at info@haywardareahistory.org.
Well-known cemetery burials
- William Meek (d. 1880) was one of the largest landowners in the area, a one-time Alameda County supervisor, and regent of the University of California, Berkeley and Mills College
- John Lewelling (d. 1883) was a nurseryman who owned many acres of land in the San Lorenzo area, including the cemetery site
- Duncan Cameron (d. 1889) operated an early stage and freight line from Oakland to San Jose
- Josephine Tychson (d. 1939) took over operation of a vineyard and winery in St. Helena after her husband committed suicide. She is considered the first female vintner in the state.