You're looking at Sen. David Broderick's monument (the pointy one in the far distance) in Laurel Hill Cemetery, near where the Trader Joe's on Masonic Avenue is today. In the foreground is Calvary Cemetery, on the slopes of Lone Mountain. Credit: Lawrence & Houseworth, publisher, Library of Congress.
I’m excited to share that my next book, "San Francisco’s Forgotten Cemeteries: A Buried History,” will be out August 28, 2023, with The History Press. I’ve been working on this book for almost two years, digging through newspaper articles, history books, master’s theses, archaeological documents and photo archives to tell this story, and I’m excited to be able to share it with you all soon.
Here’s the info from my publisher: “San Francisco is famous for not having any cemeteries, but the claim isn’t exactly what it seems. In the early 20th Century, the city relocated more than 150,000 graves to the nearby town of Colma to make way for a rapidly growing population. But an estimated fifty to sixty thousand burials were quietly built over and forgotten, only to resurface every time a new building project began. The dead still lie beneath some of the city’s most cherished destinations, including the Legion of Honor, United Nations Plaza, the Asian Art Museum and the University of San Francisco. Join author Beth Winegarner as she maps the city's early burial grounds and brings back to life the dead who've been erased.”
Caroline Paul, author of the New York Times bestseller “The Gutsy Girl,” writes: “Beth Winegarner’s book traces the history of San Francisco through its forgotten cemeteries: their beginnings, their relocations, and the bodies that often remain. I thought I knew my beloved city but I wasn’t looking deep enough – literally. Unique and eye-opening, I won’t be able to walk these San Francisco streets without wondering what may still be buried just underfoot."
The book includes a foreword by Roberto Lovato, author of “Unforgetting,” in which he writes, “‘San Francisco’s Forgotten Cemeteries’ is an act of restorative justice.”
“San Francisco’s Forgotten Cemeteries” isn’t available for preorder yet, but you can add it to your “want to read” list on Goodreads if you follow this link. I’ll share more news about preorders, events and other news on this page for the book when I can.