Pioneer Park (San Diego)

Last updated
Pioneer Park
Mission Hills Park
Pioneer Park (San Diego)
Location Mission Hills, San Diego, California, United States
Nearest city San Diego, California
Coordinates 32°44′57″N117°10′39″W / 32.7492°N 117.1776°W / 32.7492; -117.1776
Established1876 (as Calvary Cemetery); 1968 (as public park)
Operated by City of San Diego
Open6 a.m. to dusk
City San Diego
Website Official website

Pioneer Park, also known as Mission Hills Park, is a public park in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego, California. Originally established in the 1876 as Calvary Cemetery, it served as a Catholic burial ground before being repurposed as a public park in the 1968. The bodies remain buried beneath the park.

Contents

History

Calvary Cemetery

Calvary Cemetery was the second Catholic cemetery in the San Diego, dating back to when the city had a population of only 250. [1] The first was El Campo Santo cemetery in Old Town. When it began to fill up, the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego purchased the land, atop Pringle Hill in the Mission Hills neighborhood, from the city in October 1873. The cemetery was formally established in 1876. [2] For the years when it was in operation, it provided burial grounds primarily for Catholic residents of San Diego. [1] [2]

Folling the opening of Holy Cross cemetery opened in 1919, Calvary Cemetery began to fall into disrepair. In 1939, the caretaker's building, containing many of the burial records, caught on fire. The records were lost. [3] The cemetery remained active until the mid-20th century. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Conversion to a park

A state law passed in 1957 stated that cemeteries that endangered "the health, safety, comfort, or welfare of the public" and had less than 10 burials in the previous 5 years could be officially abandoned. [1] As the cemetery had not been well-maintained and was frequently visited by vandals and motorcyclists, the city began the process of converting the cemetery into a park in 1961. [2] [1] By 1968, it was fully converted. [1] The City of San Diego removed most of the headstones to Mt. Hope Cemetery. [1] Despite the removal of most headstones, the remains of the cadavers are still beneath the grounds. [8] [4]

In December 2024, a vandal drove into the grassy area of the park and performed donuts, leaving behind deep ruts and mud. [9]

Features

Features of the park include:

Paranormal claims

Pioneer Park is reputed to be haunted, with reports of spectral apparitions and unexplained phenomena. These stories have made the park a point of interest for paranormal enthusiasts. [11] [12]

Notable burials

Several prominent individuals and families are interred at the site from its time as Calvary Cemetery. Among them are members of the Bandini family, known for their ownership of the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant.

NameBirth DateDeath DateNotable Achievements
Juan Bandini portrait.jpg Don Juan Bandini 1800 Lima, Viceroyalty of Peru November 4, 1859 (aged 58-59)Married to Maria de los Dolores Estudillo;
Father Ubach.jpg Father Antonio Ubach September 1835 Barcelona, Spain May 27, 1907Also buried at the site is Father Antonio Ubach, a Roman Catholic priest who served as the parish priest in Old Town San Diego for 23 years beginning in 1860. [13]
Charles Francis Walsh circa 1910.jpg Charles Francis Walsh 18771912American pioneer aviator, built one of California's first airplanes, died in a crash in 1912. [14]
Peter C. Shannon 18211899 Peter C. Shannon (1821–1899) was an American judge and politician who served as Chief Justice of the Dakota Territory Supreme Court. He presided over the trial of Jack McCal l, leading to the territory's first legal hanging. Shannon died after a carriage accident.
Jesse Wilbur Ames 18071866 Jesse Wilbur Ames (1807–1866), a San Diego pioneer, arrived in 1820 as a sailor and later became a Catholic, allowing him to own property.. Ames played a role in the Mexican-American War, served as Mayor of San Diego, presidents of the Board of Trustees, and later owned Rancho Cañada de los Coches.
John (Jack) Stewart,1892Participated in the Battle of San Pasqua l, shipmate to Richard Henry Dana.
Rosa Machado1898Wife of John (Jack) Stewart.
William John Collard
Leon Gomez
Richard Kerren [15] January 17, 1814November 5, 1856, at the age of 42Sergeant Richard Kerren, stationed at Mission San Diego de Alcalá, amassed substantial wealth through property acquisitions, livestock trading, and possible dealings in government supplies. At his death in 1856, his estate included $8,289 in assets. [16]
Sir Albert Vincent Mayrhofer
Ysidora Bandini de Couts [17] 23 Sep 1829 San Diego County, California, USA24 May 1897 (aged 67) Los Angeles County, California, USAMarried Cave J. Couts; daughter of Don Juan Bandini.
George Patrick Brennan [18]
Marco Bruschi [19] [20]
CASSIDY, Andrew (1817-189x).jpg Andrew Cassidy [21] 1817November 25, 1907
James Waterman Connors
US Army Lieutenant Cave J. Couts.jpg Lieutenant Cave J. Couts Springfield, Tennessee, November 11, 18211874The Couts family, who owned Rancho Guajome Adobe. Cave J. Couts arrived in San Diego following the Mexican–American War to assist with mapping the border between the United States and Mexico. He was originally buried in the Old Town Cemetery in 1874. [22] He married Ysidora Bandini
William Blount Couts [23]
Dr. David Bancroft Hoffman [24] 18241888
George Alonzo Johnson.png George Alonzo Johnson August 16. 1824November 27, 1903George Alonzo Johnson was an American entrepreneur and politician known for pioneering steamboat navigation on the Colorado River and serving in the California State Assembly. He co-founded George A. Johnson & Company, which played a role in supplying Fort Yuma.
George LyonsGeorge Lyons, a native of Donegal, Ireland, arrived in San Diego in 1847, having worked as a carpenter aboard a whaler on the Northwest coast. He operated a store in Old Town from 1851 to 1858 and served as San Diego's sheriff for two terms from 1858 to 1862. Additionally, Lyons held various local offices, including city trustee and postmaster, and was a director of the San Diego & Gila Railroad. [25]
Juana de Dios Machado de Wrightington 8 March 181424 December 1901 Age 87Juana de Dios Machado Alipás de Wrightington, was a pioneering nurse, midwife, and quilter in Old Town San Diego, known for her service during the Mexican-American War. Despite being illiterate, she became an expert in nursing, translating, and assisting as a midwife. During the Battle of San Pasqual in 1846, she cared for the wounded, earning the title of "Florence Nightingale of San Diego."
Henry C. Magee
Charles E. May [26]
Anton Mayrhofer
Maria Ruiz de Burton.jpg Maria Amparo Maytorena de Burton 183613 Aug 1895 (aged 58–59)
McCOY, James (1821-1895).jpg James McCoy [27]
Benjamin Franklin Parsons
Maria Victoria de Pedrorena de Magee [28]
Miguel Pedrorena.jpg Miguel de Pedrorena 8 March 181424 December 1901
Luis Antonio Serrano
Anton Sonka [29]
John Collins Stewart [30]
Maria Serafina de la Luz Valdez de Machado17881861
Dr. Charles Carpentier Valle [31]
Tony Barbarich
Angelo Boffelli
Leonora Casillo de Martinez
Daniel Cavanaugh, aka Daniel Cassidy
Caroline Derenbecker28 Jan 1853

Germany

3 Mar 1909 (aged 56)
Inez Estrada
Alice Gragg, aka Alice Greenwood
Anna Guglielmetti
Lottie Leidenberger Hans
William M. Kerren
Luis Lopez
Felipe San Martin
Agnes McCormick
Asunta Tonini Morris
Andrew Quinlan
William V. Trimmer
James Henry Ward
Hans Hugo Herman Heink18871916Mother Ernestine Schumann-Heink
John S. Minter
William R. Moak
Timothy Ryan
D. ArchibaldCatholic priest.
Henry J. BaertCatholic priest.
Louis Alphonse DabandeCatholic priest.
G. HeirreweghCatholic priest.
Patrick HonohanCatholic priest.
Josef M. LeCerfCatholic priest.
Henry Charles LehrkeCatholic priest.
Patrick McGreevyCatholic priest.
Dennis E. MearaCatholic priest.
Joseph T. NunanCatholic priest.
Cornelius L. O'BrienCatholic priest.
Cornelius O'HanlonCatholic priest.
Luciana OsunaCatholic priest.
John J. ReardonCatholic priest.
Bernard SmythCatholic priest.
Francis Joseph SwiftCatholic priest.
Sister Mary Regis BeirneCatholic nun.
Alice Cooney, aka Sister Mary DoloresCatholic nun.
Sister Mary Nazarene of Jesus DeanCatholic nun. (moved to Holy Cross Cemetery in 1919)
Mary M. Holland, aka Sister MaryCatholic nun.
Catherine Kelleher, aka Sister Mary TeresaCatholic nun.
Patricia McDermott, Sister Mary TeresaCatholic nun.
Anne McDonald, aka Sister GermaineCatholic nun. (moved to Holy Cross Cemetery in 1919)
Catherine Monroe, aka Sister Mary ReginaCatholic nun.
Sister Mary Dolores O'BoyleCatholic nun.
Sister Teresa OrtizCatholic nun. (moved to Holy Cross Cemetery in 1919)
Mary Josephine Smith, aka Mother Mary JosephineCatholic nun
Catherine SutherlandCatholic nun

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Weingartner, Nancy (23 April 1987). "Gravestones returned home". Ramona Sentinel. pp.  1, A10.
  2. 1 2 3 The Canyoneers (August 29, 2018). "An unassuming cemetery in Mission Hills". San Diego Reader. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  3. 1 2 Page, Eric S. (2022-10-27). "Corpse Pride: We Know Where the Bodies Are Buried This Halloween, San Diego". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  4. 1 2 Dotinga, Randy (2010-11-24). "Fact Check: The Bodies Beneath a San Diego Park". Voice of San Diego. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  5. ↑ "Pioneer Park - From Sacred Space to Soccer Field". 2011-07-24. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  6. ↑ Speciale, Gina (2007-03-15). "SDSU Professor Unearths the Buried Tales". www.sdsu.edu. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  7. ↑ Dotinga, Randy (2018-10-31). "Spooky San Diego: Bodies Lie Beneath as We Walk, Play and Shop". Voice of San Diego. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  8. ↑ "1940 Aerial View of Pioneer Park Cemetery". City of San Diego. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  9. ↑ NBC 7 Staff (27 December 2024). "Driver doing donuts in Mission Hills leaves muddy mess behind at Pioneer Park". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved 24 January 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ Jeannie (2020-10-21). "Pioneer Park". Parks in San Diego. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
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  12. ↑ "Pioneer Park may haunt you – at least with its stories". 2010-11-21. Archived from the original on 21 November 2010. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  13. ↑ "The Glory Years, 1865-1899". San Diego History Center | San Diego, CA | Our City, Our Story. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  14. ↑ "Charles F. Walsh". www.earlyaviators.com. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  15. ↑ "Richard Kerren". San Diego History Center | San Diego, CA | Our City, Our Story. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  16. ↑ "Richard Kerren". San Diego History Center | San Diego, CA | Our City, Our Story. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  17. ↑ "Cave Johnson Couts (1821-1874)". San Diego History Center | San Diego, CA | Our City, Our Story. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  18. ↑ "When "The Lower Light" Was New | San Diego History Center". sandiegohistory.org. Archived from the original on 2016-04-03. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  19. ↑ "India Street and Beyond: A history of the Italian Community of San Diego, 1850-1980 | San Diego Reader". www.sandiegoreader.com. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
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  22. ↑ "Pages From the Diary of Cave Johnson Couts". San Diego History Center | San Diego, CA | Our City, Our Story. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
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  25. ↑ "George Lyons". San Diego History Center | San Diego, CA | Our City, Our Story. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
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