With this prompt I will be talking about the story, as we know it now, of how Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery in Carson, California was formed. This post isn’t about a specific ancestor, but it was what popped in my head first when I saw this prompt.
I am working with Aisha Woods, the founder of the Margie L Woods Foundation, to build the history of Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery. We have seen evidence in newspaper clippings about who was connected to the cemetery in the early days. Names like J.W. Poulson, who was noted as owning the land at some point before 1930 (likely even earlier); Robert Calver R.C. Mason – a realtor; Pierre Ellis Myers, a realtor who worked closely with the community to build the cemetery for the local people especially. There are also names like Irene Givens, who was one of the first African American women to run a cemetery.
A lot of the history in the newspapers related to the cemetery early days have been scant. I was able to narrow down some search queries on Newspapers.com and finally find the first results related to those who wanted to start the cemetery. The locals and the county Board of Supervisors had at first rejected the permit for the cemetery. We still haven’t found out how they eventually got it approved. There is a chance that the reason it got approved is because the realtors appealed to the community. We know that Pierre E Myers went to many churches and attending many events to build up interest in the cemetery.
The final details about who had owned the land and who organized to bring the cemetery to reality have not been fully discovered. But from the details we have so far, it seems like it took a community wide effort. Pierre E. Myers practically going door to door. Attending events and ensuring that this endeavor would be community focused. It became the communities cemetery, not just some a long term investment for the original planners.
Regardless of whether the original developers had altruistic beliefs about forming this cemetery or not, what the story of Lincoln shows me that it takes the community to make something happen. One individual cannot make something a reality. Especially when it comes to something that benefits the whole community. The leaders in the community came together and backed the cemetery and members in the community trusted that the investment they made for their and their family’s resting place. It was the community that made Lincoln a reality.
Lincoln has gone through a lot over the years with several scandals. The most recent scandal was the owner of the cemetery abandoning it in 2023. And just like community members at the founding coming together to found the cemetery, it has taken community members like Aisha Woods, Valerie Holyfield, Felicia Jones, and so many others to come together and bring the cemetery back to life. It takes community to bring important things to life, or back to life in the case of Lincoln.
On Their Shoulders 