For History Buffs Only...
Historic Cementerio El Encinal Tells
its Own Community Story
Take a tour through historic Cementerio El Encinal and see for yourself the picture it paints of Monterey’s past.
Cementerio El Encinal, translated cemetery of many oaks, is situated in
a park-like setting that overlooks Lake El Estero in the heart of downtown Monterey.
Generations of Monterey families and many of those colorful characters who defined our bayside community now rest amid the sentinel oaks.
Some locals found in this historic setting include: Ed “Doc” Ricketts, long-time companion of John Steinbeck; Flora Adams, infamous “madame” of Cannery Row; and Samuel Powers, bronc buster,
stagecoach driver and 17-Mile-Drive gatekeeper.
Other notable figures are Jack Swan, founder of California’s First Theater; William Robinson, Monterey’s first sheriff; and Emma Johnson, who took her place in the annals of Monterey history simply because her tombstone states “she was always right.”
Another interesting figure is Jasper M. Barthelow, whose tall, marble headstone dates from the 1800s. The purchase of his plot is documented in the cemetery’s original 19-century record book, which is still in use today.
A brochure is available to guide visitors to the various sites.
Some interesting facts
For decades, the historic 10-acre cemetery has been maintained and operated by the City. The Roman Catholic Church deeded the then grassless property to the City in 1933. The cemetery office was a wooden shed with a wooden floor,
a pot-bellied stove and a metal outhouse until 1970. Then the City purchased two structures left over
from a local celebration for $75 each and built a new office. In 1997, a new cemetery office building was constructed, along with
a new columbarium, and a new service building and yard.
Today Cementerio El Encinal continues to provide local families with a broad range of burial services and assistance.
For more info on the City’s cemetery services, call 831.646.3864. Eye on Monterey, a 30-minute City TV show which airs on cable Ch. 25, will feature Cementerio El Encinal in late June. Eye on Monterey airs on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. and Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 a.m.
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