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The Asylum Burial Ground consisted of a fourteen-acre plot of ground, five of which were devoted tot he burial plat. It was located on North California Street just west of the Rural Cemetery.
The land was purchased in January, 1875, from Albina Sedgewick for $2,700. The plot was landscaped with cypress trees, and arbors were built under the shady oaks according to the custom at that time.
It was used as a cemetery for about forty-five years, and up to 1919, there had been 4,467 burials of inmates of the Stockton State Hospital. Before March, 1875, the State Hospital had used a cemetery on the grounds behind the Female Department Building. Of those buried behind the Female Department, 1,619 remains were exhumed and moved t the new location on North California Street.
In 1925-26 plans were made to abandon this cemetery, and some of the remains were taken up adn cremated; but an estimated 3,572 bodies remained to be cremated later. All the names of these bodies are carefully recorded at the State Hospital. The property was sold to the Karl Ross Post of the American Legion in 1948. The AL sold the property to St. Joseph's Hospital around 1953.
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In the past year (2000-2001), I have been in contact with every person, county, state office I can think of to find records of this cemetery. I finally made contact with The San Joaquin Historical Society today, and spoke with a member of the society who has knowledge of some of the original burial records. I am hoping to obtain permission to copy the names & dates of death from these records.
I will not even consider recording the cause of death, as the records are of medical nature, and not public. With this list, I may be able to provide a name & date of death for those seeking death records for their ancestors. With the above information, one would be able to obtain a death certificate which will allow them to request the actual medical records (only available to a proven family member).
Please watch this site for more information on the removal of the bodies from the California Street cemetery to Rural and other local cemeteries.
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