This makes me so angry - Historic Gold-Rush Era Cemetery Vandalized

[warrior1]

http://www.kcra.com/news/27519535/detail.html

MARYSVILLE, Calif. -- Marysville police are investigating the destruction of two dozen marble headstones in the historic Marysville City Cemetery.

Cemetery caretakers said the vandalism happened sometime in the last four days.

"They took chains and locks from the front gate," Cemetery Commissioner Roberta Shurtz said Tuesday. "We've counted 26 damaged headstones so far." "My first reaction was anger, then sadness," she said.

Shurtz said many of the headstones are tall and very heavy, some dating back to the 1860s. A sign at the brick gate lists 1850 as the date the cemetery was established.

She said she suspects vandals used a vehicle and ropes to pull over some of the larger family headstones which stood 6 feet high.

In addition to being the final resting place for many Gold Rush 49ers, the 13-acre cemetery holds survivors of the Donner Party and Civil War veterans.

Cemetery volunteers said the city can't afford to repair the damage. There is insurance coverage for the cemetery with a deductible of $5,000.

[hayu_lol]

1. I remembered back about 1970, vandals really wrecked...

the graveyard at Virginia City...really made a mess of the place including destroying the historic markers set up for tourists.

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. I've visited that cemetary. Didn't realize it had been vandalized in the past.

What's wrong with people?

[shraby]

2. All these old cemeteries should be photographed with a

digital camera. Each individual stone can be photographed that way and the photos put on CDs. If the stones are destroyed, badly damaged or deteriorate beyond help, there will always be a record of them.
I have a project going in my county to photograph all the stones in all the cemeteries in the county. It's slow slogging, but I have a good number of the cems done.