You Can’t Be Buried In San Francisco Anymore.
Yep, you read that correctly.
So where are all the dead bodies? They always ask.
Colma! I answer. Where did they used-
Long story short, San Francisco used to have a bunch of cemeteries- until the Board of Supervisors outlawed all new burials in 1900. And that was when the two cemeteries underneath what is now Dolores Park purchased farmland in a tiny town just south of San Francisco. Last I checked there were at least seventeen cemeteries in Colma- and a random
But that’s not the point here. San Franciscans are known for being the rebels, the trendsetters, the rule-benders: these three individuals will remain in the City by the Water forever.
1. Harvey Milk
After Harvey Milk’s assassination, his friends split his remains into three parts. They were worried someone would try to destroy them. One set was scattered at sea. Another is kept at The San Francisco Columbarium and Funeral Home. This is the only non-denominational final resting place in the City that still has space available. Harvey’s crypt is pictured above.
Harvey’s final set of ashes is underneath the plaque in front of his former camera shop, 575 Castro St (pictured above). This location also served as his primary residence and campaign headquarters. In fact many parts of the film Milk (2008) were filmed at the original Castro neighborhood locations.
2. James Sullivan
James Sullivan was a prizefighter and hired enforcer who was found dead in his jail cell. His death is a matter of much speculation.
He’s buried in the Mission Dolores cemetery, one of only a handful of cemeteries that still remain in the City limits. You can visit during normal business hours (I believe one of the cemeteries in the Presidio might be open to the public as well but don’t quote me on it). The Mission is one of the oldest buildings in the United States and the grave markers date from 1830 to around 1898!
Learn more information about visiting (and it is well worth it) here.
3. Thomas Starr King
Thomas Starr King was an orator, minister, and Freemason. He became very influential in California politics during the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln credited him with helping keep California as part of the Union.
Thomas Starr King has been referred to as “The Orator Who Saved the Nation.” You’ll find his sarcophagus on Cathedral Hill (pictured above) 1143 Franklin St.
What if I told you there was a park in San Francisco where the pavement is repurposed tombstones? It is the meeting location for my Hippie Haight Ashbury Tour- you can find out more information here