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Member Exhibit HOME   >>  EXHIBITS  >> MEMBER EXHIBIT     Exhibit Name: Touring Mountain View Cemetery     Overview: This exhibit highlights the more famous of the approximately 170,000 permanent denizens of Oakland's Mountain View Cemetery. If you would like to see this wonderful 220-acre Victorian-era cemetery first-hand, join us at the front gate at 10 a.m., the second Saturday of the month. The cemetery is located at the end of Piedmont Avenue. Click on the "thumbnail" photo to see a larger version with the museum's data about the photo. Click on that version to enjoy an even larger version of the photo. This is a work in progress, so be sure to return later to enjoy even more of Mountain View Cemetery's now silent residents. I have written a book about Mountain View. If you'd like to learn more about the book, visit www.evanosky.info. Dennis Evanosky, docent      Exhibit Objects H26.1474L The Victorian-era gate to Oakland's third cemetery, Mountain View. The cemetery is a paradise for anyone interested in history or architecture. H89.27.3 Jack Hays, one of Mountain View Cemetery's more interesting permanent residents, was the first sheriff of San Francisco. He built the road along Mountain View Cemetery we know as Moraga Avenue.The road led to Fernwood, his spacious home near today's Montclair District. H68.217.1 William Shorey is one of Mountain View Cemetery's few early black residents. He was a sea captain, who led whalers out of San Francisco Bay. He took his family with him to sea. Oakland's Shorey Street is named for him. H26.638A You can admire this handsome landau at the Oakland Museum of California. It belonged to a permanent resident of Mountain View Cemetery's Millionaire's Row, Francis Marion "Borax" Smith. Smith made his fortune processing the sodium borate that gave him his "middle" name. He established a processing plant in Alameda and built a handsome home in East Oakland called Arbor Villa; all that's left is the grand row of palm trees along Ninth Avenue above Park Boulevard. Smith also created the Key Route System. A73.122.13.18 Peder and Jane Sather lived in this fine Italianate home that once sat on the site of today's Preservation Park. Peder and Jane married late in life. When Peder died he left much to his second wife and little to his children and grandchildren. Peder's progeny were not happy. Jane lived her last years in this home, selling off lots across the street to, among others, the brick king Peter Remillard. When Jane died, she could not be buried with Peder, the kids wouldn't have it. For reasons we will likely never know, Borax Smith invited her in and she rests in the Smith mausoleum on Mountain View's Millionaire's Row. In a bit of irony, just "down the road" on Millionaire's Row rests Jane's neighbor in life, Peter Remillard. H96.1.1095 Civil War veterans gather at Mountain View Cemetery's Grand Army of the Republic plot. The Grand Army of the Republic was formed in 1868 to care for the war's widows, orphans and veterans. Over 200 veterans rest in the plot today. This photo was taken in 1921. If one of the veterans pictured here had joined the Union Army in 1861 at age 20, he would be 81 years old in this photo. The monument you see in the background still graces the plot. Notice the trunk of the palm tree. The plot had two; they've long since been replaced with a pair of flowering magnolia gloriosa trees. If you would like to learn more about Mountain View Cemetery's GAR plot, visit www.oaklandhistory.com. Click on Mountain View Cemetery, then Grand Army of the Republic plot. H99.28.1A Frederick William Delger lived with his family in this Italianate home on "19th" Street. Frederick had other ideas for naming the streets around his 10-acre estate, though. He named 19th Street Frederick Street and 20th Street Delger Street. There's a street in between, too. He named that one, of course, William Street. William Street is still there, just across Telegraph Avenue from Sears. Delger was likely Oakland's first millionaire, making his money in the wholesale shoe business. He and his family rest in and around a grand Gothic Revival aediculum -- one of two Fulgenzio Seregni-designed aedicula in the cemetery -- right next door to Charles Crocker on Mountain View Cemetery's Millionaire's Row. To learn more about Seregni, see the next entry about Charles Main. H26.1474EE This photo features Charles Main's Gothic Revival aediculum in Mountain View Cemetery. One can still see this monument today on the small hill to the right of the Gothic Revival chapel inside the cemetery's main gate. Charles Main made his fortune boating supplies on the Sacramento River. In fact, Main owned that river's first side-wheeler, the New England. He was later a partner in what was said to be San Francisco's largest saddle and harness business. He also held an interest in San Francisco's "street railroad" business. He had a hand in widening Kearney Street from Market Street to Broadway to accomodate the "railroad." Frederick William Delger has a similar monument on Millionaire's Row. The Italian sculptor Fulgenzio Seregni designed them both. He also designed the imposing mausoleum where David Doughty Colton rests. It is said that Serengi was paid $50,000 for EACH of these three family memorials. Seregni also designed less imposing (and less expensive) monuments for the A.K.P Harmon and James Latham families, both discussed below. H26.1291A Brevet Brigadier General Ralph Kirkham and his wife, Kate, lived in this house at 8th and Oak streets in Oakland. A Mexican War veteran, Major Kirkham served in the Union Army as chief quartermaster at Fort Point during the Civil War. On March 13 1865, the "brevet giveaway" occured. Ralph had himself brevetted (given an honorary rank) to Lieutanant Colonel, to Colonel and to Brigadier General, all on the same day! "General" Kirkham" (that is how he wished to be addressed) sat as president of Mountain View Cemetery's board of directors. The home you see here held an impressive library of over 2,000 books. Kate played an important role in Oakland's medical history. She witnessed a carriage accident and was horrified to learn that the victim would be transported to San Leandro, the nearest public hospital. She prevailed upon her husband and his wealthy "capitalist" friends to donate money to establish a hospital here in Oakland. Fabiola Hospital is Kate's legacy to Oakland. H26.1274B De Fremery H26.1289B Perkins H68.10.9 Albion Keith Paris (A.K.P) Harmon home on Lake Merritt (Holy Names College in the bacground) H26.1286B Moses Chase H75.77.164 Camron-Stanford House H26.1284A James and Henrietta Latham house H26.122 Brayton Hall, College of California. Isaac Brayton, for whom Brayton Hall is named, is the only person at Mountain View Cemetery to rest on what was once his own property. In 1865, the cemetery's board of trustees, of which Brayton was a member, bought Brayton's 220-acre farm for $13,000. He was paid $3,000 in cash and $10,000 in cemetery bonds. He likely got a pretty good deal on his final resting place as well. H90.55.2C Henry Durant H69.75.40Z Hiram Tubbs, the Tubbs Hotel H26.1250IIII Anthony Chabot, the Chabot Observatory H26.913 Ina Coolbrith and friends H70.62.9 Jack London. Jack London is not buried at Mountain View Cemetery, but his step-father, John London, rests in the Grand Army of the Republic plot. H4632.61 The Pardee Mansion, 1899. Enoch Pardee build this Bracketed Italianate Villa for his wife, Mary, and his young son, George. George later lived here with his own family: his wife Helen Penniman Pardee and their four daughters: Carol, Florence, Madeline and Helen. Enoch served Oakland as its mayor; George followed in his father's footsteps, also serving as Oakland's mayor. George also served California from 1902 to 1906 as governor. Enoch and Mary rest with George and Helen and their daughters in Mountain View Cemetery's "Plot 1." H4463.6K Mills College, El Campanil A58.1.4 Samuel Merritt's residence, 1213 Madison Street. A66.95.68 Joseph Knowland H95.18.1107 Marcus Foster H26.1046 Dedication of the Grand Army of the Republic plot at Mountain View Cemetery. On July 14, 1880, the cemetery trustees donated a portion of plot 12 to the Grand Army of the Republic Lyon Post #8 in Oakland. Judging from the headstones visible in the photograph, this photograph was taken in 1882.