Union Cemetery, Redwood City
historic place
Union Cemetery, a historic place in Redwood City, San Mateo County, was founded in 1859. It is one of the oldest burial grounds in San Mateo County and was the subject of California's first cemetery legislation. The cemetery's establishment began when a local citizen, Horace Hawes, requested that an improvised burying ground be moved from his property. In 1859, the Union Cemetery Association purchased six acres of land for five hundred dollars. The first burial occurred in March of that year. Union Cemetery contains special plots for the Grand Army of the Republic, the Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Improved Order of Red Men. Notable individuals interred here include founders of the towns of Woodside and Searsville, and James Peace, who raised the first American flag in San Mateo County. In 1889, a life-sized statue of a Civil War soldier was erected in the Grand Army of the Republic plot. This statue became a focal point for Memorial Day ceremonies. The cemetery officially closed for new burials in 1918, though it continued to be used for those unable to afford private plots. Union Cemetery was designated a California Historical Landmark in 1967 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Its history provides insight into the early development of San Mateo County.