Sunnyslope Cemetery is the most historically significant property in the city of Corona. This includes the upper burial sites as well as Potters Field. The citizens of Corona incorporated it on October 4, 1892, making this its 120th anniversary. For 122 years, it has been the revered resting place for our citizen’s family, friends, loved ones and finally for us as individuals, who probably are not reading Facebook right now. The South Riverside Land and Water Company, which included the founders and original investors of Corona, had originally designated an area described as “beyond the wash north of the (train) depot”, for a cemetery. Which we now know is a zone prone to flooding. That location worked fine until the winter of 1891. Early city official, William Corkhill wrote, “There were copious rains, so much that the low ground north of the depot was full of water and it was impossible to get to the cemetery. This was an unfortunate condition and the dead had to be buried in the most convenient place.” Having to bury people in convenient places was not a practice the growing city wanted to maintain. Sunnyslope Cemetery is a beautiful, sad place that we as Coronans should treasure and celebrate. For a city with a very blemished record of preserving its past, a great deal of self-congratulations can be heard about our perceived successes. The Potter’s Field at Sunnyslope is ground zero for neglected history. Ironically, a “Historic Marker” commemorating Sunnyslope Cemetery hangs next to the office. I have had many of you tell me of your concern for the rapidly disintegrating headstones. It looks as if many will no longer have readable text within the next decade. We assume the hard water used to irrigate is the culprit for the damage. When queried, Sunnyslope management told us they have no intention to investigate ways to prevent further erosion. Finally, we are getting organized to make a sustained difference. We continue in a process. The efforts to gain accountability for the desecration of the Potter’s Field are the priority. Next, an audit of the operation of all of Sunnyslope and the non-profit organization those professionals manage and pay themselves salaries, which they also determine. On occasion, it is my honor to give various groups tours of those laid to rest at Sunnyslope Cemetery. I enjoy honoring the memories of the men and women who built this town and it is important to pass on this information about our heritage. We need to start being proactive and aggressive in promoting the accurate history of Corona. This is what the Corona History Association is being designed to accomplish. One of the photos is of the first monument ever erected in Corona and is at the entrance of Sunnyslope Cemetery. It was placed in honor of the veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic, the men and women who fought the Civil War. There were several veterans from the War the day in 1906 when it was dedicated. Tributes to the soldiers of each war through Vietnam have also been honored. I am including the details in the book I am working on. You can find the headstone of Robert Taylor and his wife. This man saw this empty land, laid out a circular road and turned it into Corona. He is in the center of his family plot. The only other “founder” of Corona that lived here besides Taylor, George L. Joy and his wife’s monument can be seen too. A very fortunate result of George L. Joy establishing his family in Corona was that his daughter Hetty married William Henry (W.H.) Jameson. Pictured is the Jameson family plot with a number of prominent men and women surrounding the main memorial. W.H. and the Jameson family are as responsible for the long-term success of Corona as any group. When his great-grand daughter visited to take photos a few years ago, cemetery management told her they did not allow pictures. In recent weeks I have taken many, many photos at Sunnyslope and been approached by no one. I can see a printed guide to the inhabitants of Sunnyslope in the future. We will not give up until Potters Field is restored to a place of honor and respect. We will not stop until we are certain Sunnyslope is on the path of perpetual solvency. So it continues...
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 05:51:53 +0000
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