The Mountain View Cemetery is a rural cemetery in Oakland, California, United States. It was established in 1863 by a group of East Bay pioneers under the California Rural Cemetery Act of 1859. The association they formed still operates the cemetery today. Mountain View was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who also designed New York City's Central Park and much of UC Berkeley and Stanford University.
Many of California's important historical figures, drawn by Olmsted's reputation, are buried here. There are many grandiose crypts in tribute to the wealthy, especially along the ridge section with a view across the Bay to the San Francisco skyline, known as "Millionaires' Row". Because of this, and its beautiful setting, the cemetery is a tourist draw. Tours led by docents began in 1970.
Design
Olmsted's intent was to create a space that would express a harmony between humankind and the natural setting. In the view of 19th century English and American romantics, park-like cemeteries, such as Mountain View, represented the peace of nature, to which humanity's soul returns. Olmsted, drawing upon the concepts of American Transcendentalism, integrated Parisian grand monuments and broad avenues.
Adjoining Mountain View Cemetery is Saint Mary Cemetery and the Chapel of the Chimes mausoleum and columbarium.
Notable burials
There are many notable people interred in Mountain View; many are local figures in California history, but others have achieved wider fame.
Politicians and government officials
Washington Bartlett, Mayor of San Francisco (1882–1884), Governor of California (1887) Coles Bashford, Governor of Wisconsin and Arizona Territory politician Leonard W. Buck, rancher, California State Senator. Warren B. English, US Representative (D) California John B. Felton, Mayor of Oakland (1869–70) William M. Gwin, one of California's first U.S. Senators Henry H. Haight, Governor of California (1867–71) William Knowland, U.S. Senator, Publisher, Oakland Tribune Adolphus Frederic St. Sure, Federal Judge Samuel Merritt, early Mayor of Oakland Romualdo Pacheco, Governor of California (1875) George Pardee, Governor of California (1903–1907) George C. Perkins, Governor of California (1880–1883); U.S. Senator (1893–1915). Richard P. Hammond, Speaker of the California State Assembly (January - May 1852) and former U.S. Army Major
Industrialists and business people
Warren A. Bechtel, industrialist, founder of the Bechtel company
Anthony Chabot, father of hydraulic mining and benefactor of Chabot Space & Science Center Charles Crocker, railroad magnate, banker William E. Dargie, Owner, Oakland Tribune J. A. Folger, founder of Folgers Coffee Peter Folger, American coffee heir, socialite Domingo Ghirardelli, namesake of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company Henry J. Kaiser, father of modern American shipbuilding Ingemar Henry Lundquist, mechanical engineer, and inventor of over the wire balloon angioplasty Joe Shoong, Chinese immigrant and founder of the National Dollar Stores chain Francis Marion Smith, the "Borax King" Charles Miner Goodall, Co-Founder of the Pacific Coast Steamship Company Lewis Bradbury, a gold-mining millionaire who owned the Tajo Mine in Mexico, and later became a real estate developer
Military
Brigadier General Henry Brevard Davidson of the Confederate States Army
John Coffee Hays, Texas Ranger and first sheriff of San Francisco
Eli L. Huggins, Indian Wars soldier and Medal of Honor recipient
Henry T. Johns, American Civil War soldier and Medal of Honor recipient
Oscar Fitzalan Long, Indian Wars soldier and Medal of Honor recipient
Jeremiah C. Sullivan, Union Army general and staff member of Ulysses S. Grant
Adam Weissel, United States Navy sailor and Medal of Honor recipient
Arts and culture
Lucy Adeline Briggs Cole Rawson Peckinpah Smallman, botanical artist and plant collector. Leandro Campanari, Italian-American violinist, conductor, composer and music teacher. Herbert A. Collins, landscape and portrait artist Ina Coolbrith, California's first poet laureate Andre Hicks (aka Mac Dre), Bay Area rapper, record label owner, and producer Thomas Hill, artist William Keith, California landscape artist Bernard Maybeck, architect Julia Morgan, architect Frank Norris, author Floyd Salas, author Isabel Seal Stovel, organizers of the City of San Francisco Music Week Bella French Swisher (1837–1893), writer Douglas Tilden, sculptor