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This is the oldest Naval cemetery on the West Coast
2024-03-05
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Hidden away on an Island in the Bay Area is one of the oldest Naval cemeteries. It is the final resting place of sailors, soldiers, loved ones, a convicted killer and the daughter of the man who penned the Star Spangle Banner. In addition, there are six Russian sailor.
The historical Mare Island cemetery began burials in 1856. Burials continued until its closure in 1921. Totally over 900 burials, there are some very interesting stories to be told about its occupants.
Broken headstone of Murderess Lucy Lawson at Mare Island Cemetery.Photo byFind-A-Grave
Murderess Lucy Lawson
Lucy Lawson was accused of murder, convicted, and sentenced to hang for paying Anderson Shifflett $50 to murder her husband. David Lawson was murdered on March 15, 1875, in Elkton, Virgina. Her brother, Silas Morris also assisted her in the dirty deed. It was rumored that she wanted him murdered because he beat her.
The story even gets better. When the first of her co-conspirators was hung, the rope broke. But they were successful on their second attempt. Just after the hanging, evidence came to light that one of the witnesses who had testified against her was an angry ex-lover. She and her brother received a stay of execution and then pardoned. But it was too late to save the co-conspirator.
After her release from prison in Richmond, Virginia she did not return to the Elkton area. She moved to the Washington D.C. area. She went to work as a nanny for the Military Diplomat Stacy Potts.
Lucy LawsonPhoto byPublic Domain
When Commodore Stacy Potts moved to Mare Island, California, they brought Lucy. She served the Potts family for 35 years. She died in her late 70’s and was buried in the Mare cemetery in 1919.
On his death bed, Silas confessed that he did assist his sister Lucy in the murder. After the murder, her son, George Lawson, worked on a farm in the Elkton area. Her other son, Moses Lawson was fostered in Harrisonburg by the Sheriff. Their mother had little or no contact with them. But yet, George named one of his daughters Lucy.
Have you ever heard Lucy’s story? Let us know in the comments.
Family Killed in German Sabotage Plot
During WW1, the Mackenzie family were killed in 1917 by a likely German sabotage bombing at the Bay Area, Mare Island. Allen Mackenzie (age 46), Melvina Mackenzie (aged 39), Dorothy Mackenzie (aged 11–12), and Mildred Mackenzie (aged 7–8) were all buried at Mare Island.
On July 17, 1917, there was an explosion at the Ammunition Depot on Mare Island. 2,000 tons of black powder exploded. 13 buildings were destroyed, 31 people injured, 6 dead. Chief Gunner Allen MacKenzie, his wife, and two small daughters (Dorothy & Mildred) as well as workmen Neil Damstedt (Ordnance man) and George Stanton (gardener) were amongst the six killed.
An investigation determined the explosion was “the deliberate act of a person or persons unknown.” Strangely, two days earlier there had been a mysterious fire at the stables that killed 12 horses. There was much speculation as to the cause of the explosion. Eventually, the explosion was admitted being a German Army plot by Lieutenant Wilhelm von Brincken, a military attaché in San Francisco.
Interestingly enough, von Brincken made his acting debut under the name William Vaughn in the 1914 silent film “The Redemption of David Corson.” Von Brincken appeared in motion pictures while working at the German consulate in San Francisco. U.S. authorities implicated him in the plots to attack allied ammunition ships and Canadian railroad tunnels.
Dorthey Mac Kenzie's headstone.Photo byFind-a-Grave
Victim Neil C Damstedt is buried in Sunrise Memorial Cemetery, Vallejo, California. The entire Mackenzie family is buried at Mare Island with Military headstones. It is the first time I have ever seen a military headstone that reads “child.” I could not find where George Stanton was laid to rest.
Have you ever heard this story before? Let us know in the comments.
Russian Sailors are Buried Here?
There are six Russian sailors buried at Mare Island. They are believed to date to 1863. Why are they buried in a United State military cemetery?
During the American Civil War, the Imperial Russian fleet suddenly appeared in San Francisco and New York City. Tsar Alexander II had sent his Baltic and Pacific Fleets to the United States to avoid attack from the French.
The ships resided in San Francisco for a year, supporting the Russian community and funding an Eastern Orthodox parish. The six graves in Mare Island are Russian sailors who perished in helping fight a large San Francisco fire on December 29, 1863. They were awarded gold medals in recognition of their efforts.
Six Russian sailor graves at Mare Island.Photo byFind-a-grave
In 2011, their old gravestones, with the words "Russian Sailor" inscribed, were suddenly removed, and replaced with new headstones. Mare Island is a National Historic site. This action was a violation of that standing. It was the Russian Consulate that spent $20,000 to replace the headstones without prior permission.
May 9, 2010, a memorial plaque to the Russians firefighting efforts was installed in San Francisco at The Embarcadero near Pier 7. The inscription on the plaque reads:
"In memory of the selfless and courageous actions of the Russian Imperial Navy sailors while saving the lives of many city residents in suppressing the great fire in San Francisco on October 23, 1863."
To honor the six fallen sailors, The Mare Island Brewing Company released a beer named “Six Buckets Russian Imperial Stout.”
Had you heard about these six Russian before? Let us know in the comments.
Daughter of Francis Scott Key and Mary Tayloe (Lloyd) Key. Her father, Francis Scott Key, was the composer of the Star-Spangled Banner. The Keys are actual ancestors of my and I had no idea that Anna and family were buried in Mare Island until recently.
Anna Key married Daniel Turner on February 25, 1829, at the Key home in Washington D.C. during Turner's single term as a United States representative from North Carolina.
Anna Key TurnerPhoto byPublic Domain via Wikipedia
Daniel Turner graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in. He served in the War of 1812 as an acting Assistant Engineer. This is the war in which Anna’s father compose the national anthem. His was appointed Superintending Engineer for the construction of public works at the Mare Island Navy Yard in 1854, a position he held until his death there.
Daniel (1860), Anna (1884) and some of their children are buried at Mare Island.
Mare Island Closes
After closure, the Mare Island Naval Cemetery quickly became neglected. The closure of the Naval Shipyard the cemetery fell into further decline.
In 1975, the cemetery took its place in the National Register of Historic Places, as part of the Mare Island Naval Ammunition Depot Historic District. But is still in much disrepair.
Where you aware of some of these stories? Let us know in the comments.
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