Our History
A Short History of Cottonwood Cemetery
The Cottonwood Cemetery is located about one-half mile west of Cottonwood, in Shasta County, California, on the south side of West First Street and near the north side of Cottonwood Creek.
In the beginning in the early 187Os the land in that area belonged to a man by the name of William Wilson and his wife Mary Wilson. Their home was located near what is presently the Cottonwood cemetery, Mrs. Wilson died on June 29 1874 and was buried to the Wilson farm.
Prior to Mr. Wilsons death, February 4, 1881, the property was sold to Mr. Riley Linebaugh
In 1886 a group of Cottonwood resident formed the Cottonwood Cemetery Association and purchased two acres of property to use as the Cottonwood Cemetery from Riley Linebaugh for the sum of ten dollars gold coin. The Wilson’s grave was located in the center of this two- acre parcel.
In the early 1900 the Cemetery Association purchased an additional two acres; However, inflation had set in and the purchase price for the two acres was twenty dollars gold coin.
The cemetery was operated as an association until January 1944 when the cemetery district was formed and the first Board of Trustees were appointed by the Shasta County Board of Supervisors.
In 1965 an additional three acres was purchased. The cemetery now consists of seven acres which is all under lawn.
Over the years many improvements have been made including a new shop and office, major maintenance equipment , and irrigation systems.