The Los Angeles Historic Cemetery was opened in 1877 when the City approved the privately developed Evergreen Cemetery in Boyle Heights, at the eastern boundary of Los Angeles City on the north side of First Street between Evergreen and Lorena. Approximately nine acres of the cemetery land was required to be set-aside at its eastern end for a public cemetery for indigents.

It appears that the Chinese were burying their dead there by 1885 and continued until 1923. A Chinese shrine, complete with burner for ritual funeral practices, was completed in 1888. It is interesting to note that Chinese, who were not allowed in other cemeteries, had to pay to be buried in the potter’s field, whereas indigents were buried at public cost. After 1923, the potter’s field was full; the City deeded its property back to Evergreen for maintenance, while the southerly third was turned over to the County of Los Angeles to build a crematorium facility.

In 2005, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority began construction of the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension. The extension project was a six-mile light rail transit line with 1.7 miles of twin tunnels under First Street, along the southern edge of Evergreen Cemetery. During the first day of mass grading at the eastern end of the tunnel, which required widening of First Street into a portion of the Crematorium property (part of former potter’s field), workers unearthed several skeletal remains and associated funeral items.

During the investigation of the disturbed area, MTA environmental specialist Carl Ripaldi accompanied a Society delegation to the excavation site. The group was dismayed to discover discarded grave markers along a garden path at the Los Angeles County Crematorium. Most of the markers, some whole, some broken fragments, had engraved Chinese characters, of a deceased person’s name, place of origin, and date of death. Some of the pieces had engravings on the front and the back indicating that one grave marker could have been repurposed for multiple people. Each grave marker is made of white marble with gray striations, and ranges in length from eight inches to over two feet.