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The citizens of Lake County have a treasure that is quickly

deteriorating and is in danger of being lost for ever.That treasure is

the Koi/Pioneer Cemetery located in Lower Lake. This burial ground

is special in that it contains the remains of some of the earliest

"successful" Anglo-American pioneer family members of Lower Lake, and

unique in that this site also contains the remains of members of the

recently recognized Koi Nation.The Koi Nation is a branch of the

Clearlake Pomos that lived in the Lower Lake area for thousands of years

before the Spanish and Anglo-Americans came to this area and destroyed

their way of life by ways of genocide and vendetta.This site is sacred

ground to the Koi because of it's proximity to the headwaters of the

Copsey and Cache Creeks.The site is also unique in that rarely do you

find Native Americans and Anglo-Americans buried in the same location.In

one instance,side by side.It is also possible that members of the

unrecognized Lake Mewok are buried on this site as their "outpost"

boundaries are but a mile or so from this sacred area.This spot is also

the highest ground in the area,and due to the propensity of flooding,

common sense dictates that the pioneers would place their dead at this

location.The well known flood of 1868 in which vigilantes destroyed the

dam and grist mill in Lower Lake likely contributed to the "population"

of this cemetery as an outbreak of diphtheria was recorded during this

time. Although there are no known records of the total burials in this

cemetery, some of the diseased were likely to have been hastily buried

on this site.Some of the pioneer family decendants I have interviewed

have said that they recall wooden grave markers as late as the

1960's.There is no evidence of those wooden markers today,but at certain

times of the year when the light is right and the grass is low you can

see a few rows of indentations on one slope.The remaining grave markers

and plot boundaries, made of various types of stone and design are in,

for the most part,poor condition. The ravages of time and a period of

vandalism have left this sacred site in a state of neglect and

disrepair.Some headstones are missing,in part, due to vandals but I also

believe that some may be in the possession of family members with the

intent of repairing them. There are also some headstones missing due to

remains being transferred and re-interred in the District 1 Cemetery

located on Lake St. in Lower Lake.Also,an iron gate which once decorated

the Stagecoach Rd. entrance to the site, has been torn down.The only

other fencing around the site is an old dairy farm and slaughterhouse

barb-wire fence, circa late 1880's.On two sides are residences with a

mish mash of modern fencing.The site was also threatened in the early

1980's by a corrupt sexton at the District 1 Cemetery who proposed that

all the known bodies buried in the Koi/Pioneer Cemetery be dug up and

re-interred in the more modern cemetery.He proposed that the 3 acre

historic Koi/Pioneer Cemetery property could then be sold and the

proceeds would be used to "expand" the District 1 Cemetary.We can only

guess as to his true motivation for this proposal, but the cost to do so

would have far exceeded the fair market value of the 3 acre parcel.The

community at large,including decendants of the pioneer families and

members of the Pomo Nation were in such an uproar that the proposal was

eventually dropped.In the early 1990's a proposal to restore the

Koi/Pioneer Cemetery was brought forth by the recently deceased Dan

Roman.Dan was a man who, throughout his life, exemplified the christian

ethics of volunteering his time and efforts to his fellow citizens and

his community at large.Dan did a great deal of research and co-ordinated

a plan along with Miguel Lanigan;a reporter for the Middletown Times

Star,the Lower Lake Community Action Group and Helen Whitney; the Lower

Lake Board of Supervisors representative at that time. Dan Romans

research turned up another unique aspect of the Koi/Pioneer

Cemetery.According to County Assessors records,there has been no

official owner of this 3 acre parcel since 1933! The last known owner

was the Clearlake Land Company which dissolved all it's holdings (with

the exception of 2 shares) in 1933. Mr. Roman along with Supervisor

Whitney brought the restoration plan before the Board of Supervisors but

for some reason, no action was ever taken and Mr.Romans plan languished

at this point.It is probable that the lack of title and the lack of

funding played a significant role in the demise of Mr.Romans efforts.It

is normal that most cemeteries that are no longer utilized, are in the

hands of private families or historical organizations or churches.I

interviewed Dan Roman 12 hours before his untimely death from a heart

attack.What turned out to be his dying wish was that I follow thru and

complete his work.God willing, I will Dan.

Recently,due to an article written by Denise Rockenstein in the March 23

issue of the Clearlake Observer American, on my appeal to restore the

Koi/Pioneer Cemetary,a lady by the name of Ardell Murphy contacted

me.She claims that in the early 1980's an elderly woman came to her and

offered her a deed to the Koi/Pioneer Cemetery. She and her husband

declined as they did not want the responsibility,and I don't blame them

or the county as a whole for that.I on the otherhand, am up for the task

and welcome any information on the deed, or any other info anyone might

have on the souls buried in this sacred site.Also any artifacts REMOVED

from this site can be returned to me,no questions asked and no

intervention will be made by the authorities.I will also be conducting

oral histories with descendants of those buried on this site and other

pioneer families.If you fit into this category PLEASE contact me at one

of the options below.All oral histories will be included in the Lower

Lake Schoolhouse Museum Collection.

The following is a list of all known burials at the Koi/Pioneer Cemetary

in Lower Lake California:

Adams, Amanda H b.1844-1882 d.1/7 (daughter of Nathaniel Herndon)
Fount H b.1840-1935 d.

Asbill , Sarah b.1811-1880 d.

Tyre b.1807-1866 d.

Copsey, Wick b.1858-1885 d.2/1 (nativeson of California) (son of O.J.and MaryCopsey)

Dean, Sterling b.1860-1918 d.

Delilah b. ? -1907 d.11/12 (no marker remains)

Dillard, Stephen M. b.5/10 1809-1867 d.3/30

Green,William B. b.3/10 1815-1873 d.6/30

Herndon, Andrew b.9/25 1859-1872 d.10/26 (no marker ) C.P.

b.7/7 1845-1858 d.7/19 Frances C. b.1878-1880

d. 7/14 (daughter of Francis and Martha)

Francis M. b.1/19 1834-1920 d. 6/14
Martha A. b.1844-1935 d.1/26 (no marker remains)
Mary E. b.10/11 1875-1905 d.9/3
Nathaniel b.9/15 1809-1884 d,12/16 (progenator of California Herndons) William

b.1869-1938 d. (no marker)

Susan C. b.1827 -1869 d.4/25 (nomarker remains)

Hutchinson, Minerva F b.1834-1917 d.1/9
William H. b.3/3 1833-1922 d.6/22

Kirtley, Elijah b.1836-1890 d.

Mitchell,Isaac E, b.8/16 1826-1881 d.7/8

Morris,Ivy b.1800-1881 d.

Patch,George or Tobie b.?-1950 July?

Scarf,Louise Anna b.1819-1874 d.

Thurston,Charles E. b.1826-1867 d.9/16

Wilson,Joseph b.4/17 1788-1870 d.1/31
Lucy S. b.1627-1876 d.9/25

Please contact if you have additional info or would like to help as a volunteer or with financial assistence.

Kevin Engle P.O. Box 611 LowerLake, Ca 95457 Phone:707-995-1237 E-mail:Konoctikid1@webtv.net

 

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