Thursday, October 9, 2025

Dorothy Toy (1917-2019): Dancer Who Broke Racial Barriers

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Dorothy Toy and Paul Wing Plot 72 If you had asked Dorothy Toy late in life how she’d like to be remembered, she might have simply said, “as...
Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Thomas Nocke (1873-1906) & Sadie West (1872-1906): Vaudeville Team Killed in 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

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Only known photos of Thomas Nocke & Sadie West STRANGER'S PLOT - #1136 When the great San Francisco earthquake struck at 5:12 a.m. o...
Thursday, October 2, 2025

Francisco Gonzales (1937–1964): 1960 Olympian who caused fatal plane crash killing 44 people

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Born in Manila in 1937, Francisco Paula Gonzales once carried the promise of an accomplished seaman and even Olympian: he represented the Ph...
Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Horace Seaton (1842-1889): Protégé of a Railroad Baron; Struck Down in His Prime

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Seaton Grave and Death Notice Plot 28, Lot 13 When Horace Seaton died suddenly in Oakland in October 1889 at only forty-six years old, he le...

Lloyd Sampsel (1900-1952): "The Yacht Bandit" Who Topped FBI's "Most Wanted" List

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Booking photo with name misspelled He was once described in society pages as a "charming, debonair yachtsman" — until the headline...
Sunday, September 28, 2025

Colonel David L. Smoot (1835-1900): From Confederate Leader to San Francisco District Attorney

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Smoot Family Gravestone Plot 37 David Lowe Smoot was born in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1835 and rose to prominence during the Civil War as a...
Saturday, September 27, 2025

Anson Barstow (1831-1906): Oakland Businessman and Mayor

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  Barstow obituary and Family Plot Plot 35, Lot 34 Anson Barstow was born on November 29, 1831, in Haverhill, New Hampshire, and like many y...

Orville Caldwell (1896-1967): Actor and Racist Deputy L.A. Mayor

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Orville Caldwell and Grave marker Urn Garden, Grave 30 Orville Robert Caldwell (1896–1967) lived a life that bridged the glamour of silent-e...

Washburne Royal Andrus (1841-1895): Anti-Chinese Oakland Mayor

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Andrus Family Plot Plot 13, Lot 28 Washburne Royal Andrus was a two-term mayor of Oakland during a turbulent period in the city’s history, r...
Thursday, September 25, 2025

William Marriott (1893-1969): MLB Infielder for Chicago, Brooklyn & Boston

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Bill Marriott and Crypt Mausoleum, Garden Terrace, Crypt C281, Tier 2 Bill Marriott  was an American professional baseball infielder, primar...