San Luis Rey Pioneer Cemetery

The San Luis Rey Pioneer Cemetery sits on a knoll in the San Luis Rey Valley, established in the late 1860s as a burial place for Protestant settlers of the valley who could not be interred in the Mission San Luis Rey's cemetery, which was reserved for Catholics. The first known burial was Catherine Foss in 1869. Land was formally donated in 1875 by Isaac Kolb and deeded to the San Luis Rey School District in 1876. The cemetery holds approximately 120 burials including pioneers such as Andrew Jackson Myers (founder of Oceanside), members of the Freeman and Myers families, and settlers from families including Goldbaum, Lanpher, Libby, Borden, Hubbert, Cerda, Salgado, and Meza. After decades of neglect and vandalism, including grave desecration in 1992 and theft of headstones, the Oceanside Historical Society organized cleanup efforts beginning in 1991. With support from local organizations and descendants, a protective fence was erected and regular maintenance has been established.