Santa Rita Catholic Cemetery, Salinas, Monterey County, CA

Directions and info provided by Tim Reese 5 Aug 2009

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The Santa Rita Catholic Cemetery is located at the last block of North Main Street on the 
left hand side, the old "Our Lady of Guadalupe" Chapel sits on the property, in the early 
and mid 20th Century it was used as a church and elementary School. 

The Santa Rita Catholic Cemetery was nearly destroyed in the early 1970's by a cold and 
arogant city administration, seeing how it did not exist on paper (officially) it tried to mow it 
over, sending the interned and headstones in a nearby bog, one of those graves was the son 
of the first California Govenor by the sir name of Alvarado, to make way for LampLighter Inn, 
is which is a trailer park this day. The city of Salinas successfully anialated 65 perscent of 
the cemetery until it was halted by the Catholic Diocese in a California Courtroom, which 
lead to the legistlation that prevents any city or county adminstration from ever trying this 
destructive behavior upon any cemetery (recorded or not) in the name of Urban sprawl
 expandment. To see profile of history of the cemetery , go to the Diocese of Monterey website.