Did you know that it's illegal to operate a cemetery in San Francisco? In fact, it has been illegal since 1902, a law put into affect by the City and County Board of Supervisors due to public health concerns, crime, and limited space. Laurel Hill and Calvary Cemetery, the largest cemeteries in the city were ordered to move their eternal residents to another location. A long fight resulted, but in 1942, the last bodies were removed from the Laurel Hill Cemetery. Today two old cemeteries remain in the city, The San Francisco National Cemetery and The Mission Dolores Cemetery, but neither are looking for new tenants.

Then what does San Francisco do with their dead? Thanks to Roman Catholic Archbishop, Patrick Riordan, a movement was started to give these residents a new resting place in Colma five miles to the south of the city. Riordan personally blessed what was a potato field as a new home for the dead. Thousands of graves were exhumed and moved to vaults beneath a mound in what was to become known as Cypress Lawn Cemetery. A stone obelisk in the image of Father Time was put over this mound and near the base is inscribed the story of Laurel Hill Cemetery. Colma has since become a virtual city of the dead...a place where the the living are sorely outnumbered. It may not be a good place to take a midnight stroll.