Bodies unearthed at Stockton's former mental hospital

http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=28205

10 bodies found burried on the hospital grounds 18 months ago are now being unearthed. They all appear to have been burried in redwood coffins which have come apart over the years. The folks doing the digging seem to be sure that the bodies were burried more than 100 years ago.
No one seems to have any clue of the identity of these folks. "The state hopes to determine the gender and approximate age of the people who were buried there. Archaeologists do not expect to learn the identities of the remains."

Does anyone know when this hospital closed? I suppose there were probably once records of patients but if they really were burried 100 years ago I would imagine all the records have perished as well.

I don't know if you know So. Sac area, but this reminds me of the corner of 24th St and Meadowview...

A builder purchased a vacant parcel there and was in the process of putting in for his building permits, when it was discovered that that corner used to be a graveyard 100 years back and still has bodies there. He cannot build on the site unless he 1) pays to find the families so they can move/rebury the bodies or 2) pay for the removal and reburial himself.

100 years back they could just about bury someone anywhere...

Funny how-if it's in the interest of science, people will go through h**l and high water to find out as much as possible about remains. But since these people were in a mental hospital, and now are in the way of money making no one wants to bother. It's a shame.

It is a huge shame. I have an ancestor buried on an 'insane asylum' grounds, she's marked with only a number. They did not care to give these people names.

Opened in 1853, completely closed in 1996.

MagicRose99 said:

I don't know if you know So. Sac area, but this reminds me of the corner of 24th St and Meadowview...

A builder purchased a vacant parcel there and was in the process of putting in for his building permits, when it was discovered that that corner used to be a graveyard 100 years back and still has bodies there. He cannot build on the site unless he 1) pays to find the families so they can move/rebury the bodies or 2) pay for the removal and reburial himself. 100 years back they could just about bury someone anywhere...

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Wow, thats interesting. I used to live in that area and I never knew anything about it. Walked past it everyday going to school and back (70's).
Asked my older sister of the cemetery there, said they found grave stones being used as stepping stones and now there is a community garden growing there.

AlohaGal said:

Wow, thats interesting. I used to live in that area and I never knew anything about it. Walked past it everyday going to school and back (70's).
Asked my older sister of the cemetery there, said they found grave stones being used as stepping stones and now there is a community garden growing there.

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Yes, I believe there is a community garden there now. The developer can't "develop" as long as the bodies are there. It came out a few years ago... It fasinated me because I grew up not far from there.

Sacramento holds so much history because of the gold rush and Sutter's Fort and such... I think it would be fascinating if we could learn it all.