DUBLIN CEMETERY

6600 Donlon Way, Dublin, California

This site is a very impressive one. It includes the 1856 Murray School, St. Raymond’s Catholic Church (1860) and an extraordinary historic cemetery which began in 1859. The cemetery originally belonged to the Catholic Church with the non-sectarian portion at the west end deeded by James W. Dougherty. The cemetery is now owned by the City of Dublin. The Dublin Historic Preservation Association (estab. 1975) deserves our thanks for their consistent support for and advocacy of these historic resources.

Tom Donlon, who was working on the Church’s roof in 1859, fell to his death and is the first recorded person buried in this cemetery. There may have been earlier burials.

This tour information focuses on San Ramon and Tassajara Valley pioneers buried in the Dublin cemetery. These persons include: Coats, Glass, Harlan, Lynch, McPherson/Williams, Norris, Olsson, Rasmussen and, of course, Dougherty. Two of the large panels at grave sites (Norris and Harlan) have some incorrect dates.

Please note that the cemetery is located on Ohlone (Costanoan) land which was probably occupied by Seunen people before the Spanish invaded Alta California in 1769. The first Spanish expedition to travel through the San Ramon Valley arrived in 1772.  It is also Jose Maria Amador’s San Ramon Rancho land. A Spanish soldier born in the SF Presidio in 1794, he was granted this land in 1834 by the Mexican government and his large headquarters covered the intersection Dublin Blvd. and San Ramon Rd.