Displacement and Denigration of the Cemetery for Negro Hills, California

Racist headstones have marked the relocated resting place of Negro Hills, California pioneers since 1954. When the Folsom Dam was created in 1954, along with Folsom Lake, numerous communities, including those making up Negro Hills, were submerged under the water of the American River (previously known as el Rio de las Americas when the land was governed by Mexico). Before the communities were submerged, the cemeteries were dug up and moved to a location near the new lake called Mormon Island Relocation Cemetery. The cemetery is in present day El Dorado Hills, on Shadowfax Lane off of Green Valley Road next to Folsom Prison.

After almost 60 years, actions are finally underway to install new headstones with an accurate town name, rather than the racial slur that has marked the graves of 36 "unknown" people from Negro Hills, California. ((i))