Featured Destination Story

Brother Jonathan Memorial Cemetery

Crescent City, CA

Overlooking the rugged Pacific coastline in Crescent City, the Brother Jonathan Memorial Cemetery is a poignant reminder of a maritime tragedy that unfolded over a century and a half ago. As visitors enter the park of the same name, they overlook the sometimes turbulent waters of the Pacific Ocean that claimed the lives of 225 people on July 30, 1865. The cemetery, dedicated to the memory of those who perished in the Brother Jonathan shipwreck, serves as a solemn tribute to their lives and a testament to the power of the sea.

Loaded with gold and redwood logs, the Brother Jonathan, a luxurious side-wheel steamer, was en route from San Francisco to Portland when it encountered a violent storm off the coast of Crescent City. The ship struck the St. George Reef and sank within minutes, leaving hundreds of passengers and crew members struggling for survival in the frigid waters. Only those 19 individuals who loaded the first lifeboat survived the disaster, making it one of the deadliest shipwrecks in California history.