|Cemetery notes and/or description:|
Savannah Memorial Park (aka El Monte Cemetery and Savannah Pioneer Cemetery) was founded in 1850. Burials may exist back into the 1840s. Henry Dalton, owner of Rancho San Francisquito, was riding his property in about 1846, as the story goes, and came upon two graves protected by a cactus hedge. Choosing to respect the site, he set aside approximately two acres for a cemetery. That was the beginning of Savannah Memorial Park. This particular spot was suitable for a cemetery, having a lower water table than the surrounding area. Originally the cemetery was within the boundary of the city of El Monte, which was the first American settlement in Southern California (California Landmark No. 975) and the end of the Santa Fe Trail, but with changing boundaries, is now in the city of Rosemead.
Savannah is owned, operated and maintained by El Monte Cemetery Association. The Association is made up entirely of volunteers who are descended or related to the early pioneers of the area. Many notable pioneers and their descendants are buried at Savannah.