San Francisco National Cemetery

The San Francisco National Cemetery holds the distinction of being the first national cemetery established on the West Coast. Its creation in eighteen eighty-four was a direct response to the growth of the American military presence in the Pacific. While today it is surrounded by the peaceful scenery of the Presidio, its founding formalized a site that had served as a post cemetery since at least eighteen fifty-four. The remains of soldiers originally buried at abandoned forts and camps across the western frontier were relocated here, creating a central resting place for those who shaped the region's military history.