The  Cottonwood  Cemetery is located about one-half mile west of Cottonwood, in Shasta County, California, on the south side of West First Street and near the north side of Cottonwood Creek. 

In the beginning in the early 187Os the land in that area belonged to a man by the name of William  Wilson and his wife Mary  Wilson.  Their home was located near what is presently (1976) known as the Wilson Reserve, (the southwest corner portion of the cemetery),    Mrs. Wilson was a full blood Indian and as was the custom in those days, her relatives lived near them on the farm. 

Mrs. Mary Wilson was the first to die in their family. She died 29 June 1874, aged 35 years and her headstone is the oldest stone in the cemetery. 

Mr. Wilson buried her on the farm as was the custom in those days. And others of the family, they were buried there also.  When Mr. Wilson died he was buried beside his wife, but many Indian relatives were buried in this farm cemetery, besides the Wilsons.  (The Wilsons have gravestones, but many buried there do not have gravestones). 

That portion, about a city block, was donated by the Wilson descendants, as the Cottonwood Cemetery, and was called the Wilson Reserve.   Then additional land has been purchased, and the present cemetery contains about six acres. 

At one time it was decided to bury the Shasta County indigents of this area in the  Wilson Reserve, but after several attempts to do so, they found the grave already taken.  They abandoned  the idea of ever trying to bury in the Wilson Reserve portion of the cemetery again. 

Mrs. Ida  Ellis was on the Cemetery board over 15 years, and it was during her time that a card file systtm was started.  Mr.  Arnold  Brinton is the present caretaker and a good one,  too.  He has cleaned all the old cemetery stones and keeps the cemetery in tip-top condition.  Ida Ellis, Vern Williams, and Rosemary McCabe bought a Veterans stone as a Veterans  memorial and the Veterans Memorial Day services are held there each year.