The Pioneer Cemetery on what is how CA Hwy 12 near the town of San Andreas was created in 1851. It was initially named the North Branch Cemetery after the town that once stood opposite the cemetery. Most of the grave markers are gone, likely made of wood that has long since rotted away. There are few left of stone.

A small section of the cemetery includes the interred remains of those who had been buried at the old mining town of Poverty Bar. Poverty Bar was located on the southern bank of the Mokelumne River and had its own post office from 1858 to 1864. Poverty Barn had two large fires, the second being as a result of arson, in 1859. The town declined quickly. In 1964, forty-eight graves from Poverty Bar were moved to Pioneer Cemetery just before the townsite was covered by the rising waters of Camanche Reservoir.

Calaveras County
Elevation: around 800 ft.

Date visited: May 15, 2020

View of Pioneer Cemetery

The cemetery lies on a hillside overlooking CA Hwy 12. The townsite of North Branch would have been on the bend of the North Fork Calaveras River as it started to bend from running westward to southward.