Funerary Burner bricks cleaned of mortar and stacked for future reconstruction.
We believe (as the above image states) that the local Chinese-American community handmade their own bricks from the clay found in Port Costa and built their burner after the great fire of 1872. They had access to the clay as well as the knowledge to create them, since many (if not most of the men in the community) were working as construction day laborers. However as a result of a vicious racially motivated attack in April of 1882, the Chinese-American community of Martinez was run out of town with an unknown number also murdered. Most likely their original burner (now abandoned) would also have been destroyed in subsequent violence.
Again as stated in the above slide we believe that the original burner from the 1870's was incorporated into this newer larger one built most likely around 1910. The Chinese-American community obviously came back to the area after the riot of 1882 to honor their dead but when exactly is unknown. Most likely they did not take up residence again in Martinez, but instead lived in other areas of Contra Costa County and surrounding communities.
Based on the excellent and thorough report given by Dan Mosier (a California Brick Expert), we know that the bricks shown above are from the Port Costa Brick Company circa 1905 - 1964. After it was initially built, they would have continued to replace bricks as needed until it's final abandonment and demise sometime after the mid to late 1960's. There were two types of brick used for its construction, the complete orange finish brick for the exterior and broken half bricks used for the interior. There are many more bricks yet to be extracted from both the foundation and surrounding area which may lay lead to more exciting discoveries. What remains of the burner foundation is shown below.
Again as stated in the above slide we believe that the original burner from the 1870's was incorporated into this newer larger one built most likely around 1910. The Chinese-American community obviously came back to the area after the riot of 1882 to honor their dead but when exactly is unknown. Most likely they did not take up residence again in Martinez, but instead lived in other areas of Contra Costa County and surrounding communities.
Based on the excellent and thorough report given by Dan Mosier (a California Brick Expert), we know that the bricks shown above are from the Port Costa Brick Company circa 1905 - 1964. After it was initially built, they would have continued to replace bricks as needed until it's final abandonment and demise sometime after the mid to late 1960's. There were two types of brick used for its construction, the complete orange finish brick for the exterior and broken half bricks used for the interior. There are many more bricks yet to be extracted from both the foundation and surrounding area which may lay lead to more exciting discoveries. What remains of the burner foundation is shown below.
Alhambra Cemetery Potter's Field, Martinez CA