Sacred Ground: The History of Palm Springs’ Welwood Murray Memorial Cemetery

Tucked away along Vine Avenue, just beneath the shadow of Mount San Jacinto, lies a piece of Palm Springs history that many pass by without realizing its significance. The Welwood Murray Memorial Cemetery, featured in this edition of Desert in a Minute with NBC Palm Springs historian Steve Summerall, is more than just a cemetery—it’s a sacred ground that has served the community for over a century.

A Family’s Legacy of Compassion

The cemetery was founded by Dr. Welwood Murray and his wife Elizabeth, who arrived in Palm Springs in 1886 at the request of John McCallum, the city’s first non-Native American settler. Murray, who later opened a hotel and sanatorium on land purchased from McCallum, established the cemetery following a personal tragedy—the passing of his son, Erskine Murray, who was the first person buried there in 1894.

At the time, the nearest cemetery was in Banning, making funeral arrangements challenging. Without refrigeration, bodies were transported at night via wagon to the train station. Moved by the hardship local families faced, the Murrays opened their land to the community, allowing others to bury loved ones locally rather than face the burden of transporting them out of town.

A Lasting Tribute to Palm Springs’ Past

For generations, the Welwood Murray Memorial Cemetery has been a place of peace and reflection, where families can honor and remember those who helped shape Palm Springs.

"May they all rest in peace in this sacred ground which honors our desert past," said Summerall.

As the city’s landscape continues to evolve, the cemetery remains a constant reminder of the compassion and community spirit that built Palm Springs.

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