Pioneer Liberty: Restoring the Nearly-Lost Legacy of Local Cemeteries

Thursday, September 18, 2014

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive

Stockton, California

Ever wonder what happened to the now-disappeared pioneer towns of San Joaquin County?

Inspired by a girlhood volunteer project for her 4-H chapter, author and historian Barbara Filbin launched a research quest to honor the pioneers who once settled in Lodi, Acampo and Galt—as well as in those vanished settlements of northern San Joaquin County. Extracting names and dates from the old gravestones of such places as Liberty Cemetery, Barbara has reconstructed the life stories of these pioneers and incorporated them into the many books she has published over the years. The stones of places like Liberty Cemetery have revealed enough detail to lead Barbara to reconstruct the 1850s and 1860s history of the short-lived nearby town of Liberty, as well.

We are honored, this Thursday, to welcome recently-joined new SJGS member Barbara Filbin as our speaker as we kick off the fall season and resume our monthly meetings. We look forward to Barbara's recounting of what she found while researching the Liberty Cemetery—as well as other local cemeteries of historical significance—and how she recorded those in the many books she has published.

Please join us at the Troke Library at 5:45 p.m. tonight to hear Barbara Filbin recount her stories of discovery and research into the local history of the northern portion of our county.