Oroville Cemetery (aka Old Oroville Cemetery) located at 2600 Feather River Boulevard, was the first organized cemetery in the District. The Oroville Cemetery is designated as a historical cemetery.

The cemetery was originally established in 1857, as a direct result of the discovery of gold in the cemetery which served the gold mining camp of Ophir City. Remains from the existing graveyard were removed from the area now known as Hewitt Claim Park and placed at the Oroville Cemetery. The bodies were moved to the Oroville Cemetery. The results of the hydraulic mining operations are still visible at Hewitt Park today.

In the Oroville Cemetery Register kept by undertaker Jay Hamells, the first burial in the Oroville Cemetery occurred on March 28, 1857. The unfortunate soul was John Cannon from Fairfield County Ohio, died at the age of 30 of unknown causes. His resting place was logged as No 3 Lot 1, Grave 1. Later mapping refers to the plot location as Section G South, Row 13, grave 50.

As time went on, private cemetery ground within the Oroville Cemetery was deeded to the organization:

On September 14, 1876, the Catholic Cemetery, once independent and lying next to the Oroville Cemetery was deeded to the Oroville Cemetery for a sum of "One Dollar, Gold Coin". The transaction was recorded on April 25, 1882.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge #59, deeded their organization's section to the Oroville Cemetery on April 9, 1896 for $40.00.

The Masonic Lodge #103 deeded their cemetery on April 2, 1898 for $60.00.

The Odd Fellows and Masonic Lodge sections are where many of the Civil War Veterans were laid to rest

Grand Army of the Republic and the Women's Relief Corps erected the Civil War Veterans memorial in 1915. Complete with a anchor, cannon, cannon balls and the Gettysburg address

The cemetery is 11.4 acres and is fully developed. Approximately 7,400 are interred.

The Register of 1857 through 1902 documents: date, name, nativity, sex, age, cause of death and where interred. It appears, Mr. Hamells was the undertaker serving Butte County and many of the burials occurred in other areas of the county, state and country, not just the Oroville Cemetery.

In 1895 and 1896 thirty people were buried in the Mount Olive Cemetery which was also called the Hebrew Cemetery and is now referred to as the Jewish Cemetery. On November 11, 1903, the County Board of Supervisors approved the removal of 30 bodies buried in the Mount Olive Cemetery to be buried in the Citizens Cemetery (Oroville Cemetery). The suspicion is these disinterments were due to their not being Jewish. (excerpted from Oroville Cemetery District website)