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‘How Could This Happen?’: A Century Of Marti-Colon Cemetery, Justin White

University Library Publications and Presentations

The Marti-Colon cemetery, originally purchased by the city in 1896 as a final resting place for the residents of West Tampa, has repeatedly failed its charge of “perpetual care” over its extensive existence.^[1] Backed by a collection of resources compiled by Henry Echezabal in his search to find missing graves of Centro Asturiano members, the accounts of mismanagement, failure of government oversight, buryovers, and general neglect create a story that spans over 100 years and still affects West Tampa families.

In 1903, J. L. Reed Sr. purchased the land that would encompass the Marti-Colon Cemetery. In the 1930s, when …