Long Beach cemetery brings local history to life with tour

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- History was brought to life at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach.

The Long Beach Historical Society sponsored its 23rd tour of local cemeteries.

More than 1,200 people paid $25 each to hear tales of the dead at Sunnyside Cemetery.

The cemetery marks the lives of people buried from the mid-1800s to the early 1990s.

The event takes place every year on the last Saturday of October.

This year featured Japanese-American residents who lived in the harbor area.

The Historical Society combs through newspaper archives to find interesting stories of those buried in Long Beach.

Sunnyside is the final home to many Japanese-Americans who suffered internment during World War II and about 220 former Union soldiers.

The 13-acre cemetery is the final resting place for 16,300 souls.