[AV Cemetery District, 3-7-2018] — Monday, March 12, 2018, is the 90th anniversary of one of California's greatest tragedies — the St. Francis Dam disaster. The remnants of the dam are located in San Francisquito Canyon, about five miles northeast of Magic Mountain.

At 11:57 p.m., March 12, 1928, Louis Burns, brother Harry Burns, and co-worker Henry Mathis along with their families, were all part of the Power Plant No. 2 community. They all worked for the Bureau of Power and Light. Louis lived in Cottage 18; Harry in Cottage 16; and Henry in Cottage 17. The dam broke and sent over 12 billion gallons of water racing down the Santa Clara River Valley, 54 miles to the ocean. Over 450 lives were lost.

For 90 years the Burns' family and Dorothy Fay Mathis have been lost in time without any type of marker or memorial. Through Friends of the Lancaster Cemetery, a granite memorial will be placed in a central location at the Burns' family plot and each family member will be remembered with their own granite marker.

A remembrance service will be held at Antelope Valley Cemetery District/Lancaster Cemetery, 111 E. Lancaster Blvd., in Lancaster, on Monday, March 12, at 10 a.m.