Alameda-Stone Cemetery, commonly called the National cemetery, was used as Tucson's first cemetery from about 1860 to 1875. It was the direct successor of the cemetery inside the Tucson Presidio. The City of Tucson closed the cemetery in 1875 in anticipation of the coming of the railroad and the sale of the cemetery land for residential and commercial uses. In 1881, the city directed that all burials be removed from the National Cemetery and re-interred at the Court Street Cemetery. However, many burials were not removed before the land was subdivided and developed. These volumes document the archaeological investigation of the area from 2006-2008 before construction of a new court building.

To help commemorate Arizona’s centennial on February 14, 2012, a centennial project was begun to inventory and promote the protection of historic cemeteries throughout the state. Historic cemeteries were chosen as the focus of a centennial project because they are important irreplaceable resources many of which are in danger of being lost through neglect, natural erosion, and vandalism. As the Arizona Centennial approached, it seemed appropriate that an organized statewide effort be undertaken to locate, inventory and provide guidance for the conservation and maintenance of these significant properties.