If you like historic cemeteries and discovering the diverse history of our state, keep an eye on the Oregon Commission of Historic Cemeteries which is working to discover and share the stories of interesting Oregonians who have passed on. The Commission’s Cemetery Stories project aims to illustrate all the ways that cemeteries hold value and relevance to us today by sharing fascinating stories of people interred in Oregon’s historic cemeteries.
Cemetery Stories can be accessed via the Oregon Heritage blog, which is updated regularly. A future story still in the works will focus on a historical figure from Oregon’s LGBTQ+ past that you may have never heard of before!
The Oregon Commission of Historic Cemeteries is also actively working to discover more Black burial places in Oregon. One effort that will assist them in that goal is the African American Multiple Property Documentation project, which will develop an overall story of an area related to Black history, in turn making it easier to nominate properties to the National Register. The first property nominated will be Mt. Union Cemetery, which was established in part by Reuben and Mary Jane Holmes Shipley, both formerly enslaved people, who donated part of their farm in 1861 to create the cemetery on the condition that Black people could be buried there.
One recent Commission meeting featured a presentation by Becky Soules, who has been working on maintaining and updating the Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery for 15 years. Her most recent project there involved developing interpretive signage that illustrates the incredible amount of history and data contained in the cemetery. Sadly, the importance of historic cemeteries and the information they hold is often lost on the public. Because of this, efforts to maintain these cemeteries tend to be few, far between, and short-lived. By creating engaging infographics like the ones now on display at Marshfield Cemetery, visitors are reminded of how these historic resources relate to our society and culture in the present day, and why it is important to keep our historic cemeteries well-maintained and accessible.
If you are interested in learning about interpretive signage for historic resources, or the development of really incredible cemetery infographics, you can view a recording of Becky’s presentation on YouTube here.
And if you would like to visit or learn more about the historic cemeteries in your community, this detailed map provides locations for all of the historic cemeteries registered with the Oregon Commission of Historic Cemeteries statewide.