Salem Pioneer Cemetery

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Salem Pioneer Cemetery

The Salem Pioneer Cemetery (also known as IOOF Cemetery or Oddfellows Cemetery ) opened in 1854, is a cemetery in Salem , Oregon , who has been in 2013 in Oregon National Register of Historic Places is recorded.

overview

Salem Pioneer Cemetery is one of two historic cemeteries at the intersection of South Commercial and Hoyt Streets . It is located on a hill immediately east of City View Cemetery . There are about 8,000 graves in the cemetery, including the graves of settlers, many of whom followed the Oregon Trail , but also graves of veterans of the military conflicts after 1812. The cemetery has a rectangular orientation and is longitudinally centered in West- East orientation divided by a main path. From this main path, the eastern area is accessed by two heart-shaped paths and the western area by a semi-arch. With the two mausoleums and several stately tombs, the cemetery with its park-like qualities corresponds to a cemetery of the Victorian era.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows established the cemetery in 1854. It had a size of 5 acres (2.02 hectares ). The land was bought by pioneer and Methodist missionary David Leslie (1797–1869). In 1861 and 1926 the cemetery was enlarged to its present size of 16 acres (8.5 hectares). The original name was Odd Fellows Rural Cemetery.

The earliest burials took place in the center around the tomb of David Leslie. Leslie's two youngest daughters were buried there in 1853 or 1854. The Methodist Mission was founded by Reverend Jason Lee in 1834. It was the first Native American mission in the Pacific Northwest . After Samuel R. Thurston introduced the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 to Congress, settlers flocked to the Willamette Valley . The Act granted unmarried white men over 18 years of age 320 acres (1.3 km²) and married couples 640 acres (2.6 km²), each of which owned half and thus the women owned land in their own name. Indians born as a half-breed could also benefit from this grant.

The last burials took place in 1944, after which the cemetery was increasingly neglected. In 1985 the Park Department of the City of Salem agreed to take over the care of the cemetery from the IOOF and the Friends of Pioneer Cemeterys were founded to take care of the cemetery. The Friends of Pioneer Cemetery are a group of citizens who work together to preserve Salem's historic heritage. Today, the descendants of the original settlers are still buried.

The original cemetery entrance was on Commercial Street. It was abandoned in favor of the entrance on Hoyt Street. A gate consisting of a wrought iron grille bordered with brick pillars was built by the Friends of the Pioneer Cemeterys in 1988 on the site of the original entrance gate.

Great personalities

Headstone of Charles H. Bennett

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Salem Pioneer Cemetery ~ Salem, Oregon - History - part of the Marion County Pioneer Cemeteries of Oregon. In: salempioneercemetery.org. Retrieved September 24, 2015 .
  2. a b c d e f Salem Pioneer Cemetery. In: oregonencyclopedia.org. Retrieved September 24, 2015 .
  3. ^ HistoryLink.org- the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. (No longer available online.) In: historylink.org. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016 ; accessed on September 24, 2015 .
  4. ^ Friends of Pioneer Cemetery ~ Salem, Oregon - part of the Marion County Pioneer Cemeteries of Oregon. In: salempioneercemetery.org. Retrieved September 24, 2015 .

Web links

Commons : Salem Pioneer Cemetery  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 44 ° 55 '11.7 "  N , 123 ° 2' 52.1"  W.