| Oregon's Hallowed Heritage |
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| Cultural Markers |
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Woodmen of the World marker
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Each and every one of Oregon's historic cemeteries, no matter how small or obscure is unique to its time and place. If fact, each historic cemetery might be considered as an "outdoor museum" where people of our time may experience the folk arts, architecture, design traditions, landscape and horticultural preferences, and even the literary styles of decades past.
Oregon's historic cemeteries express the traditions and values of the many peoples who made this land their home, from existing tribal societies to newcomers from Europe, Asia, and beyond. Fishing, hunting, logging, mining, ranching, agriculture, religious affiliations, transport and commerce provided the glue around which communities, whatever their heritage, came together.
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| Fascinating Stories |
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People and places
Historic cemeteries can tell us much, if we visit with open eyes and an open mind. Why is this cemetery isolated on a butte in the midst of a clear-cut forest? Why does that row of monuments record the deaths of children within days of each other? Why are crossed axes carved on that pillar? Who was the artist who carved this marker? Were the monuments locally made or did they come overland by train or via maritime shipping? What is the meaning of a draped urn atop a pillar? Why are historic cemeteries often planted with cedar trees, and lilacs, and boxwood? Was the curve of a roadway set by the need to turn a horse drawn hearse?
Along a trail, at the edge of a village, on a homestead claim, or in the churchyards, the people's stories were written in their cemeteries. With the growing interest in heritage tourism, historic cemeteries are becoming a destination for travelers who seek to broaden their understanding of the region they are visiting.
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| Contemporary Value |
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Historic Cemeteries in Contemporary Oregon
In the 21st Century, Oregon's old cemeteries exist as cultural landscapes, as places to be valued, preserved and protected. An encouraging number of groups and individuals are working to help protect and preserve historic cemeteries and burial sites. They recognize and value historic cemeteries as sources of local history often found nowhere else as paper documents degrade or are lost … and memories fade.
Frequently old cemeteries remain as open spaces in urban and congested suburban areas. They are a place to walk or jog, a place for quiet reflection, a place to sit with one's thoughts and to honor those who came before. Historic cemeteries are irreplaceable landscapes in contemporary life; sometimes the only green space to survive in intensely developed industrial and commercial districts. These special places often preserve, in living green, varieties of old time flowers, shrubbery and heritage trees. Equally important, they provide habitat for native birds and wildlife.
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| Threats to Historic Cemeteries |
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Many historic cemeteries in Oregon, on both private property and public, rural and urban, are neglected or forgotten. Sometimes they fall victim to vandalism. Irreplaceable monuments and artifacts may be intentionally destroyed. Some are endangered by new development, or by expanded farming or logging.
Over time stone markers erode and become unreadable. They may break in annual freeze/thaw cycles, or topple in Western Oregon's soggy soils. They may be chipped or scarred by overzealous use of mowers and weed trimmers.
Damaged markers and their fragments may be discarded, preventing any possibility of future restoration. Historic fences and footstones may vanish without a clue.
Cities, towns and counties may view their historic cemeteries as an unnecessary or unaffordable expense, and in the rapid pace of contemporary society there may be no family member nearby who can provide care for historic cemeteries and burial sites.
Local residents who wish to preserve their historic cemeteries often lack both financial resources and technical information needed to prevent such losses.
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