Lonely Burials
As in here and there.
John T. PARKINSON
died 7 Oct 1862 when enroute to Oregon. Buried in an unknown grave somewhere in the Willow Creek section. The grave was marked with the end gate of a wagon with name and date carved on it, however, no one was ever able to locate it again.
There is a private fenced cemetery about 3 miles directly west of the Big Flat cemetery on the original Frank HARDMAN homestead. There are 2 graves here, one is that of an infant daughter of Ben HARDMAN, the other is that of Grace HARDMAN, 6 year old daughter of Frank HARDMAN.
About 3/4 mile south of the junction of Hwy 245 and a county road west of Hereford there is a small fenced cemetery containing graves of two of ton VAN CLEAVE's children, Edwin and Charles. These boys died of diphtheria in the early 1900's.
There are two infants buried on the old Jim FLEETWOOD ranch on Burnt River, approximately 3 mile east of Hereford on Hwy 245. The graves are on a narrow ridge about 400 feet north of the highway and about 800 feet northeast of the bridge crossing Cow Creek. Buried here is the baby of the Jim FLEETWOODs and the baby of their daughter Alice TETREAU. The graves are not marked but there is a layer of rocks covering each one.
Isaac COLT was killed during the winter of 1890. He was caught in a snow slide while crossing the mountains between Mormon Basin and Clarksville. He is buried on the ranch of his brother, Porter COLT, about 9 miles west of Hereford and just to the right of Hwy 245. The grave is in a high dry place, is surrounded by a steel fence and is quite plain to be seen.
In the Hereford area, buried on the hill above the old Butts place is a woman related to the WHAM's or WHITED's of Unity. Her name is unknown, the old-timers called her Aunt Polly.
Grandma DEVIN is buried a short distance from the graves on the BOYER ranch in the Hereford vicinity. She died in about 1878 or 1879, shortly after the Bannock War. No further information regarding her.
Frank GORDON died at his mine above Whitney and is buried near there. The headboard on his grae is not decipherable and the date of his death is not known.
A few miles up Shirt Tail Creek was located the famous Gold Ridge mine. Two infants are buried at the mine, names unknown. There is also a child buried here by the name of Otto CORD. He was reported to have frozen to death sometime during the latter part of the last century.
1/8 mile south of the town of Cornucopia, on the bank of Pine Creek, is located the grave of Thomas BOBBINGTON. He was a miner and prospector who died of heart attack on 2 June 1894 at age of 79. Also on the bank of Pine Creek about 1/8 mile south of Mr. Bobbington's grave is the grave of an infant, identity unknown who died in 1900.
Mr and Mrs Rees P. WILLIAMS were buried on the WILLIAMS farm about 4 miles west of the little village of Wingville. Their graves were just below the big house on the right hand side in the field. In 1900 the farm was purchased by Cecil STURGILL, who, at the request of Mr. Sam WILLIAMS (son of Rees P. WILLIAMS) plowed over the graves burying the markers on the graves and there is nothing to show where the graves were. This was done in accordance with the wish of the Rees WILLIAMS. Mr. WILLIAMS died 9 Apr 1888 at age of 73 and his wife Jane WILLIAMS died in 1873 at age of 67 years old.
There are two lonely little graves on a big cattle ranch in Lower Powder country about 25 miles NE of Baker City off Hwy 86. The graves are on the Roy hunt place near the old Gilkinson sawmill. These are the 2 children of Lewis and Carrie (JONES) STURGILL who were living at the Sanger mine when the children died of diphtheria. They were Lois and Hilda STURGILL, age 10 and 8. They died on 30 Oct 1893 within one hour of each other. They were cousins of Cecil Sturgill of Baker City.
It was reported there used to be a cemetery close to the Kolb ranch is where the Baker City water reservoir is located. This cemetery has been moved, there is nothing to show where it ever was. However, two of the STURGILL children were buried there, their graves were not marked and were never found. They were the children of William R. and Adeline (Talley) Sturgill and were the sisters of Cecil sturgill of Baker City. Their names were Effie Lenora STURGILL born 12 June 1869 and died 6 Jan 1871 and Esther Elizabeth Sturgill, born 30 Apr 1875 and died 7 Feb 1878. (Note: Oct 2000, the cemetery had since been identified as Fair View Cemetery, all remains removed to Mount Hope Cemetery to make way for the reservoir.)
There is an isolated grave on a stock ranch near Brownlee. It is grave of Tom HEATH who died in 1877. The grave is neglected but is marked with a stone marker.
Jim SUMMERS is buried in an isolated grave on Cuddy Mountain in the panhandle district of Baker County (near Halfway). Mr summers died in 1891. The Forestry Service of Weiser, ID takes care of the grave. It is on a lonely hillside but is fenced.
On the ranch of Don Haight, Jr. is the grave of Hattie WHEELOCK, 4 year old child who died in Apr 1888 of the croup. This is on the original homestead of J. B. WHEELOCK, taken out in 1884, and is about 10 miles east of Halfway going out on the Dry Creek Road. The grave is fenced in but is never cared for.
There are supposed to be 2 or 3 Clark children buried on what is now the Ed Greener place. These burials are on the old Clark homestead. The graves are lost and it is not definitely known whether or not the bodies were moved to the Pine Haven when that cemetery went into use. The Ed Greener place is in Pine Valley.
A child is buried near Pine Creek and just west of the confluence of Fish Creek and the main Pine Creek. This child drowned in Pine Creek and was buried on the homestead of the father, Bill ASHBY, date not known.
There are supposed to be 3 graves on what is now the Walt Blacker place near Carson. They are reportedly the HOOPINGGARDNER cyhildren. It is not believed the graves are now visible.
3 lonely graves are located on a hillside a short distance south of Medical Springs on Hwy 203. Traveling from Baker City toward Union, turn to the right 1/4 mile south of that town. The graves are to the right of the road, are unmarked and difficult to locate. They are on the old Gilkinson farm and are the graves of the little BUTCHER boy, the little TUCKER girl and Mrs. EVELAND. They are early pioneer graves known only to old-time residents of the area.
A small cemetery containing 2 or 3 graves was located south of Home on the Snake River Road. It was on a bench north of Fox Creek and near the old Sisley place. A child of Frank SISLEY is supposed to have been buried there and apparently there were one or 2 other graves. The grave of Frank SISLEY is believed to have been relocated, his stone was removed in the 1950's The site was neglected and is now covered by the waters of the Brownlee Reservoir.
At the mouth of Connor Creek is a lone grave of a little girl who belonged to the EPENGERS family, former residents of the vicinity. The grave is covered with sagebrush, a thin flat stone at each end marked the spot.
The old Connor Creek mining camp, which was about 3 miles from the Snake River, had an old burial ground which was mostly of miners, a good many being Chinese that were killed in the mines of early days. At the mouth of Soda Creek is a lone grave of a man who was trapping otter and accidentlaly shot himself. His identity is not known, this occured a good many years ago. The grave is a short distance from the river.
The father and a sister of Mary D. BASTIAN were buried on their old homestead in the Hibbard Creek area although they may have been moved to Baker City where others of her relatives are buried.
There were two children's graves a few miles above Lime near the little community of Weatherby. The graves are unmarked.
Old time residents remembered a cemetery at Pocahontas close to the old Nelson Placer Mine on Salmon Creek. The first burial there was reportedly Mrs. D. DOBBIN. There are no marked graves there now and present-day residents know nothing of this former burial ground.
There are 3 graves located in the desereted mining town of Bourne, about 8 miles above Sumpter. No markings of any kind remain to reveal the identity of who were buried there.
A Chinese cemetery was formerly located on a hill just east of the town of Sparta. It is now abandoned, the remains having been shipped back to China for burial among their forefathers.