Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery

Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery Founded in 1855 Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery is publicly owned by Metro Regional Government and is on the National Register for Historic Places.

Metro in partnership with the Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery and the Lone Fir Cemetery Foundation work in concert for the common goal of preserving the history of Lone Fir and furthering the education about one of Oregon's oldest cemeteries. History of Lone Fir
In 1854, J.B. Stephens sold his farm, located a few miles east of the small town of Portland, to Colburn Barrell. On the property was the gr

ave of Stephens' father, Emmor, who died in 1846. Barrell agreed to maintain the grave site. Colburn Barrell was a partner in a passenger steamship line between Portland and Oregon City. On April 8, 1854, the boiler of their steamship Gazelle exploded while moored near Oregon City. The accident killed several people, including Barrell's business partner, Crawford Dobbins, and a passenger. Barrell buried the victims near Stephens and set aside 10 acres as a cemetery. He named the cemetery Mount Crawford in honor of his friend, Crawford Dobbins. By 1866, 20 more acres were added to the original cemetery. Burial plots sold for $10. Colburn thought the cemetery should be owned by the city of Portland and offered it to the city for $4,000. The City Council turned down the offer, citing the location was too far from town. There were no bridges crossing the Willamette River, and the mule-powered Stark Street ferry was slow. Coupled with muddy roads, a funeral procession would be a weary trip at best. The cemetery was eventually sold to Portland investors in 1866 and the name changed to Lone Fir Cemetery for the solitary tree standing on the site. Today, Lone Fir Cemetery is a wooded, landscaped arboretum in the heart of Portland. More than 25,000 people are buried here, from the familiar (Curry, Dekum, Hawthorne, Lane, Lovejoy, Macleay) to the unknown. Decay, neglect and poor record keeping in the early years have led to an estimated 10,000 unknown graves. A visit to Lone Fir Cemetery will reveal the region's rich history. "All nations are represented, all grades of society, all states of wealth and standing. Rich lie here and poor, employer and employee, those with virtue and those without. Death has a way of banishing snobbishness, of cultivating comradeship."

—D.A. Lund, Lone Fir: Silent City of the Dead

Address

SE 26th Ave At SE Stark St
East Portland, OR
97214

www.trimet.org Stop ID 4023 SE Morrison & 20th in Portland Westbound Vehicle Entry: SE 26th, between Stark and Morrison. Pedestrian Entry: SE 20th and SE Morrison.

General information

Comment policy: Welcome to the Lone Fir Cemetery Facebook fan page. The purpose of this page is to share information about Lone Fir Cemetery in Southeast Portland, Oregon. You are encouraged to submit your questions, comments and concerns, but please note this is a moderated online discussion site and is not a public forum. Once posted, Metro reserves the right to delete submissions that contain vulgar language, personal attacks of any kind, or offensive comments that target or disparage any ethnic, racial, sexual or religious group. Further, Metro also reserves the right to delete comments that are: spam or include links to other sites; off topic; advocate illegal activity; promote particular services, products, or political organizations or campaigns; contain personal attacks; contain confidential or proprietary information; raise privacy concerns; identify a minor; or infringe on copyrights or trademarks. The comments expressed on this site do not reflect the opinions and position of the Metro regional government or its officers and employees. Metro does not endorse or sponsor any comment made on this site by parties other than Metro. If you have any questions concerning the operation of this online moderated discussion site, send e-mail to [email protected]. Once posted, the comments made on this site may be considered public records and may be maintained and reproduced. Metro and Lone Fir Cemetery volunteer organizations: * To search the cemetery records- www.oregonmetro.gov/cemeteries * For information on burials, maintenance and general operations please contact Metro directly at [email protected] or phone 503-797-1709. * Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery - If you'd like to receive event notifications and updates from Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery by email, you can subscribe here: http://eepurl.com/mcCRv You can also follow FLFC on Twitter: @LoneFirCemetery, and check out the website at www.friendsoflonefircemetery.org. * Lone Fir Cemetery Foundation - To find out more about the Block 14 Memorial and Heritage Garden and future capital fundraising campaigns the Lone Fir Cemetery Foundation's website www.lonefirblock14.org

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm
Sunday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

(503) 797-1709

Website

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