Historic Columbian Cemetery

08/16/2026

Another Tool to Help Find a Grave
If you are looking for a burial location in Historic Columbian Cemetery (HCC), have you checked the Find a Grave website?
Genealogical Forum of Oregon volunteers (one family in particular) walked the entire cemetery last summer, row by row, obtaining GPS coordinates for all the grave markers they could find. One participant said, “It was a lot of fun to work on this as a family project. :-) Find a Grave shows far more memorials for folks than have a visible marker. When we started, only 4% of the HCC memorials on Find a Grave had GPS coordinates (approximately 280 graves). When we finished visiting the visible graves, 54% of the memorials had coordinates, or 3710 graves, so we ended up adding coordinates for more than 3400 graves!”
The image shows the GPS coordinates for the cemetery and a closeup of one section. To use this tool, go to Find a Grave, find Historic Columbian Cemetery, and click on Map. Then enter a name to search. Another way is to search for the person from the HCC page. On their memorial, click on Map for an image showing their location.
More markers have been located, and the coordinates are being added as time permits.

08/06/2026

Per Request:

Today, August 6, marks the 77th year since Thelma Anne Taylor was kidnapped and brutally murdered. It’s a day to remember the person she was, a 15-year-old girl with hopes and dreams and a life.
There is no need to rewrite the story of her end. It is all over the internet. She has her own Facebook profile. Wikipedia has a page with the story. She has a memorial on Find a Grave. KOIN 6 did a “Mystery Mondays” segment about the crime. On Facebook, “Forgotten Oregon” and “Ancient Chronicles” have recounted the story, and the list goes on. But don’t believe everything you read. There are discrepancies and tales that beg a little skepticism.
It’s unfortunate that so many of Thelma’s stories include so little about her and transform into lengthy accounts about the person who murdered her. It would be nice if more was known about her, to tell of her life rather than her death.
Thelma Ann Taylor was born on December 12, 1933, to Clarence A. Taylor and Florence (Hoyt) Taylor. U.S. census records from 1930 and 1940 show the family home at 9903 North Oregonian Avenue was the only home Thelma knew. She had a younger sister.
Thelma is said to have enjoyed spending time with her family and helping around the house. She worked doing odd jobs to contribute to the family income. She attended George School for six years and was graduated from James John Grade School in 1947. She attended Roosevelt High School and would have returned as a sophomore in the fall. She was described as quiet and kind.
On August 5, 1949, Thelma left her home in North Portland, reportedly heading out on a routine errand. It was an ordinary day for the family until Thelma didn’t return home.
Thelma was buried in Historic Columbian Cemetery on August 15, 1949. Her grave is marked with a small headstone; a reminder of the life she lived, one that was taken too soon.

Photo courtesy of Cheryl Dillinger, Find a Grave member no. 47565151

08/01/2026

Here is the next addition from the GFO! This is great and exciting, I hope all are enjoying all this information that has been given to help loved ones find there family. I am very happy with everything being accomplished with all the volunteers. They are hoping to have stuff to add here for everyone about once a week or so. I am trying my hardest to get stuff added as they get it to me. Again enjoy!!

Index of Burials

Do you have a connection to the Historic Columbian Cemetery? Are you researching ancestors who may have lived in the area? The Genealogical Forum of Oregon volunteers have created a detailed Index of Burials — 437 pages of information, drawing on decades of archival records to help researchers trace their family history.

What you'll find may include:
· Birth and death dates
· Maiden names for women
· Burial location details (section, block, lot)
· Family relationships uncovered through research (parents, spouses)
· Direct links to Find a Grave® memorials

This Burial Index was built from original cemetery archives — index cards, daybooks, and permits — cross-referenced with Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, the Oregon Death Index, historic newspapers, and more.

Do you have ancestors buried at HCC? Have you made a new connection or broken down a "brick wall"? Explore the Index of Burials and let us know what you discover! 👇

https://gfo.org/resources/digitalarchive/hcc/

Historic Columbian Cemetery The Historic Columbian Cemetery is located one mile south of the Columbia River, along the Columbia Slough in Portland, Oregon. It…

07/30/2026

I have been asked to share this from the GFO Please Enjoy

Cemetery Map!

A Genealogical Forum of Oregon (GFO) volunteer has drawn a detailed map of the blocks and lots in the Historic Columbian Cemetery. It can be viewed on the GFO website as a PDF.

The map was generated from early survey maps of each section, plot books, and extensive ground surveys. It's a work in progress as new information is found.
https://gfo.org/file_download/inline/fe740293-d34b-4b32-b1eb-7f59de0feb76