Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery

The Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery is a pioneer cemetery in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. It is located at the west end of the city along the Tualatin Valley Highway and adjacent to Dairy Creek. The 8.42-acre (3.41 ha) cemetery comprises three formerly private cemeteries. In 1973, the city of Hillsboro gained title to what is the oldest cemetery in Washington County.[1]

Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery
Entrance to the cemetery
Details
Established1860
Location
Hillsboro, Oregon
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°31′14″N 123°00′22″W
TypePublic
Owned byCity of Hillsboro
Size8.42 acres (3.41 ha)

History

The cemetery is situated on what was previously part of the David Hill land claim that was recorded on July 4, 1847.[2] Hill died in 1850, and in 1860 the Masonic Order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) established a cemetery on the current site.[3] The IOOF portion of the cemetery was to the east of the Masons' part.[4] Around 1915 another section owned by IOOF was added west of the Masons' section.[4] On August 7, 1973, the city of Hillsboro received the deeds to the cemeteries and took over maintenance and operations.[4]

In 1995, 155 grave sites were vandalized, causing over $75,000 in damage.[5] The city made improvements in 2012 with the addition of an arched, wrought-iron entry and information kiosk.[3] Paid for in part by a state grant, the project cost $13,000 to complete.[3] In 2014, the city completed a master plan to make $1.7 million in improvements, including sidewalks, parking, and fencing.[6]

Details

Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery is an irreducible fund cemetery organized under Oregon Revised Statutes 65.860 where all funds received go into a fund that is not reduced and only interest is used for maintenance.[7][8] Hillsboro's city recorder manages all records of the facility.[9] The Hillsboro Historical Society holds a semi-annual event at the cemetery that includes re-enactments by actors demonstrating the lives of some of those buried at the cemetery.[10]

Notable burials
Tongue family obelisk at the cemetery.

References
  1. Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery Inscriptions. Cemeteries. Retrieved on February 29, 2008.
  2. Byrd, Dean H., Stanley R. Clarke, and Janice M. Healy. 2001. Oregon Burial Site Guide. Portland, Or: Binford & Mort Pub.
  3. Parks, Casey (May 31, 2012). "Hillsboro unveils new entryway, kiosk at pioneer cemetery". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
  4. Historic names mark old gravestones. Hillsboro Argus, October 19, 1976.
  5. Danks, Holly (August 17, 1995). "Vandals wreck Hillsboro graves". The Oregonian.
  6. Hammill, Luke (June 4, 2014). "Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery the subject of $1.7 million plan for improvements". The Oregonian. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  7. Irreducible Fund Cemeteries. Oregon Division of Finance and Corporate Securities. Retrieved on February 29, 2008.
  8. List of IR Cemeteries. Oregon Division of Finance and Corporate Securities. Retrieved on February 29, 2008.
  9. City Recorder. Archived 2008-02-25 at the Wayback Machine City of Hillsboro. Retrieved on February 29, 2008.
  10. Homepage. Hillsboro Historical Society. Retrieved on June 19, 2007.
  11. Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery Inscriptions, S - T. Cemeteries. Retrieved on February 29, 2008.
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