Infant Bair

We've noticed several unmarked markers in the cemetery. We've each come up with different theories as to why there would be an unmarked marker. One of my theories was that they were for the unknowns who are buried here. But that doesn't appear to be the case.
While looking for Infant Bair's marker today in Section F, Lot 7-8, grave nr 3 I cleaned off this marker. This infant was buried on February 20, 1926. Maybe soon we may have an answer as to why there are unmarked monuments in the cemetery.

Civil War Veterans

The new TV show on NBC, Who Do You Think You Are, featured Matthew Broderick who found out that one of his ancestors was a Civil War Veteran who survived Gettysburg, but who did die in a later battle in Georgia. It is a very interesting show and well worth watching. There are quite a few Civil War Veteran's graves at Multnomah Park from all parts of the Union. Here are a few of them. You can discover them scattered throughout the cemetery.

Corporal James M. Tefft.
Company G.
7th Kansas Cavalry


Born: April 18, 1843, Michigan
Died: June 9, 1910, Portland, Oregon











Benjamin H. Stone.
Co. A.
50th Wisconsin Infantry


Born:
Died: August 23, 1910, Multnomah County





Stephen D. Cole
Co. O.
1st Oregon Infantry

Born:
Died: July 24, 1922, Portland, Oregon













Corporal David Fessler
Co. B.
2nd Indiana Cavalry

Born: ~1835, Pennsylvania
Died: March 17, 1915, Portland, Oregon














Private Isaac Clark
Company K
1st New York Dragoons

Born: January 10, 1839, Pennsylvania
Died: January 20, 1910, Multnomah County, Oregon

Who is HATT-- AD-- ?

So, who is HATT-- AD-- ?

Mysteries abound in the old cemetery. Of that we all know full well. We also have an "Ethel A". We have eleven "Unknowns": one unknown burial; 3 unknown infants; and seven unknown man's. The unknown infants and four of the unknown mans were buried in 1930-31; while the effects of the Great Depression were still being felt. We can only speculate as to their cause of death.

Of HATT-- AD-- we know no more. We can speculate that she was buried close to the time that people surrounding her were also buried - possibly in the 1920's era. What is the name? Possibly Hattie Adam(s)? If so there is a Hattie Adams who died in Portland in July of 1917. This could be her, but again, it probably is not.

Why was her name recorded as such? Was someone's handwriting that illegible? Maybe. We'll have to look at the original records - if they are extant.

Meanwhile, the more we find, the more we are intrigued.

David

Lone Pine Cemetery, Ariel, Washington

On a recent trip back from Mount St Helens I stopped by the Lone Pine Cemetery just outside Ariel, Washington. I had never stopped here before.
Once in the cemetery it is quite interesting to see with the old section surrounded on two sides by a newer section






I walked down the hill to get a photo of the Cemetery sign and on my walk down I noticed two piles of rocks and some flowers next to a Rhododendron.









There at the bottom of the hill at the lowest point and the farthest away from the graves at the top of the hill were two graves. They were for "Indian Jim" and "Indian George".








As I stood looking at Indian Jim's and Indian George's Monuments I thought that we had come quite a ways since these two were buried here. At least we wouldn't treat these individuals like this today.








And then I got home and heard the news that several Congressmen and other individuals were called names in Washington, DC. And I thought, that no, we really haven't come very far from the days that Indian Jim and Indian George were treated as lower class people, buried at the bottom of the hill, while the good people of Ariel were buried at the top.

I wish I were wrong.

David.

Abbotts

Their eyes stare out from their photos for us to see. I'd really like to know what everyone at Multnomah Park looked like, but that won't happen. But, here are photos of a Mother and a Son who are at Multnomah Park. Photos that were identified by someone who took the time to record their names, and photos who have been given from one family member to another. I feel sad when I see unidentified photos in 'antique' shops. It is almost akin to seeing a grave of an 'unknown'.

There has been a request for a photo of Alfred Abbott's monument on Find A Grave. It's not where it is supposed to be. Why, I don't know. He is supposed to be in A, 160, somewhere, but I've not found him there. There are seven other people who are recorded on monuments there, but his is not one of them. We'll keep searching for him though. We have been a bit more lucky with his Mother's monument though. Her's is in Section H, Lot 5-5, nr 1.

The search for Alfred's monument goes on. Hopefully we'll find it as we mothodically continue our work verifying monument locations.

Photos of Alfred and Ruth Ann are courtesy of Kay Weeks.

Birds in the Cemetery

There's a fair number of birds in the Cemetery. I've seen a female Anna's Hummingbird collecting nesting material in February, and today heard a male Anna's displaying.

During the last several weeks there's been a Coopers Hawk in the cemetery, and today I got a photo of it as it flew in to a tree we were near. A few minutes later it flew out of the tree with a twig in it's talons and flew off to a tree in a far corner of the cemetery. Twice I saw it carrying sticks to the same tree today. That's pretty cool to have a Coopers Hawk nesting in the cemetery!

Is it Flo or Larry?

I was researching a photo request for Lawrence Kerr, who, according to the cemetery records lies in Section E, along the North fence. Since no stones were exposed, I used my trusty (and rusty) screwdriver to find the stones under the turf. I was in luck that day since the first stone I uncovered was the one I thought I wanted to find. Imagine my surprise when Lawrence turned out to be Florence. The other occupants of the plot were investigated and Lawrence was not to be found. Yet another intriguing mystery in the saga of Multnomah Park Cemetery.

People...

I love humanity - it's people I can't stand. People have been defacing monuments from the time they were put up. Don't understand it though. Probably the worst example of monument destruction in recent times were the Buddhas destroyed by the Taliban in Afghanistan a few years back.
Someone knocked over at least five monuments in the cemetery sometime between Saturday evening - the last time I was there - and Monday morning.

Richardine L Bates

Meet Richardine L. Bates

We know that Richardine is buried in Section A, Lot 80, and grave 3B. The "B" is my annotation to indicate that she shares the lower portion of grave 3. In 3A is baby daughter Hepperley, whose parents, Jacob Frank and Selenia, lie next to her in grave 4 & 5.

We know that Richardine died on December 20, 1926 in Portland, according to the Oregon Death Index. We know that she was buried on December 21, 1926, according to the Cemetery records. I assume she was an infant.
Her monument was under about two inches of sod, and was uncovered today, March 5, 2010. It is located under one of the larger Douglas Fir Trees in section A.
After uncovering her monument I was standing there looking at it, and thinking about the "Bates Motel". A dangerous thought I know, but hey it happened. All of a sudden I saw a shadow of something behind me, and then had a large clump of fir bows hit me in the head. This is the first time I've ever had a clump of fir bows hit me - and I've spent a lot of time in the woods, and this isn't even in the woods!

I looked around and didn't see anyone - and then looked up in the Fir tree I was under. There on the fork of a branch was a pile of more fronds just waiting to fall. Nearby on the branch was a squirrel looking down at me. It wasn't laughing, or calling like you might expect, but just starring down at me.
Had I suddenly been transported to the Hotel Multnomah Park where you can check in but you can't check out?
This lower photo shows Richardine's monument and the pile of fir fronds that hit me in the head.

Rest in Peace Richardine.