Thursday, January 12, 2012

Daniel Bonner

Daniel Bonner has the record for being the oldest known person in the cemetery. He appears in the 1880 Census of New York City, living with his family. The census record gives his date of birth as 1816. The earliest birth date of cemetery residents goes to Mrs.Agnes Otty, who was born in 1814. Daniel appears in the 1860 census of Philadelphia and again in 1863 in the rolls of the Union Army Draft Register of Pennsylvania. He is listed in the 1910 Census of Hillsboro at 92 year of age.
Daniel was a resident of Hillsboro, but died in the Multnomah County Poor Farm in Troutdale - now McMenamin's Edgefield Manor on November 27, 1918. He was one of over 1300 Oregonians who lost their lives during the Influenza pandemic - most in a two month period.
Daniel, a coal miner from Ireland, was a resident of the Multnomah Farm for 2 months and ten days. He had been living in the country for about 65 years, and was widowed.
His place of interment is currently unknown.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

June 30, 1934



On June 30th, 1934, Portland City road crews were out in our neck of the woods taking photos of streets for the City Planners. This photo shows the Park on the left. The entrance pillars can be seen. They were painted white with a painted sign across the top. There was no fence and it looked like the grass was tall. The O.P. Lent monument can be seen. This is the first old photo of the cemetery we have been able to locate. It came from the City of Portland Archives.