Lebanon Pioneer Cemetery

The Lebanon Pioneer Cemetery is located in Linn County, Oregon. Established in 1850, the cemetery contains the burial sites of Lebanon's early settlers,^[1] a majority of whom traveled west pioneering the Oregon Trail. This relevance, in combination with Victorian funerary art on many of the cemetery's grave markers, secured the site's 1998 acceptance into the United States National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places.^[2] Though no burials have occurred since 1938, the cemetery remains a valuable relic, not only for Lebanon itself, but for the city's greater role in the context of American pioneer history.

Historical Significance

Though the Lebanon Pioneer Cemetery contains over 300 recorded burials, most of which occurred between 1850 and 1920, only 100 grave markers remain today. The cemetery has been subject to significant damage over the past century, due, not only to age itself, but to general abandonment and vandalism.^[3]^[1] Many grave stones, uprooted or broken, lay flat on the ground or propped against trees; some are virtually unreadable, their individual testimonies lost forever to disrepair.

That being said, much of the cemetery still remains surprisingly intact; the cemetery's historical significance, if nothing else, has never waned. The grave marker of Lebanon's founder, Jeremiah Ralston, and his wife, Jemima Ralston, still prevails, as do the plots of Lebanon's most prominent nineteenth century families; thirteen year-old Sarah Settle (died August 7, 1850), Lebanon cemetery's first recorded burial,^[3] along with four other Settle family members, collectively, are just one example, and can be found buried together in the cemetery's most southwestern corner. At their prime, family plots such as these would have been enclosed with a cast iron fence;^[2] today, however, only one remains fully intact.

Also noteworthy is the cemetery's elaborate Victorian funerary art. Clasped hands, broken chains, drapes, bent flowers, willow trees, and other like motifs can be found on a large majority of the grave markers, and are meant to signify mortality, grief, and "life cut short."^[2] Large obelisks and pedestals mark the graves of wealthier, more prominent individuals, but still feature the same Victorian artistry. The grave markers are made of a variety of materials including marble, granite, and cast zinc, the latter of which was extremely popular during the Victorian era, though not necessarily the most common; the majority of Lebanon Pioneer cemetery's grave markers are fashioned out of marble.^[2]

Management

The Lebanon Pioneer Cemetery was managed by the Methodist Episcopal Church until 1958, after which ownership was transferred to the City of Lebanon, who maintains it to this day.^[2]^[1] Changes have been made over the years; the entrance has been shifted, and a chain link fence added to separate the site from surrounding residential growth.^[2] In 2008, an educational kiosk was built near the center to provide information about the cemetery's history.^[4] For the most part, however, the cemetery has retained its authenticity, and remains a compelling ode to Lebanon's infancy.

External Links

Lebanon-chamber.org, Lebanon Chamber of Congress and Visitor Center, Oregon: History, https://lebanon-chamber.org/community/history/
Npgallery.nps.gov, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/b537a7b9-97d2-4ceb-ab5b-4402706b0b77
Usgennet.org, Lebanon Genealogical Society, http://www.usgennet.org/usa/or/town/lebanon/historyleb.html

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Please don't move headstones at Pioneer Cemetery," Lebanon Express, March 9, 2005, https://lebanon-express.com/news/local/please-dont-move-headstones-at-pioneer-cemetery/article_8aa93843-c04c-52d4-ba96-74d54310733e.html.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "National Register of Historical Places Registration Form: Lebanon Pioneer Cemetery," United States Department of the Interior National Park Service, February 6, 1998, https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/b537a7b9-97d2-4ceb-ab5b-4402706b0b77.
^ ^a ^b Jennifer Nitson, "Cavalry to visit Pioneer Cemetery on Halloween," Lebanon Express, October 29, 2003, https://lebanon-express.com/news/local/cavalry-to-visit-pioneer-cemetery-on-halloween/article_d28ec085-f9f3-5330-b235-5283f87a487c.html.
^ Robin Camp, "Pioneer Cemetery Kiosk," Lebanon Express, October 1, 2008, https://lebanon-express.com/news/local/community/community_notes/pioneer-cemetery-kiosk/article_b2ca970f-f564-51a3-80d4-9eee44b864e9.html.