Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery
Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery was established in 1860. Once part of a 640-acre land claim of David Hill (Hillsboro’s namesake), it is 8.42 acres, owned by the City of Hillsboro and managed by the City Recorder, Amber Ames. The rural cemetery, where some of Oregon’s settlers and notable personalities are laid to rest, runs alongside the Tualatin Valley Highway and is across from a shopping plaza. Ames men oned several of these notable burials, among them, Fern Hobbs.
Fern Hobbs was secretary to Oregon Governor Oswald West, who was wasn’t very pleased Copperfield, a small town near Baker City, was ignoring prohibition. Gov. West sent his secretary with five National Guard troops by train to deliver the message that martial law would be declared on the city. It was New Year’s Eve 1913. She delivered the message, “I’m here to declare mar al law and chew bubble gum, and I’m all out of bubble gum.” Ok, yes -- a fabricated quote, but she effectively delivered the message, returning to Salem the very same day by train. And was the town of Copperfield upset. City council member and saloon proprietor, William Weigard, led a lawsuit against the Governor, which reached the Oregon Supreme Court. The Governor’s actions were upheld by the court.
One hundred years later, the cemetery’s Master Plan was published in 2014 by the City of Hillsboro. The firm, Lango Hansen Landscape Architects was hired to assess the property and provide recommendations for long-term improvements with the direction of the cemetery’s Oversight Committee. Archaeologists used a ground-penetrating radar to analyze sections of the property and map existing anomalies in the ground. The analysis revealed a high probability of existing interments. There are plans to pave the existing gravel path for traffic, implement a memorial garden for unmarked graves, build a sidewalk and plan ng area in the right-of-way, and among other improvements, create a public gathering space that would accommodate 20 people. Maintaining the historic character of the cemetery is a priority, including wrought iron fencing and metal benches and trashcans. Please visit City of Hillsboro's website to link to the full Master Plan. You will be impressed.
Some of the unsung heroes of cemeteries are those who work daily to maintain them. Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery boasts US Veteran, Doug Whaley, Senior Parks Maintenance Technician. Problem-solving
skills and a heartfelt commitment to presenng the grounds in their best light are fundamental to the cemetery work ethic, as seen when Whaley described one of his challenges: ground squirrels. They are deemed a nuisance, as they are always digging holes, creating little ankle-sprain landmines. He hopes the most humane solution, nature vs. nature, will work. He’s implemented some perches (pictured) for larger predatory birds to roost, where they would be able to spot the burrowers and complete the life cycle, thereby helping save the grounds. Please share some of your natural cemetery challenges and solutions with us – we’d love to hear what works for you!
Fern Hobbs was secretary to Oregon Governor Oswald West, who was wasn’t very pleased Copperfield, a small town near Baker City, was ignoring prohibition. Gov. West sent his secretary with five National Guard troops by train to deliver the message that martial law would be declared on the city. It was New Year’s Eve 1913. She delivered the message, “I’m here to declare mar al law and chew bubble gum, and I’m all out of bubble gum.” Ok, yes -- a fabricated quote, but she effectively delivered the message, returning to Salem the very same day by train. And was the town of Copperfield upset. City council member and saloon proprietor, William Weigard, led a lawsuit against the Governor, which reached the Oregon Supreme Court. The Governor’s actions were upheld by the court.
One hundred years later, the cemetery’s Master Plan was published in 2014 by the City of Hillsboro. The firm, Lango Hansen Landscape Architects was hired to assess the property and provide recommendations for long-term improvements with the direction of the cemetery’s Oversight Committee. Archaeologists used a ground-penetrating radar to analyze sections of the property and map existing anomalies in the ground. The analysis revealed a high probability of existing interments. There are plans to pave the existing gravel path for traffic, implement a memorial garden for unmarked graves, build a sidewalk and plan ng area in the right-of-way, and among other improvements, create a public gathering space that would accommodate 20 people. Maintaining the historic character of the cemetery is a priority, including wrought iron fencing and metal benches and trashcans. Please visit City of Hillsboro's website to link to the full Master Plan. You will be impressed.
Some of the unsung heroes of cemeteries are those who work daily to maintain them. Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery boasts US Veteran, Doug Whaley, Senior Parks Maintenance Technician. Problem-solving
skills and a heartfelt commitment to presenng the grounds in their best light are fundamental to the cemetery work ethic, as seen when Whaley described one of his challenges: ground squirrels. They are deemed a nuisance, as they are always digging holes, creating little ankle-sprain landmines. He hopes the most humane solution, nature vs. nature, will work. He’s implemented some perches (pictured) for larger predatory birds to roost, where they would be able to spot the burrowers and complete the life cycle, thereby helping save the grounds. Please share some of your natural cemetery challenges and solutions with us – we’d love to hear what works for you!
