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The first burial in the cemetery occurred
in October 1859 and, actually, before the cemetery was officially
open for business. Margaret Love was allowed to be laid to
rest as her son John, a prominent businessman, was given special
permission by the city to bury her. Plots were advertised
as being available for purchase starting in December of 1859
and the cemetery was officially dedicated in 1860, the same
year the City of Jacksonville was incorporated. As you walk
the cemetery grounds you will note some dates of death earlier
than 1859, however; in most cases these were remains that
were removed from other locations and reburied in the cemetery
at a later time.
In 1878 John Hockenjos built a tool house
for the Cemetery Sexton to work from and store his tools of
the trade. This building also served as an early mortuary
and contains a trap door in the floor where bodies could be
stored until they could be buried. The Sexton's Tool House
continues to be used today for storing tools and serves as
an office area for volunteers.
One of the things that make the Jacksonville
Cemetery unique is that it is divided into seven different
Sections made up of both religious and fraternal organizations.
They include the Jewish and Catholic Sections, the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Independent
(German), and Improved Order of Red Men. The seventh and largest
Section is the City of Jacksonville's portion which has been
added to over the years. Within the City Section you will
find another unique feature to the cemetery and that is a
Potter's Field. This area is located on the north side of
the main cemetery and contains the remains of blacks, whites,
Native American Indians, Hawaiians, possibly Chinese, and
others. A Chinese mortician from San Francisco removed the
remains of several Chinese graves in the 1920s as custom requires
that they be buried in their homeland. In 1996, a large monument
honoring the 133 people buried in the "Potter's Field" was
erected. The known names of the deceased appear on the monument,
others simply appear as unknown or infant.
While some simple wooden crosses and headstones
can still be found, you will see many elaborate marble and
granite headstones and monuments in family Blocks throughout
the cemetery. Ornamental wrought iron fences and gates, stone
curbing, engraved entry stones, bollards and urns decorate
family Blocks.
The granite and marble monuments speak
to us about life and death in early Jacksonville. Death by
causes once common, but now nearly unknown, are described:
epidemics such as measles, diphtheria, smallpox; lead poisoning;
and "Indian War".
Many of the names of the pioneers buried
in the cemetery are quite familiar today as names of streets
and communities. Others are recognized as names on historic
homes or businesses while others leave a legacy of artistic
accomplishment.
The City of Jacksonville owns and operates
the cemetery while each Section owner is responsible for the
administration and care of their individual Sections. The
cemetery has a Sexton and a Cemetery Commission who oversee
and care for the cemetery along with a very dedicated group
of community volunteers. The Jacksonville Historic Cemetery
remains an active cemetery and is still very much a part of
modern Jacksonville as it was back in 1859. The cemetery is
registered as part of Jacksonville's National Historic District
status, as well as with the Oregon Commission on Historic
Cemeteries.
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