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Fern Ridge Also Known As: Fielding Lewis |
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Online (see below) |
Map | Photos |
Established: |
1854 |
Nearest Town: |
Sweet Home |
Est. # Burials: |
2-3 |
Location: |
T 13S, R 1W, 34 |
Size in Acres: |
.01 |
USGS Lat/Lon: |
Driving Directions: |
West of Sweet Home, Fern Ridge Road |
Contact Info: |
Linn Co. Tax Assessor: Not found. |
Not located on Linn Co. Tax Assessor
map. EOT lists location as "on Jesse Barr place - SE of Liberty School,
west of Sweet Home". 1930 Metsker map identifies Syrus V. Barr as property
owner in Section 34 in 1930s.
From newspaper article by Martha Steinbacher, "The
New Era", June 1, 1983:
"Up on Fern Ridge on the old Barr property is another small graveyard, the
Lewis cemetery. Rachel Lewis died in1854 and her husband, Fielding Lewis, died
in 1866. Not much is known about the other early occupants of this cemetery and
it is believed that some of the bodies were removed to the Nye Cemetery."
From "Sweet Home: In the Oregon Cascades" by
M. Carey and P. Hainline:
"About two miles southwest of the Nye/Liberty Cemetery is another deserted
burial ground which was also on Cyrus Barr property. Called the Fern
Ridge/Fielding Lewis Cemetery, it was abandoned when the site became hard to
reach after county roads were established. Haskin found only two graves, of
Fielding Lewis who died in1866, and his wife, Rachel B. Lewis, who died in 1854.
Other graves had been opened, and the bodies transferred to the Nye/Liberty
Cemetery."
The following information is
transcribed from the WPA Linn County Cemetery Survey, researched & prepared
by Leslie L. Haskin on 1/22/1940:
This cemetery is situated on a portion of the original Jesse Barr Donation Land
Claim in Section 34, Township 13 South, Range 1 West. It is in what is commonly
known as the Fern Ridge country about three miles due west of Sweet Home. The
present owner [in 1940] of the surrounding land is Mr. Si V. Barr, a son of the
original land claimant....
The history of the "Fern Ridge" Cemetery is quite obscure. It is only
known that burials began here at a very early date but were discontinued because
of the inaccessibility of the site after permanent county roads had become
established. Many graves were then opened and the bodies transferred to the Nye
Cemetery some two miles further west. Only two marked graves now remain here and
one other grave is known to exist without marker (See Carrol Morris).
This is strictly a deserted cemetery; no burials having been made here for many
years.... Note there are two o ld deserted cemeteries on the S. V. Barr
property. The other is the Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery nearly a mile to the
north-west. These two cemeteries are closely linked in neighborhood history.
The name given to this cemetery by the field worker is quite arbitrary. No real
name is known for this tract. It has been called the "Fern Ridge"
Cemetery because that is the generally known name of this neighborhood. The name
"Fielding Lewis" Cemetery was suggested by the fact that the pioneer
Fielding Lewis is the most prominent person known to be buried here....Note
there is another "Fern Ridge" Cemetery in Linn County situated a short
distance southeast of Lacomb. These duplications of local names are unfortunate
but unavoidable.
Historical &
Biographical Notes:
Fielding Lewis. Sept. 27, 1866 Aged 55 years, 3 months, 5 days Fielding
Lewis was one of the earliest settlers in this neighborhood. It is not
definitely known when he reached Oregon but probably in 1848. James P. Lewis,
supposedly the son of this man, held a Donation Claim next west of the Jesse
Barr Claim where these graves lie. A grandson of Fielding Lewis (name probably
John), was County Treasurer of Multnomah County for thirty-four years. These
graves are neatly tended and cared for by members of the Lewis family now living
in Portland [in 1940].
Rachel B. Lewis Died 1854. The wife of [Fielding Lewis].
Both of the above [burials] are side-by-side in a single lot. The entire lot is
covered by a concrete protecting block....
Carrol Morris. 1856-1857. Born May 12, 1857 Aged 5 mos. 15 ds. Believed
to have been a son of A. P. Morris whose Donation Land Claim was just west of
present Sweet Home. This child's grave is without marker but is known to be in
this tract. The facts are these- Carrol Morris was buried here but the grave not
marked. Some years later his people prepared a stone but when they essayed to
place it at the grave they found that the tract was so overgrown that the grave
could not be located. They therefore took the stone and placed it beside a
brother buried in the Liberty Church Baptist Cemetery a mile further west.
This cemetery was not listed on the USGS mapping service. Approximate location indicated by red dot on map below.
Return to Linn County Cemeteries
References
used to prepare these cemetery pages are provided.
Lisa L. Jones prepared and is solely
responsible for the content of these pages.
Copyright 2001.