Lebanon Masonic

Lebanon Masonic

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*Established*:	1869	*Nearest Town:*	Lebanon
*Est. # Burials:*	2000+	*Location:*	T 12S, R 2W, 2
*Size in Acres:*	7.93	*USGS Lat/Lon:*	443313N 1225410W

Driving Directions:

One-half mile N. of Lebanon on Hwy. 20

Contact Info:

Linn Co. Tax Assessor: Lot 1100
Identified as Masonic cemetery on map:
ODD FELLOWS CEMETERY ASSOC
PO BOX 291
LEBANON OR 97355-0000
Deed Ref: 221-595,293-50,332-33

The following information is transcribed from the WPA Linn County Cemetery Survey, researched & prepared by Leslie L. Haskin on 2-19-1940:

The Lebanon Masonic Cemetery is situated in Township 12 South, Range 2 West. (The section is either 2 or 3, but maps and plots available are too indefinite to be certainly given.) The land contained in the cemetery is situated half on the original William B. Gore donation land claim and half on the Morgan Kees Donation Land Claim….The cemetery is owned and administered by the Lebanon Lodge No. 44 Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.

The first burials in this tract were in the year 1869. In that year there were two known burials here, they were Howell Morris and a man named M. Knell, (or Konell)….Another reputed burial at this date or even earlier was that of a Mr. Amos but the location or exact date of this burial could not be learned.

Following these first few burials there seems to have been a considerable intervening time before others took place. The next of record is that of Nancy E. Thompson in 1875. This Nancy Thompson was born in 1843 but otherwise nothing could be learned of her history. No other burials of record then appear until the year 1887 with that of Mary J. Hall, then, in 1889 that of G. H. Leggett (1808-1889) and Mary McCalley (1836-1889). The above G. H. Leggett also appears to have the earliest birth date record here. (1908).

Of the items of history found in this cemetery two seem to be of particular interest. The first is the burial here of Joseph H. Alley with the remarkable age record of one hundred and two years. Before his death Mr. Alley was reputed to have had the longest Masonic Membership of any living man. The second item of particular interest is the presence here of an “Unknown Soldier” monument erected to the American Civil War Veterans in the year 1903. This far antedated the popular spring up of Unknown Soldier memorials immediately following the World War.

Although the first burials took place here in 1869 the land was not actually set apart for cemetery purposes until January 19, 1871. On that date William B. Gore deed the north half of this cemetery to the Masonic Lodge….

The William Gore deed covers the north half of this cemetery. On or about the same date Morgan Kees is said to have deed a similar tract and right of way which comprised the south half of the cemetery but though careful search was made no record of such transaction could be located. The cemetery does, however, extend south upon the Morgan Kees tract, or an equal distance on both sides of the north and south line of the right of way.

(Note—The Lebanon Odd-Fellows Cemetery lies adjacent to the Masonic Cemetery without dividing fences. The Odd-Fellows Cemetery lies in an ‘L’ shape on a part of the William B. Gore donation Land Claim and adjoining the north half of the Masonic Cemetery along its north and west lines….)

Ira Leo Sturtevant. 1896-1918. One of the very first World War Soldiers from Lebanon to die in action in France.

Rev. F. S. Doughton. 1836-1923. A prominent South Methodist Minister in this section at a very early date.

William W. Kimmel. 1850-1923. Believed to have been a pioneer physician in this region.

Robert L. Gilson. 1868-1928. A prominent citizen and merchant in Lebanon for many years. Was in the hardware business. His sons still carry on the enterprise which he founded. A bronze plaque in his memory is placed on the wall of the Fire Hall at the Municipal building, Lebanon. The plaque shows a bas-relief bust and the following inscription—

“Robert Leroy Gilson.
            1868-1928
            Fire Chief.
            1916-1928.
            Erected in 1929 by
            Oregon Fire Chiefs
            In appreciation of the Public Service Rendered.”

Joseph H. Alley. 1838-1939. This man was a Union Soldier during the Civil War. Died at the age of over 102 years. At the time of his death he was reputed to be the oldest surviving member of the Masonic Fraternity.

Milton A. Miller. 1861-1938. Member of Oregon State Legislature from Linn County for many years. Later was Collector of Customs at the Port of Portland. A prominent Democrat. Popularly known in his later years as “The Sage of the Santiam.”

Leslie C. Starnes. 1919-1933. Native of Brownsville. This young boy died from the effects of a hunting accident.

Richard Cheadle. 1830-1902. An early pioneer in this region. His Donation Land Claim was in Sections 22 and 23, about two miles south of Lebanon.

Thomas J. Nichols. 1864-1935. A pioneer citizen of the “Rock Hill” neighborhood between Lebanon and Brownsville. A portrait of this man still [in1940] exists, painted at an early date on the back porch wall of the Gamaliel Parrish home [still standing in 1940]. The artist was a member of the Peterson family form whom Peterson’s Butte was named.

Jonathan Wassom. 1825-1899. One of the very first settlers in this region, 1847 or perhaps 1848. Was related to the prominent Kees family of this neighborhood and distantly so to Jeremiah Ralston, founder of Lebanon.

W. B. Donaca. 1836-1903. Prominent pioneer citizen of Lebanon. Was a merchant here at an early date, also prominent in civic enterprises.

Allen Range. 1817-1867. Judging from dates alone this might be the earliest burials here, but there is good evidence that this body was removed from the Lebanon (Old) cemetery at a comparatively recent date to be reinterred here.

Catharine Range. 1822-1879. Wife of the last. Was first buried in Lebanon (Old) Cemetery and later removed here.

M. Knell, (or Konell) Died in 1869. Little known of this man save that he was one of the first two burials here.

Dr. J. A. Lamberson. 1854-1909. A prominent pioneer physician. His father crossed the plains in 1846. Dr. Lamberson is reputed to have been the first to introduce Oregon grape root and Cascara Segrada into the Eastern market.

Rachel Pierpoint. 1855-1929. Wife of John W. Pierpoint. This man and wife lived in the “Middle Ridge” neighborhood south of Sodaville for many years. About the year 1912, (date an estimate), there was a Government Post Office established at Middle Ridge and named “Rachel” in honor of this woman. It was discontinued after a very few years.

An Unknown Soldier monument. Little was said about monuments to Unknown Soldiers until after the World War of 1914-1918. About that time they became very prominent in the news and in memorial references. Here, however, is an Unknown Soldier monument that was erected in the year 1903 and dedicated to the unknown dead of the American Civil War.

Sarah Denney [sic]. 1846-1921.
John Denny. 1840-1912. Man and wife. It was on the Denny D.L.C. that the Mongolian Pheasants were first released in Oregon.

Ogden Hudson. 1860-1905. The victim of an industrial accident in the Lebanon Paper Mills whose smoke-stacks and towers are plainly visible a short half mile to the south of this cemetery.

James Kees. 1821-1900. Member of a well-known pioneer family here. Came to Oregon about 1848.

David Torbit. 1844-1916. This man believed to have been a prominent Professor at Albany College for many years.

William B. Gore. 1811-1894. A pioneer of very early date here. The north half of this cemetery was apart of the Gore Donation Land Claim and was deed by him for cemetery purposes.

Two surveys of the Lebanon Masonic Cemetery are available online at Lebanon Genealogical Society's website:

Emma Greer's 2000 survey - Note that this later survey includes both Lebanon and Lebanon Masonic and Lebanon IOOF Cemeteries combined.

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.