This cemetery is listed as "Mansfield" on the ODOT survey; as "Eby" and "Muddy Creek - Mansfield - Keen" on the End of Trail survey, and as "Eby" on the WPA survey. For more than 60 years the property has been owned by the Carl Keen family; for that reason it has been referred to as the "Keen" cemetery. There are no "Keen" burials here, however. A cemetery appears in this township/section on the 1930 Metsker atlas. It is located just south of Harris School, on land owned in 1930 by Hattie Froman.

ODOT shows T15S, R3W, Sect 19 -- neighboring section. T15S, R4W, Sec 24 matches with Tax Assessor (Carl Keen Jr.), 1930 Metsker (Unnamed Cem) and GNIS (Harris).

The following information is transcribed from the WPA Linn County Cemetery Survey, researched & prepared by Leslie L. Haskin on 1/23/1939:

The Eby Cemetery is situated in Section 24, Township 15 South of Range 4 West in Linn County. (Note-The above land description is as nearly true as was possibly to give without more accurate maps. There is a possibility that, since it is very close to the section line it may be in Section 19, Township 15 South, Range 3 West. Since the cemetery tract lies very near or directly on the section line this error could easily be made). The cemetery lies near the banks of Muddy Creek and about three-fourths of a mile back from the country road which runs east and west past the "Harris" School, District No. 46, about four miles south-east of Harrisburg, and three miles south-west of Rowland Station....

This, more than any other cemetery yet visited, is a pioneer burying ground. So isolated is the tract and so off the common path that the farmer living nearest declared that he had not entered it in the past ten years. One family lot alone, that of the Eby family for whom this cemetery is called, showed any sign of recent attention. Many families in the neighborhood professed entire ignorance of the fact that there was any cemetery there. In the entire tract there are only three burials of record since the year 1900, five others since the year 1890, and three others since the year 1880. Most of the burials here were made previous to the 1870's.

Very little could be learned concerning the history of this tract. Apparently the land is owned by members of the Eby family since Mr. Elmer Baker stated that-"the elder Mr. Eby offered to deed to my father the eastern half of the tract if he would agree to clean up the remaining portion." The first burial of record here is that of an infant daughter of G. R. & M. Barger who died March 15, 1850. The second burial, if dim inscriptions were rightly read, was that of L. Boggs who died April 25, 1853 at the age of 78(?) years. The third burial was another infant of the above Barger family who died July 25, 1854. The last burial of record here was that of David Eby who died June 12, 1916.

The oldest birth date recorded here is that of L. Boggs who appears (inscription very indistinct) to have been born in1775. The second oldest is Susan, wife of Zachariah Pollard, 1797.

(Note- The Harris Schoolhouse mentioned as a landmark to aid in finding the cemetery is probably the oldest schoolhouse in Linn County and is still in actual use. The exact date of its erection could not be determined but it was being used for school purposes-and not a new building then- in the year 1867.)

(The field worker was assisted in his survey of this cemetery by the following volunteer workers: His wife, Lilian G. Haskin; Mr. Elmer Baker whose farm adjoins the cemetery; Mrs. Baker his wife; three small boys, sons of the Bakers. Also an intelligent young man, member of the Baker family whose name was not learned.)

Historical & Biographical Notes:

Andrew P. Harris. 1840-1872. The schoolhouse north of the cemetery is called the "Harris School." This young man is believed to have been a member of the family who gave it the name. This was also the name of the first precinct organized in the region; it finally gave its name to the city of Harrisburg. In speaking of the history of this town a writer in McWilliams (sic) Atlas Map of Marion and Linn County,, 1878, writes- "In 1852 the population numbered about one hundred, when they organized for the purpose of transacting public business, and formed a precinct which was named Prairie Precinct, and located the voting place on Muddy Creek near Mr. John Harris' place, in the claim of Mr. Henry P. Schooling." The above schoolhouse is on Muddy Creek as well as on the H. P. Schooling claim and thus was probably the approximate location of this first "Harris" voting place.

Nettie McCully. 1860. A daughter of A. A. & H. K. McCully, Harrisburg pioneers of the year 1847. A. A. (Asa) McCully established the first store about which the nucleus of the present city of Harrisburg gathered. The store was first opened in 1853. The McCullys were also active in establishing and carrying on steamboat traffic on the upper Willamette.

L. Boggs. 1775-1853. The second burial here and the earliest birth date. (The above dates are believed to be correct but this monument was a very old wooden marker and it is possible that it was not correctly read.) This marker was uncovered by Mr. Elmer Baker who remembered seeing it many years before and dug it out from beneath brush and refuse. Otherwise it would not have been found. Mr. Baker carefully cleaned the inscription for reading.

Mary A. Waters. 1839-1863. Wife of A. W. Waters whose donation land claim is located in Section 3, Township 15 South Range 3 West. They are known to have been very early settlers.

Wife of Samuel McCully 1817-1850. Samuel McCully settled on a donation land claim in Section 10 Tp. 15 S. R. 4 W., about one mile north of Harrisburg. The McCully family were among the most active in building up the town and region of Harrisburg.

Susan Pollard. 1797-1859. The second oldest birth date recorded here.

Dupre A. Thompson. 1848-1882. Reported by neighborhood informants to have been a civil war veteran.

Guy Brasfield. 1868. Infant of Jas. S. & L. Brasfield. Smith and Brasfield ran an early story at Harrisburg. Supposedly it was some members of this family.

David Eby. 1828-1916. Last burial in this tract. It is from this family that the cemetery receives its name. Supposedly the land title is vested in some members of the family. The Eby burial lots, containing many Barger names also, is the only well cared-for portion of this cemetery. It is surrounded by a very strong and high wire fence supported by iron posts.

Guliford P. Barger. 1814-1898. The G. P. Barger donation land claim was situated in Sections 7-8, situated about one and one-half miles northeast of this cemetery....

Online Transcriptions:

   Available at Jan Phillips' site.

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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.