The following information is transcribed from the WPA Linn County Cemetery Survey, researched & prepared by Leslie L. Haskin on 3/20/1940:

This is not properly a cemetery but merely an individual burial and it is of especial interest because it is believed to be the first white burial in Linn County.

The grave is situated upon the summit of an abrupt hill on the Edd Meeker farm [in 1940], in Section 15, Township 10 South, Range 3 West. This is on the Pacific Highway 99E and about six miles north of Albany and two miles south of the town of Jefferson....The grave itself is merely a short abrupt trench sunk in the pasture sod....

The history of this burial seems fairly well authenticated. The facts given below are taken from an interview with the present owner of the land, Mrs. Edd. Meeker, and from an article, "The Earl Family of Linn County", written by the late Judge Claibourne Stewart of Albany.

The Earl Family were among the first permanent settlers in Linn county. The head of this family was Joseph Earl, born in England. His wife was Margaret Gibson Earl. Mr.. And Mrs. Earl left Iowa for Oregon in the spring of 1845. Accompanying them were their sons, William, John, Joseph, Robert, and their daughters Margaret, Nancy, Ellen and Jane.

Jane Earl, second daughter of this family was already married. Her husband's name was Stanley Umphlet.

This family wintered at Tualatin Plains and during the Winter William Earl made a trip into present Linn County and there located claims for each adult member of the family. Early in April, 1846 they moved south to settle on their claims. These were situated in the vicinity of Knox Butte.

The Umphletts, however, on seeing the land, were not satisfied with their assignment and finally took up a claim in "Meeker's Gap" to the south of present Jefferson, but in Linn County. Here in May, 1847 Jane Earl Umphlet gave birth to a son and both mother and child died. This is he grave situated on the top of the hill on the Meeker farm, both mother and child lying together.

Stanley Umphlett never completed title to his claim. He sold his rights to John Meeker from whom it passed to a son, Edd Meeker. The widow of the last name is the present [in 1940] owner of the farm.

(Note- There is one discrepancy in the above record. According to the best available records neither Stanley Umphlet nor Isaac Meeker received title to a Donation Claim here. Apparently it was Christian Farlow who first received title from the government for this tract. Apparently it was Farlow and not Meeker to whom Stanley Umplet relinquished his claim and Farlow, after receiving title sold it to Meeker. The present owner positively stated that the title to date had been vested in only two family names. L. Haskin, field worker).

John Meeker came to Oregon in 1848. He first settled in the Willamette River bottom and there lived for one year but finding the river floods dangerous he left that claim and purchased the Umphlet land.

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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.