ALFORD CEMETERY was established in 1853, located on Thomas Alford's DLC and near the townsite of Alford (known originally as Muddy Station, a station on the Oregon-California Railway).

The following information is transcribed from the WPA Linn County Cemetery Survey, researched & prepared by Leslie L. Haskin on  1/17/1939:

The Alford Cemetery is situated on Highway 99E about three miles north of the town of Harrisburg and six miles south of the town of Halsey, in Linn County. It is in Section 35, Tp. 14 S. R. 4 W. of Willamette Meridian. The cemetery is a part of the old Thomas Alford D.L.C.

... The station of Alford has, in the past, been called by a number of names. Until recently it was Muddy Station because situated near "Big Muddy" Creek. Before 1878 it was named Liverpool and at one time it boasted a depot, a school and a store. (See Illustrated Atlas Map of Marion & Linn Counties, -Edgar Williams & Co. San Francisco, 1878, p. 55.).

This cemetery was established by Thomas Alford, owner of the original land claim. It was opened as a free burial ground....According to local report no formal plotting was done but whoever wished to use the space simply dug a grave in whatever place pleased him. As a result lines are broken and confusing and graves are in places crowded and apparently conflicting. All later additions to the tract were properly surveyed and platted.

Just when this cemetery was first opened is not definitely known but the first burial of record is that of "Jesse C. Turner" who was born Jan. 4, 1833 and died March 17, 1853. The second burial of record is that of "Joseph L. Son of Wm. & M. A. Alford" who died December 13, 1853, at the age of 1 yr. 5 mos & 12 ds. William Alford, the father of this child, was the oldest son of Thomas Alford, the donor of the cemetery plot. The third recorded burial was that of Mary E. Rodgers, daughter of James & M. J. Rodgers, who died on May 9, [1855], at the age of 2 yrs. 1 mo. & 22 ds. James Rodgers had a D.L.C. on the Willamette River about two miles west from the cemetery tract.

The oldest birth date revealed in this cemetery is that of Barbara Scrivner who was born February 15, 1793. Nothing definite could be learned concerning this woman but it is presumed that she may have been either a wife or mother of J. Scrivner whose donation land claim was situated about one mile south of the cemetery plot. The second recorded birth date is that of Alexander Frakes, born in 1784. Elizabeth Frakes, believed to be the wife of Alexander, was born in 1796. In the early days the Frakes held a donation claim about one mile north of this site. The fourth earliest birth date seems to have been that of Thomas Alford, founder of this cemetery, born Nov. 20, 1802.

In this burying ground most monuments face west with the inscription turned from the grave but in some of the very oldest the order is reversed and the inscription faces east and towards the grave.

Historical & Biographical Notes:

Nicholas Kizer. 1807-1881. An early birth date. The Kizer family, taking up land here at an early date. They have been prominent in the history of the region for many years.

George W. Alford. 1854-1938. A son of Thomas Alford, founder of this cemetery. Born in Linn County, Oregon, four years after his parents reached this state.

Milton A. Rodgers. 1825-1907. A pioneer of 1850. His D.L.C. was on the Willamette River about five miles north-west of Harrisburg.

Elizabeth Rodgers. 1826-1914. Believed to have been the wife of the above.

Thomas Roach. 1812-1897. Pioneer of 1852. Born in Loudoun Co., Virginia. Removed to Warren Co. Ohio in 1819. Settled near Harrisburg, Ore. in 1852.

Maryetta Roach. 1817-1887. Wife of the above. Born in Ohio, married Thomas Roach in 1839. Her maiden name was Maryetta Tea.

Ila Miles, Son of Wm. & M.A. Alford "Infant ", "Infant",  "Joseph L. ", "Benjamin F. "

These are all children of Wm. Alford, and grandsons of Thomas Alford, the founder of this cemetery. Joseph L. was the second burial of record here. All monuments at these graves face east, or towards the grave - that is, the description faces the grave. This is also true of most earlier burials here while later burials are reversed, the inscription facing west.

William Templeton. 1882-1924. A grandson of William T. Templeton who was a pioneer of 1847 in the Brownsville neighborhood, Linn Co.

Nancy C., Daughter of B. D. & I Hilts. One of the early burials here. The Hilts land claim was three miles directly east from Harrisburg.

William Alford. 1822-1901. Oldest son of Thomas Alford, founder of this cemetery. He was born in Tennessee.

Alaxander Frakes 1784-1868.
Elizabeth Frakes. 1796-1867. The very early birth dates of these pioneers distinguish them. Little else is known about them except that their donation land claim was situated about one mile north of the cemetery.

Robert A. Son of M. & M. Mansfield. 1854-1856. One of the earliest burials. M. Mansfield (Moses Mansfield) had a donation land claim on Muddy Creek about one mile north of this cemetery.

Russell Alford. 1824-1882. Second son of Thomas Alford. Born in Tennessee. Came to Oregon with his father in 1850.

Thomas Alford. 1802-1892. Founder of this cemetery. Pioneer of 1852. Born in Wythe Co. Virginia. Removed to East Tennessee in 1810. Removed to Sheridan Co. Mo., in 1831. Emigrated to Oregon in 1850. Father of 20 children, seventeen of whom lived to grow up.

Emaline, Wife of Thomas Alford. 1825-1895. Third wife of Thomas Alford. Married in 1853 in Oregon. Her maiden name was Emaline Galey.

Jesse C. Turner. 1833-1853. First burial of record here.

John Turner. 1807-1898. An early birth date.

Thomas Turner. 1835-1900. Pioneer of 1852. Born in Indiana. Removed to Iowa with his parents in 1835. Married Nancy Robinette in 1869. Made his home near Harrisburg.

Nancy M. Turner. 1853-1878. Wife of last. Born in Oregon. Her maiden name was Nancy Robinette, daughter of Pleasant Robinette.

Retta May. Dau. Of Tho. & Nancy M. Turner. Born March, 1877. Died Apr. 1879. Daughter of the above. This child is mentioned by name in the Illustrated Atlas Map of Marion & Linn Counties, Edgar Williams & Co., San Francisco, 1878.

William Roach. 1842-1931. Second son of Thomas Roach previously listed. Was born in Warren Co., Ohio. Came to Oregon with his father in 1852.

Elizabeth Coshow Keen. 1909-1938 Albert Stanley Keen. 1905-1938. ... These young people were drowned in Washington State, 1938. The husband refused to desert the wife in a boating accident and both went down together. Their childhood home was at Brownsville, Linn County.

Afy Weber. 1881-1935. Her maiden name was Kirk, of the pioneer Brownsville Kirks. Her father was Andrew Kirk, native son of 1854. Her grandfather was R. W. "Riley" Kirk, pioneer of 1846. Her great grandfather was Alexander Kirk who established the first ferry on the Calapooia at Brownsville. He was a pioneer of 1846.

Amos L. Ramsey. 1864 - [Still living in 1939] This is a grandson of Barnett Ramsey who established the pottery on the Muddy Creek in Linn County at a very early date. Known as the "Peoria Pottery". Amos Ramsey is reputed to have learned the trade there. His father was named Jacob Ramsey and was a pioneer of 1852.

Barbara Scrivner. 1793-1872. The oldest birth date recorded here. Was an early pioneer in Linn County.

Job Simons. 1822-1903. A very early settler in Linn County. His name and transactions are recorded in the Brown & Blakley Store books at Brownsville at a very early date.

[end of Haskin Survey]

Online Transcriptions:

    Click here for over 70 photographs of headstones from Alford Cemetery.

   A partial listing of Alford Cemetery is available at Linn Genealogical Society website.

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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.