Located on D.L.C. of James McHargue, near the old-time McHargue stage stop. The back part is the oldest, and has no markers for the earliest graves, the only "records" being family tradition. Cedarwild school stood below it in the old days, and Oak Grove school was down on the plain, both long gone.

The following information is transcribed from the WPA Linn County Cemetery Survey, researched & prepared by Leslie L. Haskin [circa 1940]:

[NB:  Only the Historical & Biographical Notes are transcribed -- Haskin's history of the cemetery was missing from my files and will be transcribed at a later date, if found.]

Historical & Biographical Notes:

Sarah M., Daughter of Jonathan and Mary Keeney.  1850-1855
George W., Son of Jonathan and Mary Keeney.  1841-1862
Infant Son of Jonathan and Mary Keeney.  Died July 18^th,1859

The above children of the Jonathan Keeney family are members of a rather notable local pioneer family.  Jonathan and Mary Keeney were pioneers to Oregon in the year 184(5?).  The Keeney Donation Land Claim was directly south of this cemetery but on the Courtney Creek side of the divide.  Jonathan Keeney was well known throughout the region for his many kind deeds to needy emigrants, among others the Templeton and McHargue families.  He brought Wm. T. Templeton into this valley after he had become stranded in the lower valley—took two strong yoke of oxen and hauled their goods when their own oxen were too week and exhausted to travel further.  He gave flour to the McHargue family on their arrival (Se. Mrs. Jos. Hume Interview.)  Jonathan Keeney is believed to have died near Boise Idaho.  He went to that place after settling in Linn County and is reputed to have been running a ferry there when he was drowned.

James Keeney. 1836-1911.  Reputed to have been a son of Jonathan Keeney.  He was a pioneer of 1845.

Matilda Hausman. 1843-1925.  A prominent member of the Wm. T. Templeton family, pioneers of 1847.  She was a daughter of W. & Elizabeth Ramsay Templeton.  Was three times married.  (See following two notes).  Her last husband was named Hausman and is buried in the Brownsville Masonic Cemetery.

Robert S. Linville. 1830-1863.  Second husband of the above.

Alexander M. Foster.  1846-1867.  First husband of Matilda Hausman (second item above).  He was scalded to death in a vat of hot dye while working in the Brownsville Woolen Mill.  One son, Clyde Foster, is still living [ca 1940].

Nathaniel G. Rice.  1830-1913.  A prominent and wealthy settler in this region.  At one time he owned more than twelve hundred acres of land mostly lying between this cemetery and the Calapooia River.  He is reputed to have dressed very plainly, even raggedly, and many stories of comical mistakes are told of him—mistakes wherein he was taken for a beggar or tramp because of his old clothing.

Robert Templeton.  1846-1928.  Son of Wm. T. and Elizabeth Ramsay Templeton.  Crossed the plains as a baby in his mother’s arms.  The Indians were very curious and anxious to see the “Little white papoose”.  He was the last surviving son of his parents.  His daughter, Mrs. Ray Leonard of Brownsville, is a well-informed source of pioneer incident.

Orpha K. Templeton.  1860-1933.  A granddaughter of Hugh L. Brown for whom Brownsville was named.  Her maiden name was Montgomery.

Robert Montgomery. 1827-1880.  Father of the last.  He was a pioneer of 1847.  He was also a brother of Mrs. James McHargue, wife of the founder of this cemetery.

John Montgomery.  1851-1885.
Elizabeth A. Montgomery.  1855-1885.  Man and wife.  John Montgomery was a son of Robert Montgomery mentioned in last paragraph.  This man and wife lie in a single grave.  They were murdered by their own son in a fit of anger.  A third victim of this tragedy, a Mr. McKercher, is buried in the Union Cemetery above Crawfordsville.  The son who committed the murder was convicted and hanged—the last public hanging to take place in Linn County.

Ida Hansen.  1863 – (Still living). [ca. 1940].  The youngest daughter of James McHargue who founded this cemetery.

Lucinda R. McHargue. 1805-1868.  Wife of Wm. McHargue, brother of the founder of this cemetery.  Her maiden name was Proffitt.  She came to Oregon with her husband in 1852.

Sarah McHargue.  1823-1897.
James McHargue.  1822-1897.
Founders of this cemetery which is on a corner of their donation Land Claim.  The wife’s maiden name was Montgomery.  For further information concerning their history see Mrs. Jos. Hume Interview…)

Mary E. McHargue.  1845-1852.  The first burial in this cemetery.  This girl, commonly called Ellen by her brothers and sisters, was born in Missouri and died in Linn County, Oregon, Dec 27, 1852.  A younger brother was born on the day that she died.

Isabel G. Morgan. 1852-1863.
Joseph Morgan. 1873.  An early pioneer family in this vicinity.  The Morgans were relatives of the Osborns who are buried in this cemetery (See Osborn in this article).

Ellen Montgomery. 1802-1887.  The wife of John Montgomery Sr.  The mother of Mrs. James McHargue.  Came to Oregon with the McHargues.  Her husband was buried in Washington Territory.

Amos Moore. 1798-1878.  The earliest birth date in this cemetery.

James R. Templeton.  1832-1899.  A pioneer, with his father’s family, of the year 1847.  His father was William T. Templeton.

Mary Yantis Templeton. 1844-1907.  Second wife of the above.

Martha Ritchey Templeton. 1835-1874.  First wife of James Templeton.  Her daughter, Mrs. Iva Galbraith lives [ca. 1940] at Albany.

Edward Geary Templeton.  1871-1873.  Son of James Templeton.  He was named after the well known Presbyterian preacher, educator and Indian Agent, Edward Geary.

Elizabeth Ritchey. 1802-1859.  A pioneer of the year 1847.  Came to Oregon with her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. & Mrs. James Templeton.

Margaret Osborn. 1815-1873.  Margaret Osborn, wife of Josiah Osborn, was an Oregon pioneer of the year 1845.  They first settled in the neighborhood a short distance northeast of the cemetery.  The husband, Josiah Osborn, was a wagon-maker and millwright.  After settling in Linn County he returned to what is now Eastern Washington where he was employed by the missionary Marcus Whitman in the construction of a mill.  At the time of the Whitman massacre Mrs. Osborn was sick both with measles and from a miscarriage in childbirth.  All of the children of the family were also sick with the measles.  When the massacre began Josiah Osborn ran to the cabins and taking his wife and sick children, together with one blanket and a loaf of brad, hid beneath the cabin floor.  They remained there all that day and far into the following night, stilling the children’s cries by stuffing a corner of the blanket in their mouths.  That night they escaped and started for Fort Walla Walla.  The entire story is recorded in “The Spalding Lectures”, portions of which have already been sent in by this worker.  These measles sufferers were forced to ford deep streams and sleep in the open for many nights before refuge was reached.  The youngest son died from the exposure (after reaching Oregon City.)  Mrs. Osborn was sick for years afterwards from the exposure.  The husband, Josiah Osborn, a son, Wilson Osborn, and probably also a daughter are buried here but there is no marker at their graves.

Margaret Findley. 1835.
William R. Findley.  1820-1890
John Findley. 1802-1858.
The Findley’s are reputed to have been relatives of the Osborns.

M. D. M. Findley. Died March 20^th, 1851.  According to the date this should be the first burial here but other evidence seems to contradict this and it seems probable that this child was first buried in some other place and later moved to this cemetery.  This grave bears the characteristic mark of a very early burial in this region.  That is, the tombstone is made from local fine-grained tufa and evidently cut by an untrained workman.  The tufa rock of these characteristic old memorials was quarried in the “Gap” just a short distance south of the ghost town of Union. Point.  This rock is characteristic not only of the every oldest tombstones in this neighborhood, but was also used in all the very early fireplaces and for the foundations of most of the really early residences.

Lieutenant Raymond Templeton. 1891-1918.  Died in a plane accident while in training during the World War.  In his will he left a legacy to the city of Brownsville – the bronze drinking fountain situated at the intersection of North Main street and Spalding Avenue.  (His will specified a drinking fountain for horses, but before it was erected the day of the horse had passed so a human sanitary fountain was designed instead.)  Lieutenant Templeton was a son of Joseph Templeton and a grandson of Wm. T. Templeton, both Oregon pioneers of 1847.

William T. Templeton. 1809-1882.  A pioneer of 1847.  He was the first man to attempt the growing and marketing of tobacco in this region.  He was also an early hop grower and the first to introduce Indian labor into the hop fields.  He imported his Indian workers from the Warm Springs Reservation.  Templeton was a staunch Presbyterian and the prime mover in founding the Presbyterian church at Brownsville.  At one time there were forty persons of Templeton name or blood—all descendents of this man—who were members of this church in Brownsville.

“Grandma” Templeton.  1812-1902.  “Grandma” Templeton was Elizabeth Ramsay Templeton, wife of William T. Templeton.  She, her husband, and several sons came to Oregon in 1847.  The Templeton D. L. C. was situated on the Calapooia River directly north of this cemetery.  Many of the family are buried here.  Mrs. Templeton’s maiden name was Ramsay and she was a sister of Barnet Ramsay who owned and operated the first potteries in Oregon.  Barnet Ramsay had potteries, first in Lane County about ten miles northeast of Eugene on the Mohawk River, second in Linn County about six miles east of Albany and five miles northwest of Lebanon, third on the banks of Muddy Creek about three miles northwest of the present town of Halsey.

[end of Haskin survey.]

Online Transcriptions:

    Available at Jan Phillips' 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.