Established: |
1855 |
Nearest Town: |
Albany |
Est. # Burials: |
129 |
Location: |
T 11S, R 4W, 32 |
Size in Acres: |
1 |
USGS Lat/Lon: |
443410N 1231125W |
Driving Directions: |
From O 34 between Corvallis
& Albany |
Contact Info: |
Linn Co. Tax Assessor: Lot 1400 |
Orleans was established about 1850 and
was once a thriving little community. The town was destroyed by the great flood
of 1861, which altered the river course; the cemetery remains because it was
laid out on high ground. Cemetery is located on D.L.C. of Daniel Cushman.
The following information is
transcribed from the WPA Linn County Cemetery Survey, researched & prepared
by Leslie L. Haskin on (undated,
ca. 1940):
The Orleans Cemetery is situated on a portion of the Daniel Cushman Donation
Land Claim (apparently the extreme southeastern corner of the claim), in Section
32, Township 11 South of Range 4 West in Linn County. The cemetery lies to the
south of the Corvallis-Albany market road and upon a bench-like rise of land
exactly opposite Orleans Chapel....
The history of this cemetery as gathered from local informants seems to be as
follows- In the early 1850's - exact year unknown - a cemetery was begun
"in an oak grove about one mile to the south of the present cemetery."
A number of persons were buried at that place but it was not found to be a
convenient situation and about the year 1862 Daniel Cushman contributed one acre
of ground on the public road through his claim for permanent cemetery purposes
and all the graves from the first plot were opened and the bodies removed to the
new burying ground. It was stated that the first burial in the old plot was that
of a "Bennett child" of perhaps twelve years of age who died from
burns. If this is true here grave is not here marked. The earliest death of
record here is that of Lucy, wife of William H. Hess who died on February 25,
1855. The second burial is Elizabeth, daughter of D. (Daniel) and O. Cushman who
died April 10, 1855. The third is that of Holloway Cushman who died September
18, 1855. According to the above information it is believed that all deaths
before the year 1862 were first interred in the old cemetery one mile south and
later moved to this place. It was also stated that the first direct interment n
this tract after its establishment was that of the contributor of the land -
Daniel Cushman - who died on March 29, 1862. (The above account is rather
circumstantial and subject to correction.)
The name of this cemetery is of very early origin as the first voting precinct
in this region was so named. A town of the same name was begun on the river bank
just east of present Corvallis but was destroyed by the high water of the year
1861-62....
Most people, seeing the Orleans Chapel beside the cemetery of the same name
reach the conclusion that the chapel preceded the cemetery. (As is usually true
in such instances.) This is not correct. The cemetery, established in 1855 and
reestablished in 1862, was really the cause of the chapel being located here.
This little neighborhood church was not built or organized until the year 1900
or 1901. It is chiefly of interest because much of the material used in its
construction came from the razed building of the first United Presbyterian
Church at Albany. Notably, both the windows and the benches now used here came
from that building.
Online Transcriptions:
Available at Jan Phillip's website.
Return to Linn County Cemeteries
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.