Finding the Mosier Pioneer Cemetery

This charming, community-maintained cemetery is nestled in an oak grove along a popular hiking path.

When finding pioneer cemeteries, I never quite know what to expect, even when I’ve viewed the place on Google Maps, looked at others’ photos, or read about the cemetery’s history. Will there be a gate? Will the sign look the same, or has it been replaced? Has the road been blocked off, or is it now on private property?

This was the case when I browsed the Mosier Pioneer Cemetery in Mosier, Oregon on Google Maps. I could tell that there was a trail and trees, but the pixelated images just didn’t look like a cemetery. So when my boyfriend and I took advantage of a beautiful fall day for a drive down the Columbia Gorge, we decided to find out.

I wish I could tell you where to park to visit the cemetery, but I honestly don’t know. We parked not-quite-legally in a spot just a few minutes away. I’m sure there are numerous trailheads that lead up the hill to the cemetery, but I saw No Parking signs wherever I looked. So, good luck with that!

There was indeed a small cemetery at the top of the hill, nestled in a pretty oak grove sporting warm fall colors.

The hiking trail goes right through the middle of the cemetery. Usually an increase in traffic means an increase in vandalism, but there is clearly a community effort to monitor the cemetery and keep things reasonably tidy.

There are several memorials clustered in the middle of the cemetery.

And there were others off by themselves. I’m guessing there are others buried in the dirt or the underbrush. Findagrave lists only 18 memorials, some of which are fairly recent. It’s hard to tell how large the cemetery really is.

The town’s White settlers, Jonah and Jane Mosier, are buried here. The history of Mosier starts long before them, with the Wasco tribe. There’s a nice history of Mosier on the city’s web site.

Visiting here as well as at the Mosier Cemetery not far away (non-pioneer) makes me realize how much I have missed visiting the drier oak woodlands and savannahs of Oregon. I’d love to come back to the Mosier Pioneer Cemetery on a warm summer day and see the place when it’s green. A hike and a picnic would be nice, don’t you think?

I hope the City of Mosier continues to support volunteer efforts to keep this pretty piece of local history picturesque and restful.

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Stump and Lamb explores personal growth and meaning via travels to pioneer cemeteries of the West.

This post was originally published at michellerau.com.