[or-roots] More information on the Snohomish Cemetery

[glenkc7mbm at comcast.net]

Hopefully they can get a group together and restore the cemetery, the Clark County Genealogical Society is looking into doing that at the Old Vancouver City Cemetery.
Glen

--
Glen A. Jones

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: EugeneMelvin.roots at comcast.net 

> I got this email on another list I subscribed to. It is about the Snohomish 
> Cemetery. It sounds like this cemetery really needs some TLC. It is my hope 
> that we do not have any such stories hiding around here in Oregon. 
> 
> Eugene 
> 
> From: "Carroll Clark" 
> To: PSRoots-L at rootsweb.com 
> Subject: [PSRoots] Some SNOHOMISH CEMETERY History: 
> Date: Friday, March 17, 2006 12:33:18 PM 
> 
> This is an article by Jenny Zuvela, Staff Writer for The Snohomish County 
> TRIBUNE, with permission to copy the following from the Editor of SC TRIBUNE and 
> from Jenny Zuvela, quoted in full (Vol. 117, Number 11 for Wed. March 15, 2006): 
> 
> The cemetery's history . . . By Jenny Zuvela 
> 
> The old pioneers buried at the former Snohomish Cemetery on Cypress 
> Avenue may be able to rest in peace, descendants say, now that the city has 
> abandoned plans to build a senior center on the site. 
> 
> The history of the cemetery over the last 120 years is difficult to put 
> together, as records are often missing and memories sometimes conflict. City 
> staff and archeologists have compiled the following history. 
> 
> The land overlooking the Pilchuck River became an official cemetery in 
> 1876. For centuries before that, it is believed the land was an American Indian 
> burial ground. The cemetery served the communities of Snohomish and surrounding 
> towns until the Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery* was opened - the first 
> recorded burial was in 1898. Soon after, the Snohomish Cemetery board 
> disbanded. The last recorded burial was Pilchuck Julia in 1923.** 
> 
> From 1923 to 1947, newspapers reported repeated acts of vandalism and 
> mischief at the abandoned cemetery. A number of families relocated the remains 
> or headstones to other locations during that period, but no one known how many. 
> 
> In 1947, the state built a highway, now Second Street, through the 
> cemetery and split it into two portions. The state moved 111 remains to the GAR 
> Cemetery, and relatives have removed and relocated others throughout the 
> decades. 
> 
> The Snohomish Historical Society*** created a pioneer village in part of 
> the north section of the cemetery in the '70s. The pioneer village is now 
> closed indefinitely for repairs. 
> 
> Community groups periodically tried to clean up the cemetery in the '60s 
> and '70s. At some point one group removed about 60 headstones for cleaning, 
> which were never returned. 
> 
> The Snohomish Seniors moved a salmon-pink farmhouse**** onto the 
> property in 1991 to serve as a senior center, although a state law had been 
> passed that allowed only buildings for cemetery use to be built on graveyards 
> unless the land was decertified. The city acquired the land for $5,000 in 1996, 
> and the vision of a joint senior and youth center was born. 
> 
> The city hired Northwest Archeological Associates in 1997 to determine how many 
> graves existed. Using non-invasive methods, they found one burial and two 
> possible grave shafts. 
> 
> Descendants of pioneers buried in the old cemetery and the Tulalip 
> Tribes objected to the plans to build a new senior center. To avoid a trial, 
> the city and the Tribes entered into an agreement that imposed a number of 
> conditions on the city. Specifically, the city had to search for and identify 
> as best they could all human remains on the property and turn American Indian 
> remains over to the Tribes. The city expected to find only a few remains. 
> 
> From August to December 2005, archeologists dug up the cemetery and 
> found 96 spots that contained human remains. Based on the unexpectedly high 
> number and escalating costs, the City Council on March 7 decided not to 
> construct a senior center on the property. 
> 
> The future of the old cemetery remains uncertain, but it's clear no one 
> can build on the land unless the remains were removed and the cemetery was 
> decertified. 
> 
> END OF THIS QUOTED ARTICLE by the Snohomish County TRIBUNE 
> 
> * * * 30 * * * 
> 
> COMMENT: 
> 
> * G.A.R. or Grand Army of the Republic is located outside the city limits of 
> Snohomish and to the West on 2nd Street. 
> 
> ** There is a beautiful pink colored marble in memorial of Pilchuck out at 
> G.A.R. and is located near the administrative building. 
> 
> It was placed there when Val Zalewski oversaw the GAR cemetery and felt 
> it fitting to have a memorial for Pilchuck Julia, the last of the Pilchuck or 
> Pillchuck Tribe of the Snohomish area to be. 
> 
> The fact that there is a memorial stone should not be inferred that her 
> remains were taken out for burial at the GAR. 
> 
> There would have to be a confirmation of that having taken place. Late 
> Vic Mathisien (sp/?) of Snohomish was witness to her burial at Snohomish 
> cemetery in 1923; he was age 13 at that time. 
> 
> Vic, also, told me that when the wagons (horse drawn and or powered) 
> delivering/picking up milk in those early times, bottles of booze would be 
> stashed behind the tombstones for "pickup" stations. Vandals hadn't overturned 
> tombstones as yet. 
> 
> * * * From whom did the Snohomish Historical Society gain the permission, who 
> was responsible for putting the various buildings, including a log cabin that 
> was transported from near the Centennial Trail parking areas just outside of the 
> City Limits of Snohomish, along with known buildings from various parts of the 
> city, all of which were placed on top of a known Cemetery site smaller portion, 
> just North of the Hwy 2 cut, or now 2nd street. 
> 
> What is the difference of the house place on top of the Cemetery, and 
> designated a senior center, and the various buildings, plus the tombstones 
> removed from the main portion of the Cemetery to be place at the "pioneer 
> village" site. All are on top of a designated cemetery that had not, and has 
> not been decertified. 
> 
> Who will bare the responsibility for the "village" if the cemetery - all 
> of it - Parcels A, B, and C. or the North Portion and the South Portions on 
> either side of the 1947 Hwy 2 Cut, now Second Street are not decertified? 
> 
> * * * * This house was not salmon-pink house when it was moved on top of 
> Snohomish Cemetery, but was painted salmon-pink, and blacktop for parking was 
> laid down on top of the Cemetery, even over in the approximate area where 
> Pilchuck Julia had been buried. 
> 
> Later, the building was found to be too small for the many activities 
> that had grown with increased number of members, so about 30 feet was added on 
> in an Easterly direction onto the original house. The corner of that 30 ft 
> extension was where there were about two large trees close to the NE corner of 
> the extended building where 3 sandstone bases, and 1 finished granite, 
> reddish/pink in color was the THOMAS base stone I saw many times and pointed it 
> out to various persons over the years. 
> 
> Restoration of the Cemetery as a Cemetery of record, not decertified in 
> whole or part, except for the 80 ft. wide swath through the Northern portion of 
> it, leaving a small Northern portion that is a certified Cemetery, that has a 
> number of buildings on top of it, and may contain remains in addition to those 
> found so far will be something for the Future to be realized. 
> 
> Now the city is beginning to call Snohomish Cemetery a "private 
> cemetery" - what does this translate to? Many were "confused" that there were 
> still remains in the Cemetery, yet the Snohomish Historical Society stated on 
> page 55 of its publication, River Reflections that there were remains on both 
> sides of the highway cut through it. 
> 
> Common sense would preclude that the whole Cemetery was never dug up or 
> exhumed completely. Yet, there were so many that were "surprised" by the 
> findings of the archeological digs, and exploration. Time certainly does Tell, 
> and always to our benefit as we encounter the Hurdles along the Way. "They want 
> to be found" seems to apply our Genealogical History. 
> 
> May the New Snohomish Senior Center makes up for lost time, and thrive 
> as a fine, new addition to our history of Snohomish's Historical District. It 
> certainly has our Blessings for Success and Soon! 
> 
> Carroll in Snohomish 
> 
> * * * 30 * * * 
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