I recently discovered a series of “Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County'' videos on YouTube. Most of them aren’t so much about “hidden cemeteries” but more about the hidden histories of some of the cemetery residents. But this cemetery fits both descriptions.
This short multi will introduce you to some of the interesting residents of Hills Cemetery near Gaston. You can park at the posted coordinates. You will walk less than 800 feet from parking to the final. The cemetery is open dawn to dusk.
Note: The photos are of the waypoint itself, but to get coordinate info you’ll need to look nearby.
Also, a note to help with directions: The gravel road that cuts across the middle of the cemetery runs east/west.
You’ll find the final at N 45 25.5AB W 123 06.3CD. Checksum (total) of the digits of A thru D = 33
Waypoint A: Peter Duncan McIntosh came to the northwest by way of Canada. He was an expert cheese maker and had heard of Oregon’s burgeoning dairy industry. He ended up in Tillamook where he developed a recipe for Tillamook Cheddar Cheese that is still used today.
Several communities were vying for supremacy in the cheese industry. In their bid for success, Gaston dairymen collected enough money to lure McIntosh away from Tillamook. Unfortunately, shortly after he arrived the local cheese industry took a downturn. He never achieved the success he’d attained in Tillamook.
In 1993, McIntosh’s former cheese factory was destroyed in a spectacular fire. There is a geocache at that site that tells about it. I’ve provided a link to it further below.
Look at the headstone about 12-15 feet north. If there is an image on it of:
- A fish, A = 7
- Trees, A = 8
- A flag, A = 9
Waypoint B: William M. Doughty was a mountain man, and might be the most famous Oregon pioneer that no one’s ever heard of. He was elected as one of the first nine members of Oregon’s provisional government. He attended the first meeting at Champoeg, which was ostensibly to eradicate wolves to make the area safe for settlers and their cattle. At that meeting it was decided to also rid themselves of the British by voting to join the Oregon Territory with the United States.
Doughty, an excellent hunter and trapper, was assigned to set up a wolf bounty program. His bounty program was so effective that the area was soon awash with settlers and their cattle, which resulted in a booming dairy industry that would later draw Peter McIntosh (Wpt A).
Bonus points if you find the misspelling on his headstone.
Look at the headstone about 20 feet north. If you see:
- JOHN E. BLUM, B = 7
- COLBY and JESSIE CARTER, B = 8
- An image of a lamb, B = 9
Waypoint C: Almoran Hill was a mountain man and fur trader who came across the plains with Marcus Whitman and Joseph Meek. He was one of the earliest settlers in the county and lived about a quarter mile from here. His house served as a station on the Forest Grove-Lafayette stagecoach line. He donated the land for this cemetery, which is named after him.
Look about 2 feet north. If you see a headstone with:
- FRANCIS MARION HILL, C = 7
- Mother, C = 8
- BABY BRISBINE, C = 9
Waypoint D: This distinctive headstone is for a Woodman of the World There are a few different styles of Woodman of the World headstones and, despite looking like tree stumps or logs, they have nothing to do with forestry.
These headstones were a benefit available between 1890 and 1920 from Woodmen of the World, a fraternal organization whose purpose was to make life insurance affordable to everyone. The organization was founded in 1890 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Joseph Cullen Root after he heard a sermon about "pioneer woodsmen clearing away the forest to provide for their families". He wanted to start a society that "would clear away problems of financial security for its members"
They are still active today.
Look about 12 feet north. If you see a headstone with:
- Father, D = 7
- MATILDA LEWIS, D = 8
- CARSTENS, D = 9
Here is a link to the geocache at the site of McIntosh’s former cheese factory in Gaston.
A link to the Past…the Cheese Factory that was…
If you are interested in learning more about these, and other interesting people buried in Washington County cemeteries, here are links to the “Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County” videos. There are seven videos in the series. You can also find them by searching for “Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County” on YouTube.
Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County (Old Scotch Church, Hill, and Cherry Grove cemeteries)
Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County - Confederate Soldiers (Union Point, Hillsboro Pioneer, and Forest View cemeteries)
Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County - Sheriffs (Old Scotch Church and Hillsboro Pioneer cemeteries)
Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County - Newspapers and Editors (Hillsboro Pioneer, Fir Lawn, and Forest View cemeteries)
Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County - Undertakers (Union Point, Forest View, and Mt. Olive cemeteries)
Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County - Gales Creek Mystery (Gales Creek, Forest View, and Cornelius Methodist cemeteries)
Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County - Tigard, Scholl's Ferry and Boone's Ferry (John Tigard House, Crescent Grove, St. Anthony, and Lewis Pioneer cemeteries)
Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County - Murder or Suicide: The Mysterious Death of Elizabeth Koeber on June 1, 1932 (Fir Lawn, Hillsboro Pioneer, and Forest View cemeteries)
I hope to do more “Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County” caches. So far I have these other two:
Hidden Cemeteries of Wash. Co: Hillsboro Pioneer
Hidden Cemeteries and Ferry Tales - Scholl’s