The cache is not at the posted coordinates. You’ll need to do some home research and a field trip to get the final coordinates. The final is available from sunrise to sunset.
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.
One of the videos is ”Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County - Tigard, Scholl's Ferry and Boone's Ferry”. It mentions Lewis Pioneer Cemetery, a “hidden cemetery'' in Hillsboro. The cemetery holds the graves of Peter Scholl and some of his family.
Ferries played critical roles for Willamette valley early pioneers. This cache introduces you to Scholl’s ferry, for which Scholls Ferry Road is named.
Part 1 - watch the video: It is hard to find safe parking to visit Lewis Pioneer Cemetery, so this will start as a virtual cemetery visit. You can find the answers you need in the ”Hidden Cemeteries of Washington County - Tigard, Scholl's Ferry and Boone's Ferry” video starting after 10:10, but the entire video is only a little over 15 minutes and you may enjoy the additional Washington County ferry tales.
There is an inscription at the bottom of Peter Scholl’s headstone. If it says::
- Beloved husband and father, AB = 35
- Gone too soon, AB = 49
- I am going home, AB = 48
- Oregon Pioneer, AB = 53
Peter has a connection with famous Kentucky frontiersman and Revolutionary War hero Daniel Boone. If it was: :
- As a teenager in Kentucky, he interviewed Daniel for the Cumberland Chronicle, CD = 04
- Daniel was his godfather, CD = 86
- He wrote an early biography of Daniel, CD = 06
- His grandmother was Daniel’s sister, CD = 02
A young Army officer, later to gain fame during the Civil War, used Scholl’s ferry to cross the Tualatin River while marching troops from Fort Vancouver to Fort Yamhill. If it was:
- Ambrose Burnside, EF = 67
- George Armstrong Custer, EF = 52
- Philip Sheridan, EF = 62
- William Tecumseh Sherman, EF = 50
Part 2 - field trip: This will have you drive over the Scholls Ferry Bridge, which spans the Tualatin River where Scholl’s ferry used to cross. Peter Scholl started ferry service in 1850 at the bridge site. He operated the ferry for several years, eventually replacing it with a toll bridge. This was the main Tualatin River crossing until floods washed the bridge away and John A. Taylor opened his ferry in 1852 further east, providing a more direct route from Portland to south Yamhill county.
Go to the posted coordinates. and look on the south side of historic Petrich’s General Store (the left side, as you stand out front looking at the store).
To the right of the window, about 5 feet up, is a red sign with white lettering. If it says:
- EMERGENCY SHUT-OFF SWITCH, GH = 56
- DOG WATERING STATION, GH = 28
- MOTORCYCLES ONLY, GH = 27
- DON’T TIE HORSES HERE, GH = 75
- CASH CUSTOMERS PAY INSIDE, GH = 09
You’ll find the final at N 45 2A.BCD W 122 5E.FGH
Future caches will talk about Tigard, and the ferries from which Boones Ferry Road and Taylors Ferry Road are named.
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 eight 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 - Newspaper Publishers (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 Mysteries (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 of Wash. County - Hills Cemetery