Eugene Pioneer Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Eugene Pioneer Cemetery (also Pioneer Memorial Cemetery and Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) Cemetery) is a pioneer
cemetery
in Eugene, Oregon
, United States
. It is one of the three oldest cemeteries in Eugene. It is the largest in both acreage and burials encompassing 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) with approximately 5,000 burials.
. The cemetery is located adjacent to the campus of the University of Oregon
but is not affiliated with the college. It is situated across University street from McArthur Court
and is behind the Knight Library
. In at least three sessions of the Oregon State Legislature
, bills were introduced which would have allowed the University of Oregon to condemn the property, remove graves, and build on the land; the last attempt was in 1962. All of the legislative bills died in committee. The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1997.
Notable burials in the cemetery include Louis Renninger
who was awarded the Medal of Honor
in the American Civil War
. Renninger is one of one hundred forty-five Civil War veterans buried in the cemetery. There is also section for Spanish-American War
veterans and there are many veterans from World War I
and World War II
.
The "signature" of the Eugene Pioneer Cemetery is the Grand Army of the Republic
burial plot located near the center of the cemetery. The plot was purchased in 1887 by the Gen. John W. Geary
post of the Eugene G.A.R. There are fifty-seven known graves in the plot including fifty-one Civil War veterans and six women and children. In the center of the plot stands a twenty-five-foot statue of a Union soldier. In 1903, Union veteran John Covell’s estate, valued at $2,500, specified that a monument be placed at the G.A.R. plot where he was laid to rest. The bequest was challenged in court by Covell’s relatives, but a Eugene judge ruled in favor of the G.A.R. The statue was carved in Vermont and shipped by rail to Eugene. The 8 short tons (7 LT) statue was brought to the cemetery by an eight horse team and raised by block and tackle. In December 2001, vandals broke the head of the statue off and pulverized it. Local artist David Miller was commissioned to sculpt a replacement. An 800-pound block of blue marble was obtained from the same Vermont quarry where the original statue was carved one hundred years before. The new head was installed in February 2003 and dedicated that Memorial Day
.
In 2007 the G.A.R. plot underwent a major restoration by the Col. Edward D. Baker camp of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
.
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is one of the three oldest cemeteries in Eugene. It is the largest in both acreage and burials encompassing 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) with approximately 5,000 burials.
History
The cemetery was founded in 1872 by the Spencer Butte Lodge No. 9 of the Independent Order of Odd FellowsIndependent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows , also known as the Three Link Fraternity, is an altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and charitable acts were...
. The cemetery is located adjacent to the campus of the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
but is not affiliated with the college. It is situated across University street from McArthur Court
McArthur Court
McArthur Court is a basketball arena located on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene and the former home of the Oregon Ducks men's and women's basketball teams, replaced in 2011 by Matthew Knight Arena....
and is behind the Knight Library
Knight Library
Knight Library is the main facility of the University of Oregon's library system. It is located on the university's campus in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The library design is emblematic of the architecture of the university's older buildings, and it serves as a hub of student activity. As of...
. In at least three sessions of the Oregon State Legislature
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
, bills were introduced which would have allowed the University of Oregon to condemn the property, remove graves, and build on the land; the last attempt was in 1962. All of the legislative bills died in committee. The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1997.
Notable burials in the cemetery include Louis Renninger
Louis Renninger
Louis Renninger was a Union soldier who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in the American Civil War....
who was awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Renninger is one of one hundred forty-five Civil War veterans buried in the cemetery. There is also section for Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
veterans and there are many veterans from World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
G.A.R. burial plot
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
burial plot located near the center of the cemetery. The plot was purchased in 1887 by the Gen. John W. Geary
John W. Geary
John White Geary was an American lawyer, politician, Freemason, and a Union general in the American Civil War...
post of the Eugene G.A.R. There are fifty-seven known graves in the plot including fifty-one Civil War veterans and six women and children. In the center of the plot stands a twenty-five-foot statue of a Union soldier. In 1903, Union veteran John Covell’s estate, valued at $2,500, specified that a monument be placed at the G.A.R. plot where he was laid to rest. The bequest was challenged in court by Covell’s relatives, but a Eugene judge ruled in favor of the G.A.R. The statue was carved in Vermont and shipped by rail to Eugene. The 8 short tons (7 LT) statue was brought to the cemetery by an eight horse team and raised by block and tackle. In December 2001, vandals broke the head of the statue off and pulverized it. Local artist David Miller was commissioned to sculpt a replacement. An 800-pound block of blue marble was obtained from the same Vermont quarry where the original statue was carved one hundred years before. The new head was installed in February 2003 and dedicated that Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
.
In 2007 the G.A.R. plot underwent a major restoration by the Col. Edward D. Baker camp of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is an American fraternal organization, the legal successor to the Grand Army of the Republic . Founded in late 1881, it was originally one of several competing organizations of descendants of Union veterans...
.
Notable burials
- James Henry Dickey HendersonJames Henry Dickey HendersonJames Henry Dickey Henderson was an American farmer and politician from the state of Oregon. A native of Kentucky, he lived in Missouri and Pennsylvania before moving to the Oregon Territory in 1852...
(1810–1885), U.S. Representative from Oregon - Harrison R. Kincaid (1836-1920), Oregon Secretary of State
- Louis RenningerLouis RenningerLouis Renninger was a Union soldier who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in the American Civil War....
(1841-1908), Medal of Honor recipient in the Civil War - Joshua J. Walton (1838-1909), pioneer lawyer, regent of the University of Oregon
External links
- Cemetery Website
- Pioneer Memorial Cemetery at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...
- Union Civil War Vets Honored In Eugene Pioneer Cemetery