Rock Creek Cemetery, Baker County, Oregon

Photo and Cemetery Records contributed by Belva Ticknor

As the story on Haines Area History continues we recall the beginnings of the Haines and Rock Creek Cemetery's.

"Known all men", "Forever quick claim", these are some of the fancy words on the deed drawn up, three days of June 1895 to purchase a School District. The parcel of land runs about 800 feet along the Rock Creek road east of the School House. I. H. Ingram prepared the deed as the Oregon Notary Public of Oregon, county of Baker. signing as trustees of the new Cemetery were Henry K. Fisher, Alonzo Long, Joseph Savage, Samuel Hearing, L. S. Pobst, F. O. Anderson, Ellen Anderson, H. P. Fisher, M. A. Savgae, Julia A. Long, Annie Pobst and S. J. Hearing. It is believed the site was just to swampy for a good cemetery. At the funeral of Chas. Ashwood's first wife, the ground was so wet, the coffin was floating and would not stay down, to they had to pile rocks on it to keep it in place.

James Oliver Maxwell was in attendance and he thought "good night this is terrible". and so he went looking for a better spot.

Ed Coles and his two sisters owned the land South of the Cemetery Hill and east of the railroad tracks, and on it was a bone dry hill covered with rocks and sage brush. For the sum of fifty dollars James Oliver Maxwell bought the premises to with 800' by 250' over looking the Power River. Elmer F. Hill and wife Florence Coles Hill, Edward W. Coles and wife Ollie and John Richmond and wife Sara (Coles) sold the parcel of land to Mr. Maxwell to be used only as a cemetery (forever). This became known as the Maxwell Cemetery.

When Mr. Maxwell died (approx 1916) the cemetery passed on to his ten children. Other cemetery's started to fix up their grounds with grass and trees, and the area residents started asking the Maxwell's to clear off the sage brush and rocks to make the Cemetery nice. Glen and Omer started to yank the sage brush and finally turned the land over to the Haines Cemetery Board so they could hire a caretaker to take care of the facilities. All of Mr. Maxwell's children were living and each had to sign the deed.

The Rock Creek Cemetery ceased to be used and many graves were opened and contents moved to the Haines Cemetery. Late one of the caretakers of the Rock Creek Cemetery burned off the dead grass and accidentally burned most if not all of the old wooden markers. Only those with granite markers or stones survived, but local residents were able to locate some of the pioneer grave sites and remarked them. One such was a pioneer grave belonging to George S. Miller, better known as Butcher Knife Miller, Mountain Man and as he married Minerva Creighbaum in 1865, was related to many families in this area.
Record Courier, Used with permission

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LAST FIRST MIDDLE MAIDEN SPOUSE DOB DOD VET. ROW SPACE NOTATIONS PICT.
ALDRICH NEIL N     1932 2004 X 33 1018   Y
ANDERSON MELVIN A     1895 1895   24 727 son of Frank & Ellen Y
ASHWOOD ELIZABETH     JAMES 1823 1911   33 1044   Y
ASHWOOD JAMES     ELIZABETH 1820 1886   33 1043 1996-pine tree still standing Y
B FZL  80                   West & Co. Marker N
BLIZE PEARL J     1889 1890   40 1224 dau. Of Wm & M.L. Blize Y
BLIZE WILLIAM JOHN   MINNIE 1853 1890   40 1223 AGE OF 37 YRS. Y
BRAZIER ARTHUR       1895 1895   40 1233 10 DAYS OLD Y
BRAZIER WILLIAM       1888 1888   40 1232 3 DAYS OLD Y
BROWN CHARLES HENRY     1851 1895 X 11 331 west-end/was fenced   Y
BROWN WADE G     1956 2000       son of F. Shurtleff Y
BURNSIDE BESSIE M.     1909 1910   no  marker funeral record,  no marker found N
BURNSIDE GEORGE       1908 1908   no  marker funeral record,  no marker found N
BURNSIDE JNO,         1892 X 23 697 Company C  6th Missouri Cavalry Y
CARTMILL ROSA   12yr 3mo 13da     1899   21 637 dau. of D.M. Cartmill buried E. of  road Y
CLARK T G       1903   35 1074 24yr 8mo 11da Y
COLE SOLOMON       1831 1890   30A 905 AGE 59 YRS. Y
COLES ELIZABETH   SPEARMAN CLARENCE 1868 1917   30A 924   Y
COLES LYDIA   WEISNER   1842 1917   30A 901   Y
COLES MAY       no date   31 945 twin of Ray  Clarence & Eliz. Coles Y
COLES RAY       no date   31 944 twin of May both buried at mother's site Y
COLLINS MARY E.       1899   26 798 AGE 30 YEARS 7MO. Y
COMPTON SUSAN  "SUE" Y WEAVER   1935 2006   36 1117  last name Long in Obit Y
DETHLOFF                 WILLIAM, JR. J.   "JOE"     1945 2002 X 2 47   Y
DETHLOFF                    WILLIAM J     1923 1998 X 1 16   Y
FAVORITE DAYTON       1837 1893   26 784   Y
FAVORITE MARTHA M COYLE   1842 1917   26 785   Y
FERGUSON ANNA ELIZA NAYLOR STEPHENS 1827 1921   23 698 married John Burnside first Y
FERGUSON STEPHENS     ANNA 1823 1921   26 793   Y
FINK TONI LYNN ALDRICH     2006       49 yrs old O
FISHER BEN         1898   no marker funeral record,  no marker found N
FISHER BENNY         1900   no  marker funeral record,  no marker found N
FISHER IRA ALONZO           35 1077 south of big tree--no marker N
FISHER ROSA MAY           35 1076 born in May no marker N
GEORGE ROLAND P     1861 1890   30A 912   Y
GREEN JOSEPH       1876 1890   38 1190 killed at rail crossing-team ran away. Y
GREEN LILLIE MAY     1883 1883   38 1191 all three children on sides of one marker Y
GREEN NATHANIEL       1888 1888   38 1189 Children of W.A. & E.L. Green Y
H. M. E.           24 739 sm. Stone no dates (M.E.H.) Y
HALL ISAIAH  S  "PONY" obit. States was bur.by Nancy 1845 1930   24 738 BOARD MARKER identified by family Y
HALL LESTER Wm     1916 1916   24 740 two months old Y
HALL NANCY JANE BURNSIDE "PONY" 1856 1905   24 737 prob. Marble marker by board marker Y
HARDY MABLE       ? ?   27 809 hand made marker.Diff to read first name Y
HEARD MAUD F     1894 1992   22A 668   Y
HEARING DAUGHTER       no date   43 1340 Baby of James & Lydia Hearing Y
HEARING GEORGE ALLEN 6yr 5 mo   1873 1879   36A 1100 son of S.P. & S.J. Hearing Y
HEARING HENRY THOMAS 1yr 10da   1876 1877   36A 1103 son of S.P. & S.J. Hearing Y
HEARING OSCAR LEE 1 yr 11mo 4da   1878 1879   36A 1099 son of S.P. & S.J. Hearing Y
HEARING SUSANNAH   HELMICK SAMUEL P. 1810 1862   36A 1092 died at 52 yrs bur. With son John Y
HEARNG JOHN       1842 1862   36A 1092  On mother's  (Susannah) marker Y
HORN AMANDA       1896 1896   44 1367 dau of  John & Amanda Maxwell Horn Y
HORN WILLIAM C     1861 1894   44 1370   Y
HUCKINS MARY ELLEN RAMSAY   1904 2001   22 678   Y
JACKLIN PHILLIS     WILLIAM 1911 2003         Y
JACKLIN WILLIAM C.   PHILLIS 1904 1993         Y
JACOBSON MARSHA   LILLARD "JACK" 1941 2003   25 766   Y
KERNS JANET BERNICE McCORMIC TOM 1911 1982   46A 1430   Y
KERNS TOM LORENCE   JANET 1910 1997   46A 1427   Y
LONG ALFRED MARION     1882 1882   37 1152 Son of Alonzo & Julia Long Y
LONG BONNIE JEAN FLICKINGER   1922 2005         Y
LONG GEORGE EMEL 11 mo 5 da   1890 1891   37 1155 Son of Alonzo & Julia Long Y
LONG JAMES LOUIS     1883 1883   37 1153 Son of Alonzo & Julia Long Y
LONG RAY P 1 mo 18 da   1888 1888   37 1154 Son of Alonzo & Julia Long Y
LONG SUSAN   WEAVER   1935 2006   36 1117 buried as Susan Compton..(obit. Long) Y
LONG THOMAS SYLVANIS 6 mo 1 day   1878 1879   37 1151 Son of Alonzo & Julia Long Y
MARKLE MARY   FORD RICHARD   1916   no  marker accord to death cert., no marker found N
MARKLE RICHARD BRUER   MARY 1818 1890   no  marker accord to death cert., no marker found N
McCULLOUGH MARTHA E.     1863 1898   24 736 wife of H.C. McCullough Y
MILLER CHARLES       1877 unk   36A 1108 no dates readable Y
MILLER GEORGE S   MINERVA 1824 1916   36A 1111 father of Isaphine Warfield Y
MILLER MINERVA   CREIGHBAUM GEORGE 1835 unk   36A 1111 mother of Isaphine Y
MOORE JAMES         1893   no  marker funeral record,  no marker found N
MOORE MRS. JAMES         1900   no  marker funeral record,  no marker found N
MORGAN B. F.       1893   no  marker funeral record,  no marker found N
MORGAN WILLIAM H     1853 1893   33 1000 4x8 cement slab on grave Y
MORIN child of W.C. Morin       1900   no  marker funeral record,  no marker found Y
PHILLIPS BALEM     CLARA 1845 1924   20A 614   Y
PHILLIPS CLARA   BURNSIDE BALEM 1848 1930   20A 613 wife of Balem Y
RAMSAY (SON)     son of E.G & Ollie Ramsay 1922 1922   no  marker funeral record,  no marker found N
RAMSAY OLLIE LURA ADDIE TAYLOR E.G.   1922   22 678   Y
ROBLES CHARLES A., JR.   VIRGINIA 1919 1996   28 839   Y
ROBLES VIRGINIA     CHARLES 1916 2001   28 839   Y
SAVAGE IVY MYRTLE     1883 1885   38A 1184 Da. Joseph & Malinda Savage Y
SAVAGE WILLIAM FRANKLIN     1868 1886   38A 1180 son of Joseph & Malinda Savage Y
SCOTT SAMUEL       1846 1899   29 895 born in Tenn. stone erected by W.O.W. Y
SHURTLEFF LIONEL D.     1906 1997   26 780   Y
SPENCE GEORGE age 2 mo. son of Tom & Anna Spence       no  marker info Geo. Miller, no marker found N
SPENCE MATILDA age 5 yr dau. Of Tom & Anna Spence       no  marker info Geo. Miller, no marker found N
SPENCE WALLACE 23 yrs. bro. of Tom         no marker info Geo. Miller, no marker found N
STEPHENS DONALD RAY     1934 2006 X       Y
STROMMER JOSEPH         2005   22 655   O
SWAN CLAUDE 16YR son of Mary   ? ?   no  marker info Geo. Miller, no marker found N
TAYLOR ELIZABETH ANN SMELSER JAMES 1822 1888   39 1227   Y
TAYLOR JAMES     ELIZABETH 1822 1887   39 1226 son of T. & R. Taylor Y
TIPTON LEO I. BUDEL     1925 1977   26 807 below the road/outhouse Y
TIPTON VIOLA     JOHN 1866 1886   36 1095 dau. SP & S.S. Hearing age 19 yrs Y
TONEY JULIA S.   JESSE D. 1864 1891   40 1245   Y
TONEY ROZIER       1888 1890   40 1244 son of Jesse & Julia Toney Y
VALIANT GERALDINE R.     1936 1990         Y
WARFIELD ISAPHINE   MILLER   1867 1908   36A 1115 grmother of Bertha Boesch & Glen W Y
WARFIELD JAMES       1857 1913   36A 1116 Handmade marker by Glen Warfield Y
West&Co marker               26 783   N
WILLIAMS ALICE MAY     1921 1921   no  marker wood mark dist.in fire -no marker found N