Curbside: A hard surface, accessable tour A Self-Guided Tour of Portland’s Historic

Crawford Dobbins was one of civic booster, lobbying for a city planned with many killed in the explosion of the abundant parkland. steamship ‘Gazelle’ at in April of 1854. As the owner of both An Poet Laureate, the Gazelle and some land which had Samuel Simpson emigrated as come with a small, private cemetery a child to Corvallis, learning on it, Colburn Barrell dedicated ten his alphabet by tracing letters acres of his land as cemetery and in the ashes on the hearth buried his friend Crawford Dobbins of their log cabin. His there. The monument is carved father, the Hon. Ben Simpson, helped found Willamette from our native Columbia basalt, and contains a masterful University, in Salem. Sam, though educated as a lawyer, carving of a Douglas fir tree broken off at the top, a motif spent his life publishing small-town newspapers, publishing which signifies a premature death. The monument is signed his sentimental poetry in them. The poem ‘Beautiful by the carver, indicating his pride in this piece. Willamette’ was written in response to a depression, lifted by gazing at the river, and garnered the acclaim for which This Douglas fir tree is the Lone Fir he is known. for which the cemetery is named. At the time, this tree was the only one This beautiful sugar marble Celtic in the vicinity. Named by Aurelia Cross is the only such monument Barrell, the bronze plaque was added at Lone Fir, a stunning display by the Pioneer Rose Association to of Scottish symbolism. Oddly, commemorate its significance. Prior this marker has no inscription. to this, the cemetery was called ‘Mt. Cemetery records indicate it was the Crawford’, in honor of Mr. Dobbins. grave of Mary Alice Oberle, a ‘fancy house’ prostitute, reputed to have This beautifully-carved marble bowl had ‘6,000 lovers’. Legend tells it marks the grave of James Frush, and was erected by her devoted clientele once sat on the bar of the First Street and that her sister was so horrified that she had her sister Saloon where he was the bartender. moved and the inscription erased. Our research verifies the On holidays, free drinks would be two sisters lie side by side at Mt. Calvary cemetery, with served from the mouth of the carved very simple markers. head. For some years, his friends would take the urn back to the saloon James Turk was a notorious shanghai captain, one who at Christmas and toast their favorite procured merchant sailors for the many sailing ships bartender. trading in the harbor. Unsuspecting young men would find themselves , an attorney in Oregon City, captive in the basements of saloons, stopped at a clearing on the riverside while having fallen through trap doors made boating home from . He for the purpose. Tunnels ran from the noticed the natural harbor and staked a basement cages to the docks, where claim. The name of the city was decided the captives were loaded aboard ships with a coin toss between Lovejoy (, bound for ports around the world. Mass.) and his partner, Shanghai, China was the furthest port (Portland, ). Lovejoy was a huge back then, hence the name. Curbside: A hard surface, accessable tour A Self-Guided Tour of Portland’s Historic Lone Fir Cemetery

The Donald MacLeay mausoleum is the largest mausoleum Nationally renowned in the in the cemetery, with a chapel on the second floor. Built fieldof mental care, Dr. James in neo-Gothic style and made of soft red sandstone, it is Hawthorne’s monument fits reminiscent of his family home his standing in the community. in Ross-Shire, Scotland. Built He was hired in 1859, charged for his wife Martha, who died in with providing care to the many childbirth with their fourth child, pioneers who had stress disorders the mausoleum cost $13,500 from the horrors they faced on to construct. Business magnate their journeys. The asylum was and philanthropist, MacLeay on Hawthorne St., which was donated MacLeay Park to the then called Asylum Avenue. He City. Martha landscaped their had a philosophy rare in his time, respecting his patients home with plants from around the as human beings and treating them with dignity. They world brought by Donald’s ships’ had time outdoors, religious services, holiday observances captains. Many of these plants became the foundation for and musical performances. The hospital was visited twice the landscape industry in Oregon. by suffragist Dorthea Dix , who gave it her approval both times. Hawthorne personally paid for the burial of 132 of The Pioneer Rose Garden at Lone Fir is a living jewel, a his patients here at Lone Fir Cemetery. special connection with Oregon’s pioneer heritage. The 23 different roses are documented to have come across Born Leslie Carter Hansen, the with Eric Ladd used the stage name the settlers. In the he took while involved in local l940’s, gardener Mary theater productions in his Drain Albro formed other life. Better known as the the Pioneer Rose ’Father of Historic Preservation’ Association to search in Oregon, Ladd spend many for roses legend held years salvaging cast iron had made the journey. ornamentation from the many They traveled from the Whitman Mission in Walla Walls, historic buildings demolished through the to the Applegate in the name of progress. His Valley, along the southern branch of the Trail. In all, 23 goal was to remount these roses were found, propagated, and planted around the state, pieces on other buildings, and that has happened numerous in four gardens. The one at Lone Fir is the only one left, times. One example is the iron gate at the northeast side truly a hidden gem. The Pioneer Rose Association also of Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland. It was taken sponsored events at Lone Fir, planted trees and shrubs, and from the hotel which occupied the space before the square had bronze plaques placed on specimen trees throughout was built. The Bosco-Milligan Foundation, a local historic the cemetery. preservation organization, now conserves the acres of cast iron saved by Ladd.

Curbside: A hard surface, accessable tour A Self-Guided Tour of Portland’s Historic Lone Fir Cemetery

Map of Lone Fir Cemetery SE SE Stark St. A B 5M 6M 11M C D E

1 2 3 71 10M 24 25 34 35

9M 23 5 4 8M 6 Fireman’s Lot 22 26 33 36 8 Soldier’s Rose 7 Monument Garden

9 16 21 27 32 37 Main Entrance SE 21th St. 10 Mac 20 28 31 38 12 Leay 11

14 13 18 19 29 30 39 SE 26th St. SE Morrison Gate (Closed)

Crawford Dobbins Block 1 Lone Fir Tree Block 2 James Turk Block 13 Celtic Cross Block 13 James Frush Block 2 Asa Lovejoy Block 4 Sam Simpson Block 13