| Address |
| Soldiers Cemetery, Warrenton, OR 97121, USA (Hammond, Oregon)
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| Information |
Fort Stevens Post Cemetery
This cemetery near the Fort Stevens State Park in Hammond, Oregon dates back to 1905 though its origins actually reach as far back as the late-1860s. Interestingly, the cemetery lies outside the official state park grounds and tucked back behind several private residences in Warrenton at the end of a dead-end street. The cemetery serves as an active military cemetery (one of the few west of the Mississippi) and is the final resting place for soldiers from the Civil War through Vietnam, as well as members of the United States Coast Guard and sailors lost at sea. Though this marks the current location of the cemetery, it was first established at a separate location.
The Original Location
The first Fort Stevens Post Cemetery was established in May of 1868 over a quarter-mile away from the current post. At the time, the nearest cemetery was located in Astoria, some eight miles from the post, and it was determined prudent in 1866 to establish closer grounds in case any of the soldiers serving at the fort should pass away.
The wait would not last long, as the first burial came in May of 1868 with the death of Private August Stahlberger. His death would also be the first true unsolved mystery from a historical standpoint. Stahlberger's cause of death was initially listed as drowning after he fell into the Columbia River and drowned, reportedly while heavily intoxicated. For reasons now unknown, the cause of death was later officially changed to "death caused by blows from a person or persons unknown."
The initial cause of death by drowning would be hardly unusual as time passed. In fact, Private Bernard McCormack would be the second burial in the cemetery and his death was definitively by drowning in the nearby Columbia River. Due to the isolated nature of the outposts of Fort Stevens, it developed a reputation for heavy drinking among the many soldiers that served there. The occasional drowning was reportedly a by-product of the practice. Despite the fact that the cemetery was established for the remains of soldiers that served at the nearby fort, they would not be the only to be buried on the grounds.
The nearby mouth of the Columbia River is infamous for how many ships and lives were lost trying to navigate its waters. Unfortunately, it is hardly the only treacherous stretch of water in the area. The entire shoreline of the Pacific Ocean from Tillamook Bay in the south to Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the north has received the unfortunate moniker of "Graveyard of the Pacific". As such, it was not uncommon for bodies to wash ashore near the fort with no possible means to identify the corpses. These nameless sailors were also interred in the Fort Stevens Post Cemetery with a large number of headstones marked "Unknown".
The Current Location
As Fort Stevens continued to expand, the sand ridge that housed the original Fort Stevens Post Cemetery held an important commodity. The very sand of the grounds was desired for parapet fill for additional gun emplacements, which would have been more expensive if they had to look elsewhere. Also eyeing future posts that may be built on the site, the decision was made to move the reported 21 graves to a new site. A historical document dated February 18, 1905 confirms the relocation of the bodies to the new site. Curiously, the same document only lists 20 graves that were relocated with no word on what happened to the 21st. Today, the grounds of the presumably now-abandoned former cemetery lies somewhere between the "East Barracks" which was later used as schoolhouse and the field officer's quarters to the south.
The current location is on an elevated ground near what was the southern boundary of the post. Though it originally just contained the bodies from the original cemetery, it was further expanded in 1913. An ironwork fence was installed around the property and an additional 50 known graves were relocated to the grounds from nearby Fort Canby, which accounts for the headstones in the cemetery today that pre-date 1868. At the same time, the site was designated as the place of interment for all posts in the Artillery District of Columbia.
The Fort Stevens Post Cemetery also has a rare distinction from other cemeteries. The graves were positioned in a north and south direction versus the customary east and west, with the head facing east. The practice of burying the dead in the east-west position has both religious connotations, as well as is a courtesy to the deceased so that they can see the sunrise. The apparent reason for the deviation from standard burial practices was due to the slope of the land.
The Cemetery Today
Today, the Fort Stevens Post Cemetery continues to accept Veterans and their family to this day, making it one of only two such locations (the other being the Fort Vancouver Barracks Post Cemetery in Vancouver, Washington) on the West Coast. The headstones represent the entire history of the Northwest Military from coastal artillery through infantry through World War II (when Fort Stevens was decommissioned). As stated earlier, the cemetery is located at the end of a dead-end road near several private residences. Visitors to the grounds may need to park on a nearby side street and walk to the cemetery due to possible congestion in the area. |
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| Related Sites |
Fort Stevens State Park
The official Web site of the Fort Stevens State Park near Astoria, Oregon - the home to the reportedly haunted Battery Russell. |
Officer's Inn Bed and Breakfast
The official Web site of the reportedly haunted Officer's Inn Bed and Breakfast in Hammond, Oregon. Also includes information about local attractions such as the Fort Stevens State Park and Fort Stevens Post Cemetery. |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
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