southtillamookcounty.com
History
"Short History of the Little Nestucca River Valley and Its Early Pioneers" written about South Tillamook County, Oregon
The page below was written by Mrs. Hardy Rock (Alexandria LEY Rock) and published in 1949. NVMS students have retyped her history so that many may read it. Although some punctuation errors have been corrected the text remains as written by Mrs. Rock.
Note that Alexandria LEY Rock's "Short History of the Little Nestucca River Valley and Its Early Pioneers" has been republished in book form as of January 2007 and is now being offered for sale by the Tillamook County Historical Society!
(This page was typed by NVMS 6th grader, Amy P., during the spring of 2002 and edited by Dean Bones.)
James B. Upton, early pioneer of 1876, who homesteaded the farm now owned by Ole Redberg and his son, Roy Redberg, donated a site for a cemetery on a hill in an easterly direction from the present site of the Oretown Gospel Church.
Although Upton had a large family and lived many years on his homestead, and all have passed away except his youngest daughter, Mrs. Marietta Ostrander, of Portland, Oregon, none are buried in this cemetery.
The first burial was John Dunn of Meda, who died in 1880, aged 63 years old.
His burial was followed by a small child belonging to a family camped in the neighborhood. This grave site has been lost.
In 1884, Wm. Foster, 45 years of age, while enroute over the old Indian Trail to Meda, was found frozen to death on the trail, by exposure and exhaustion. He was buried in our cemetery.
Johnie Seed followed, before 1887.
Five soldiers
of Civil War have their resting place here;
A Wm. foster--Sgr-Comp. I 91st Illinois, Volunteer Infantry, died 1884
45 yrs.
John Bentley-- Com H. 15 Kansas, G.A.R. died in 1891. He lived in
upper Meda.
Luther Brown--died in 1900 in home of T. A. Porter, aged 81 years
J. L. Coffey--Comp. D. 5th Ky. GAV--died in 1905. He lived
at Meda, and he was the father of Arthur Coffey.
Henry A. Hess, died in 1927, aged 85 years. He was father of Andy Hess.
One soldier of World War I is also here. He was George Edwar Sutton, Pvt. 1st class Field Art. 81st Div. He died in 1935, son of Vincent and Louella Sutton, early Pioneer settlers and a brother of Ralph Sutton of Neskowin.
One soldier of World War II rests here, John Stanley Rock, Pvt. U.S. Army Air Force. He died in 1944. He was son of John and Evelyn Rock of Oretown.
Here also rest the remains of near relatives of Buffalo Bill, (Wm. Cody) Martha Cody Barnhart, sister of father of Buffalo Bill. She lived with her husband Chas. Barnhard and their son Walter Barnhard, on Nestucca Bay on their homestead known as "The Cherry Orchard". She passed away in 1899 age 80 years.
Their son, Walter Barnhard resembled Buffalo Bill. He wore his hair long in a braid ending in a curl. As far as is known, he died somewhere in Canada. Olive Cody Cleghorn, a sister of Martha Cody Barnhart, passed in 1891. Both rest in our cemetery.
All these graves have headstones, now broken in with age, and should be preserved.
DIKES++
Little Nestucca River was diked in 1916-17 from Meda to its junction with Big Nestucca River by the Collier and Stephenson Diking Company.
Continue to page 21 of "Short History of the Little Nestucca River Valley and Its Early Pioneers!"