River View Cemetery is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

located in the southwest section of

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

. Founded in 1882, it is the final resting place of many prominent and notable citizens of

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, including many governors and members of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

. Multnomah County, Oregon: River View Cemetery.
The Political Graveyard. Retrieved on March 12, 2008. Other notable burials include Henry Weinhard's family, W.A.S.P Pilot

Hazel Ying Lee Hazel Ying Lee (; August 24, 1912 – November 25, 1944) was an American pilot who flew for the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. Early life Lee was born in Portland, Oregon. Her parents were Yuet Lee and Ssiu Lan Wong, f ...

, football player

Lyle Alzado Lyle Martin Alzado (April 3, 1949 – May 14, 1992) was an American professional American football, football player who was a defensive end of the National Football League (NFL), famous for his intense and intimidating style of play. Alzado pla ...

, baseball player

Carl Mays Carl William Mays (November 12, 1891 – April 4, 1971) was an American baseball pitcher who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1929. During his career, he won over 200 games, 27 in 1921 alone, and was a member of four Wo ...

,James, Peet
Necropolitan: Portland's most interesting residents don't walk the streets. At least you'd better hope they don't.
''

Willamette Week ''Willamette Week'' (''WW'') is an alternative weekly newspaper and a website published in Portland, Oregon, United States, since 1974. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business, and culture. History Early history '' ...

''. Retrieved on March 12, 2008. and famous western lawman

Virgil Earp Virgil Walter Earp (July 18, 1843 – October 19, 1905) was an American lawman. He was both deputy U.S. Marshal and City Marshal of Tombstone, Arizona, Tombstone, Arizona Territory, Arizona, when he led his younger brothers Wyatt Earp, Wyatt a ...

History

River View Cemetery Association lithographic stone used to print a bond or stock

River View Cemetery Association was founded as a non-profit cemetery by William S. Ladd, James Terwilliger,

Henry Failing Henry Failing (January 17, 1834 – November 8, 1898) was a banker, and one of the leading businessmen of the Pacific Northwest of the United States. He was one of Portland, Oregon's earliest residents, and served as that city's mayor in two ...

, Henry W. Corbett,

Henry Pittock Henry Lewis Pittock (March 1, 1835 (some sources cite 1836) – January 28, 1919) was an England, English-born American American pioneers, pioneer, publisher, newspaper editor, and wood and paper magnate. He was active in Republican Party (U.S.) ...

Simon Benson Simon Benson (born Simen Bergersen Klæve, September 9, 1851 – August 5, 1942) was a Norwegian-born American businessman and philanthropist who was active in the city of Portland, Oregon. Early life Simon Benson was born Simen Bergersen Kl� ...

, and others in 1882.History.
River View Cemetery. Retrieved on March 12, 2008. All those who joined co-owned the cemetery. In 1902 a Roll Call statue was added to honor the 165 Oregonians who died in the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

. The statue has stood for 121 years, it was stolen briefly in 2023, until it was found and returned to its post in 2024. The first adult burial was Dr. William Henry Watkins. In the 1940s a 135-person chapel was added, designed by

Pietro Belluschi Pietro Belluschi (August 18, 1899 – February 14, 1994) was an Italian-American architect. A leading figure in modern architecture, he was responsible for the design of over 1,000 buildings.Belluschi, Pietro. (2007). In ''Encyclopædia Britanni ...

.Home page, River View Cemetery.
River View Cemetery. Retrieved on January 24, 2015.

Facilities

Overlooking the

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward ...

, the cemetery has a variety of

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

s including the Hilltop Garden Mausoleum and Main Mausoleum. There are also private mausoleums and crypts. River View is an endowment care cemetery as defined by the state of Oregon.

Property and surplus land

River View Cemetery occupies approximately on the west slope of the Willamette River, south of

Downtown Portland Downtown Portland is the central business district of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is on the west bank of the Willamette River in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and where most of the city's high-rise buildi ...

, but approximately half of the property is not a developed cemetery. Initially, this excess land was held for future expansion of the cemetery, but demographic trends away from burial (in favor of

cremation Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...

) have reduced the need for future expansion. For example, in 1973 eight percent of Oregonians chose cremation, versus 68 percent in 2010. In 2006, the River View Cemetery Association sought to develop of their surplus land into residential properties, and filed a $24 million compensation claim under the 2004 Oregon Ballot Measure 37 and 2007 Oregon Ballot Measure 49. In 2007, the River View Cemetery Association submitted an application to change the zoning of the surplus land from open space to single-family residential for 182 housing units. On May 2, 2011, the City of Portland announced that it had agreed to purchase of this undeveloped surplus land for $11.25 million, which will be managed by

Portland Parks & Recreation Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) is a Bureau of the City of Portland, Oregon that manages the city parks, natural areas, recreational facilities, gardens, and trails; properties that occupy more than in total. The bureau employs a total of 4,36 ...

with the initial goals of habitat stabilization, removal of

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

, and trail and access planning.

Notable burials

George Abernethy George Abernethy (October 7, 1807 – March 2, 1877) was an American politician, pioneer, notable entrepreneur, and first governor of Oregon under the provisional government based in the Willamette Valley, an area later a part of the American sta ...

(1807–1877), governor of the

Provisional Government of Oregon The Provisional Government of Oregon was a popularly elected settler government created in the Oregon Country (1818-1846), in the Pacific Northwest region of the western portion of the continent of North America. Its formation had been advanced ...

Victor Atiyeh Victor George Atiyeh (; February 20, 1923 – July 20, 2014) was an American politician who served as the 32nd governor of Oregon from 1979 to 1987. He was also the first elected governor of Middle Eastern descent and of Syrian descent in the U ...

(February 20, 1923 – July 20, 2014) 32nd Governor of Oregon from 1979 to 1987. * Henry R. Adair (1882–1916), killed in combat at the

Battle of Carrizal The Battle of Carrizal occurred on June 21, 1916. It was a major skirmish between United States Army troops of General John J. Pershing's Punitive Expedition and Carrancista troops fought at the town of Carrizal in the Mexican state of Chihua ...

while chasing Poncho Villa. * George F. Alexander (1882–1948), federal judge *

(1949–1992), professional football player and actor * George H. Atkinson (1819–1889), missionary and "Father of Oregon Schools" * Thomas E. Autzen (1918–1997), philanthropist *

Thomas J. Autzen Thomas John Autzen (June 8, 1888 – September 8, 1958) was a Danish-American pioneer in plywood manufacturing, and founder of a family-run philanthropic foundation known as the Autzen Foundation, based in Portland, Oregon. The Autzen Foundation ...

(1888–1958), industrialist and philanthropist *

Lola Baldwin Aurora "Lola" Greene Baldwin (1860 – June 22, 1957) was an American woman who became one of the first policewomen in the United States. In 1908, she was sworn in by the City of Portland as Superintendent of the Women's Auxiliary to the Pol ...

(1860–1957), first female police officer in the United States * Robert S. Bean (1854–1931), federal judge, Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice *

(1852–1942), Portland businessman and philanthropist * Ben Boloff (1893–1932), Russian-born Communist arrested, tried and convicted of

criminal syndicalism Criminal syndicalism has been defined as a doctrine of criminal acts for political, industrial, and social change. These criminal acts include advocation of crime, sabotage, violence, and other unlawful methods of terrorism. Criminal syndicalism la ...

Bud Clark John Elwood "Bud" Clark Jr. (December 19, 1931 – February 1, 2022) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 48th mayor of Portland, Oregon, from 1985 to 1992. A left-leaning populist with little political experience befor ...

(1931–2022), mayor of PortlandLane, Dee
Bud Clark, Portland’s former ‘citizen mayor,’ dies at 90
''

Oregon Live ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 185 ...

''. Retrieved on January 19, 2023. * Donald Cook (1901–1961), movie and stage actor *

Henry Ladd Corbett Henry Ladd Corbett (July 29, 1881April 22, 1957) was an American businessman, civic leader, and politician in the state of Oregon. He was born into one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Oregon. Corbett attended Harvard Univers ...

(1881–1957), Portland businessman and politician *

Henry Winslow Corbett Henry Winslow Corbett (February 18, 1827March 31, 1903) was an American businessman, politician, civic benefactor, and philanthropist in the state of Oregon. A native of Massachusetts, he spent his early life in the East and New York (state), ...

(1827–1903), United States Senator *

John H. Couch John Heard Couch ( ; February 28, 1811 – January 19, 1870) was an American sea captain and pioneer in the Oregon Country in the 19th century. Often referred to as Captain Couch, he became famous for his singular skill at navigation of the ...

(1811–1870), sea captain and pioneer * Maurice E. Crumpacker (1886–1927), United States Congressman *

Joseph N. Dolph Joseph Norton Dolph (October 19, 1835March 10, 1897) was an American politician and attorney in the state of Oregon. A native of the state of New York (state), New York, he immigrated to Oregon over the Oregon Trail and settled in Portland, Oreg ...

(1835–1897), United States Senator *

Abigail Scott Duniway Abigail Jane Scott Duniway (October 22, 1834 – October 11, 1915) was an American women's rights advocate, newspaper editor and writer, whose efforts were instrumental in gaining Women's suffrage in the United States, voting rights for women in ...

(1834–1915), women's rights pioneer *

(1843–1905), lawman and brother of

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman in the American West, including Dodge City, Kansas, Dodge City, Wichita, Kansas, Wichita, and Tombstone, Arizona, Tombstone. Earp was involved in the gunfight ...

* Joseph Horace Eaton (1815–1896), artist and Civil War general *

(1834–1898), mayor of Portland *

Robert S. Farrell Jr. Robert Sylvester Farrell Jr. (October 25, 1906 – October 28, 1947) was an American Republican politician in the state of Oregon. Political career He lived in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, and served as a Delegate to the Republican Natio ...

(c.1906–1947), Oregon Secretary of State * A. C. Gibbs (1825–1886), Oregon Governor * Alan Punch Green Jr. (1925–2001), United States Ambassador to Romania *

La Fayette Grover La Fayette Grover (November 29, 1823May 10, 1911) was a Democratic politician and lawyer from the U.S. state of Oregon. He was the fourth Governor of Oregon, represented Oregon in the United States House of Representatives, and served one ter ...

(1823–1911), Oregon Governor * John Hicklin Hall (1854–1937), United States Attorney, Oregon legislator * Rufus C. Holman (1877–1959), United States Senator * Nan Wood Honeyman (1881–1970), United States Congresswoman * James Jackson (1833–1916), Medal of Honor recipient *

Jacob Kamm Jacob Kamm (12 December 1823 – 16 December 1912) was a prominent early transportation businessman in Oregon, USA. Early life Kamm was born on 12 December 1823, in Canton of Glarus, Switzerland. His family migrated to America when he was 8 to Il ...

(1823–1912), shipping magnate, founder of

Oregon Steam Navigation Company The Oregon Steam Navigation Company (O.S.N.) was an American company incorporated in 1860 in Washington with partners J. S. Ruckle, Henry Olmstead, and J. O. Van Bergen. It was incorporated in Washington because of a lack of corporate laws in ...

* Albertina Kerr (1890–1911), orphanage namesake * William S. Ladd (1826–1893), mayor of Portland *

Roswell Lamson Roswell Hawkes Lamson (30 March 1838 – 14 August 1903) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. Biography Born in Burlington, Iowa, Lamson accompanied his natal family as Oregon Trail pioneers of 1847. He was appoi ...

(1838–1903), Civil War navy hero *

Dorothy McCullough Lee Dorothy McCullough Lee (April 1, 1901 – February 19, 1981) was an American politician and attorney in the U.S. state of Oregon. She was the first female mayor of Portland, Oregon; she also served on the Oregon Legislative Assembly, on the Mul ...

(1902–1981), first female mayor of Portland *

(1912–1944), Chinese-American pilot during World War II *

Charles Henry Martin Charles Henry Martin (October 1, 1863September 22, 1946) was an American Army officer and later politician in the state of Oregon. A native of Illinois, he had a 40-year career in the military including serving in conflicts from the Spanish–Am ...

(1863–1946), Oregon Governor *

(1891–1971),

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

pitcher *

Wallace McCamant Wallace McCamant (September 22, 1867 – December 17, 1944) was an American jurist in Oregon. A Pennsylvania native, he served as the 46th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1917 to 1918. Later he served briefly as a United States circuit j ...

(1867–1944), United States Court of Appeals judge *

John H. Mitchell John Hipple Mitchell (born John Mitchell Hipple; June 23, 1835December 8, 1905) was an American lawyer, politician. He served as a United States Republican Party, Republican United States Senate, United States Senator from Oregon on three occasi ...

(1835–1905), United States Senator * Frederick W. Mulkey (1874–1924), United States Senator * Paul L. Patterson (1900–1956), Oregon Governor *

Sylvester Pennoyer Sylvester Pennoyer (July 6, 1831May 30, 1902) was an American educator, attorney, and politician in Oregon. He was born in Groton (town), New York, Groton, New York, attended Harvard Law School, and moved to Oregon at age 25. A History of the Demo ...

(1831–1902), Oregon Governor *

(1836–1919), publisher of ''The Oregonian'' newspaper * Harvey W. Scott (1838–1910), editor of ''The Oregonian'' newspaper * Isaac W. Smith (1826–1897), Portland Pioneer, first Chief Engineer, "father" of Portland's water system * Joseph Showalter Smith (1824–1884), United States Congressman * Lansing Stout (1828–1871), United States Congressman * Owen Summers (1850–1911), soldier, Oregon legislator * James Terwilliger (d. 1892), Portland pioneer, street namesake *

Mandana Coleman Thorp Mandana Coleman Thorp (, Major; January 25, 1843 – July 7, 1916) was an American Civil War nurse and singer. She rallied the Union Army troops by singing Battle Hymn of the Republic, battle hymns and national airs, and tended to the sick and inj ...

(1843–1916), American Civil War nurse, singer, patriot; public official *

Frances Fuller Victor Frances Auretta Victor ( Fuller; formerly Barritt; pen names: Florence Fane, Dorothy D.) (May 23, 1826 – November 14, 1902) was an American historian and historical novelist. She has been described as "the first Oregon historian to gain regio ...

(1826–1902), writer and historian * Frank M. Warren Sr. (1848–1912), millionaire and

salmon cannery A salmon cannery is a factory that commercially cans salmon. It is a fish-processing industry that became established on the Pacific coast of North America during the 19th century, and subsequently expanded to other parts of the world that had ...

prominent businessman. Died in the sinking of

RMS Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that Sinking of the Titanic, sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking Iceberg that struck the Titanic, an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York Ci ...

* Henry Weinhard (1830–1904), brewer and Portland businessman * George A. White (1880–1941), journalist, Oregon Adjutant General, a founder of the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...

* Narcissa Edith White Kinney (1851–1901), temperance worker *

George Henry Williams George Henry Williams (March 26, 1823April 4, 1910) was an American judge and politician. He served as chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, was the 32nd Attorney General of the United States, and was elected Oregon's U.S. senator, and serv ...

(1823–1910), United States Attorney General * Richard Williams (1836–1914), United States Congressman * George L. Woods (1832–1890), Oregon Governor

References

External links

*
Portland Mercury: Buried in claims

Picture of cemetery
{{Authority control 1882 establishments in Oregon Cemeteries in Portland, Oregon Southwest Portland, Oregon Cemeteries established in the 1880s