History of Mount Hope Cemetery, Baker County, Oregon
Messrs, Lew and Parker
Messrs, Lew & Parker the enterprising furniture dealers and undertakers, about the desire to say to the public through columns of the Democrat that their Mount Hope Cemetery, southeast of the city, has recently platted and laid off into lots and that the property has been improved; till now it is second to no burial place in the state outside of the city of Portland. The cemetery comprises two and one-half acres of land, is beautifully located for the purposes intended and a continuous flow of water adequate for irrigation is obtained by the aid of a Cyclone windmill from a well 100 feet deep. The soil has been plowed, harrowed and sown to the finest clover, and several hundred trees have been planted throughout the grounds. Different varieties of trees and shrubs, alike beneficial for the shade they will afford and the beauty the will add to the appearance of the grounds, have been obtained at large cost and placed where they will be the most attractive and useful. Mount Hope cemetery has been platted after the Platte of Greenwood Cemetery, Portland, and the most beautiful and best arranged cemetery in the state. Messrs. Law & Parker have been out a large amount of money in purchasing and improving their cemetery grounds and while they do not especially desire to advertise extensively an enterprise of this magnitude yet they believe they are entitled to kind consideration for the disposition they have shown in purchasing and improving, their excellently located Mount Hope Cemetery.
Bedrock Democrat, April 16, 1888, Page 1
City Graveyard or Cleaver Cemetery
J. W. Cleaver has procured some fourteen acres of ground about three fourths of a mile southeast of our city, which he has surveyed and laid off into small lots suitable for Cemetery purposes. The locality is a very suitable one for the purpose intended; the ground is accessible of being easily beautified, and can be made a beautiful resting place for loved ones who may pass from time to eternity. Those wishing to procure lots in this Cemetery can, by calling on Mr. Cleaver seek plat of the ground.
Baker Co. Cemetery, Bedrock Democrat, Dec. 16, 1874
Our Cemetery
Owing to the very rocky character of the ground now used as a cemetery, the time will come when it will be abandoned for a better site. In some instances the ground is so full of boulders that it is almost impossible to dig a grave; and in every instance the cost for digging one is double or treble of what it would be were the ground free of rocks and boulders. We understand that C. B. Fisher, Esq., of this place has a piece of ground situated in the northeast corner of his farm, adjoining Baker City which he proposes to survey and lay off into lots for burial purposes. This ground is free from rocks; hence a grave can easily be made, and at much less cost than in the graveyard on the hill, besides it is in a fine site and is just about the right distance from town.
Date unknown
We don't know if this is Mount Hope as there is no documentation.
March
09, 2005
Source: Melvin Handy, long time member and officer of the I.O.O.F
Lodge in Baker City
At some point in time years ago when Mount Hope was a young cemetery ownership of the cemetery property was acquired by J. W. Cleaver.
In those days before TV and other things that occupy us today was not available then and the adult entertainment and social groups were mostly Lodges of which there were many in Baker City.
Among all the different lodges there were 2 different I.O.O.F. lodges.
J. W. Cleaver sold plots of ground to different lodges even donating plots to different lodges. This how the different names such as Masonic etc got there names.
When J. W. Cleaver passed away he left the Mount Hope cemetery to the 2 I.O.O.F. lodges, the smaller I.O.O.F. lodge received the land where Baby Heart is located now.
The larger I.O.O.F. lodge received the largest piece of the cemetery and they donated plots of land to different lodges as well as sold some.
The Catholic cemetery which is in the NW corner of Mount Hope was not in the cemetery and that property was bought by the Catholic Church in some manner, probably by the congregation.
The Elks Lodge was acquired in the same manner as the Catholic Church; it too was not in the original Mount Hope Cemetery.
When John Schmitz, a local Baker banker passed away he left a substantial amount of money in a trust fund for the upkeep of Mount Hope Cemetery.
The trust is shown in his will.
Mount Hope Cemetery |Baker City Index | Baker County Index
