I.O.O.F. Eastwood Cemetery

I.O.O.F Eastwood Cemetery

1581 Siskiyou Boulevard

Established in 1890, the Medford I.O.O.F. Eastwood Cemetery is significant for its association with the earliest period of settlement and development of Medford and is one of several established by the fraternal organization in Oregon. Its period of historical significance comprises the years 1890 to 1915. The I.O.O.F. Lodge bought the land, twenty and 22/100 acres of the William Barneburg Donation Land Claim, for $700 from Frederick and Electa Barneburg. Located on a prominent oak-studded hillside, approximately one mile east of the downtown, the site offered an attractive and practical location for a cemetery. The Barneburg family had previously interred two family members on the hillside in 1878 and 1883.

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Information:

The cemetery remains a unique part of Medford's history and continues to sell burial spaces and mausoleum crypts. A donation or bequest earmarked for the Cemetery can be made to the Medford Parks Foundation. These funds are used for a variety of grounds and maintenance projects or educational programs which take place at the site.

Information regarding cemetery projects, programs, donations or purchase information may be obtained by contacting the Cemetery Administrator.

History:

In the late 1960's, the Medford I.O.O.F. Lodge acknowledged their declining membership and depleted funds and asked the City and County to operate the cemetery. In 1969 the County passed a resolution of intent showing that they were agreeable to assuming joint responsibility of the cemetery, but at that time State law would not allow the County to expend funds for operating cemeteries. On December 16, 1969, the I.O.O.F. Lodge and the City signed an agreement stating the Lodge would operate the cemetery until their funds were exhausted and then transfer ownership to the City. In January of 1972 official cemetery ownership came into City hands.

In 1988, the City applied to the State of Oregon Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation and received a favorable recommendation for recognition. The City received notification on March 16, 1989 from the Department of the Interior that the property was entered into the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1986 a fervent effort by a small group of devoted citizens pressed the City to increase maintenance levels. Partial funding was restored for fiscal year 1987-88 and care of the cemetery by the City continues. Cities all over the country are now beginning to recognize the valuable role that pioneer cemeteries play in urban settings. They provide open space and serve as buffers within the city, as well as outdoor museums. The I.O.O.F. Eastwood Cemetery reveals the City's past development in two highly visible ways. Medford, which once looked east toward the place its dead were buried, now envelops that place. Visitors to the cemetery can view not only early burial ground and markers, but can visualize the original appearance of the land at the time of settlement.

The cemetery contains markers carved by several accomplished area stone carvers, an all but lost traditional art form. James Carr Whipp, proprietor of the Jacksonville Marble Works, has several representative stones there. Whipp's markers are found in several locations throughout the region and the State. He also executed stone work on the Oregonian Building, Portland Hotel and Tillamook Lighthouse. He came to southern Oregon in 1883 to work on the Jackson County Court House in Jacksonville. The stained glass window in the mausoleum is credited to the Povey Brothers of Portland. The glass was hand painted and then burned, making the coloring indestructible.

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Filetype	Description
	WHERE STONES TALK CURRICULUM.PDF (2493kb) This document is a lesson plan for third and fourth grade elementary students. The project was funded by the Jackson County Historic Fund and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This body of work was completed by Kay Atwood, and we are very grateful for her hard work which will benefit youth for years.

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Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department Contacts

701 N. Columbus Avenue
Medford, OR 97501
Phone: (541) 774-2400
Fax: (541) 774-2560
Email:
Hours: 8 a.m. - 5p.m.

I.O.O.F. Eastwood Cemetery