Luper Pioneer Cemetery Veterans Day Opening and Dedication

On Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11, and November 12, 2017 the main vehicle gate on West Beacon Drive will be open from 9 am to 3 pm for the public to visit Luper Cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries in the southern Willamette Valley.

Luper Cemetery (also known as Irving or Baker Cemetery) was founded in the mid-1800s.  Eighteen of the people buried at Luper Cemetery arrived in 1853, by way of the Oregon Trail and the Free Emigrant Road across central Oregon. Over 160 people are buried at Luper Cemetery.

An additional marker will be installed for Elizabeth Crawley Adkins Bushnell on Saturday at 1 pm, as the original is damaged. Elizabeth Crawley Adkins Bushnell was the daughter of James Adkins and Lucy Morgan, and the first wife of James Addison Bushnell. The Adkins Family Organization raised funds and is providing the new marker as part of their Gravestone Project.

Luper Cemetery, Inc. is a non-profit organization that has been working since 2009 with neighbors, public agencies, and other non-profit organizations to restore the cemetery and share its pioneer heritage with the public. Luper Cemetery, Inc. is recipient of several awards and grants for restoration of the pioneer historic site.

The cemetery may be accessed every day from dawn to dusk by walking the half-mile gravel road from the West Beacon Drive entrance to the cemetery. The main vehicle gate is opened on special occasions, including Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

Please visit  www.LuperCemetery.com for more information about the cemetery.  This website also contains many diaries and documents written by early Lane County pioneers.