(no subject)

[olivermoss]

* There is an upcoming information session on Block 14 at Lone Fir Cemetery to about the long promised project there. I am really busy these days, but I hope I can make it. I've been following this situation since 2007 and even recently gathered some info on it for one of my projects I need to complete someday.

Super short explanation. A building in Portland had a parking lot adjacent to Lone Fir Cemetery. During the 2007 financial crisis the city sold a LOT of land it should not have sold at the time. The fall out from solving short term problems by selling land during a real estate collapse is... is... a lot. But, let's focus on this one lot. People objected to the sale saying it was also a cemetery.

The city was all 'we don't know what you are talking about, but this is going to be condos' Enough people pushed back that the site was examined first by ground penetrating radar (like from old CSI episodes) and later deep soil samples and yup, it's also a cemetery, just a very different one. One of the striking things about the old section of Lone Fir is how spread out the graves are. In Lot 14, people were stacked on top of each other. Lot 14 is where the Chinese workers who built the US rail system were buried. That's why there are visible rails in the road nearby that go to that exact spot. That was known because descendants who still live in the area and know that is where their ancestors are. Samples and records they've since found showed that it's also where people from Hawthorne Asylum were buried.

The area got fenced off and has rarely even been tended to or mowed. A lot of people take advantage of it being fenced off to use it like a makeshift dog park. So, it's mostly been tall grass and poop for 17 years. Actually putting a memorial there soon™ has been promised and promised over and over during those 17 years.

Now, it sounds like they may actually have a design at least? I am very curious. Since at least two distinct groups got stacked there that has complicated the plans and been the cause of some of the delays. I really want to make this meeting and maybe talk to people if I can. This lot has been an interest of mine for a while, as are places of the dead in Portland in general.

Comments

[mxcatmoon]

Oh, Chinese rail workers. That explains why they don't care. 🤬

I hate it when the dead are disrespected. I hope the site will eventually have a memorial and the history of these people and their contributions might be remembered properly.

[olivermoss]

Yeah, it's blood boiling. I hate going by and seeing it being used as a makeshift dog park. Rest of the cemetery is also fenced off, but no one feels okay doing that. There is a giant info sign that have to walk past so it's not like they don't know.

I used to mod the LJ comm and other local forums, so one of the organization and signal boosting was done on spaces I was in charge of back in 2007, which is how this caught my attention and I've been following it since. Having consolidated info about this and some other places of the dead in the area has been a back burner project of mine for a while.

[mistressofmuses]

It's deeply unfortunate how often the marginalized/forgotten/abused in life are also treated as unimportant in death. Out east in Maryland (and other places; Maryland is just where Alex knows some of the specific sites) this happens pretty commonly with slave cemeteries. And a lot of times it's the same deal: living descendants know the locations, and local governments just stick their fingers in their ears and say "yeah, but what if it was more subdivisions?" I think things are improving out there, and more sites are at least protected from development, but the ones I recall also don't have any indication of what the site is.

I'm glad that there was enough protest in the area to halt apartments going up, and if they actually have some motions toward doing what they were supposed to, that'd be great.

[olivermoss]

Yeah, there was some serious pushback on Lot 14 and I was glad to see it. But also, it's been 17 fucking years, y'all. If I can possibly make the meeting it would be interesting to talk to some of the other people who'd show up to this.

[mistressofmuses]

It's good that there was pushback... but 17 years really IS a pretty egregious amount of time, like holy shit. I hope you are able to make the meeting!