Two historic Eastern Oregon cemeteries awarded project grants from Oregon Parks and Rec
By Garrett Christensen on Wednesday, May 29th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
EASTERN OREGON – The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department recently announced that 11 historic cemeteries across Oregon will receive a combined total of $60,566 in grants for various projects from the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries (OCHC). Among these cemeteries, the Blue Mountain Kees Cemetery in Weston, Umatilla County, will receive $2,000 and a match of $1,500 for ground penetrating radar interpretation and organizational structuring. In addition, the North Powder Cemetery in Union County will receive $2,500 and a match of $1,900 for a complete land survey. In the announcements for the grants, Oregon Parks and Rec wrote:
“Historic cemeteries are documented by OCHC and must include the burial of at least one person who died 75 years before the current date.
The historic cemetery grant program is offered annually by the OCHC, part of the Oregon Heritage Program at Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). The grant program is supported by lottery and other funds.
OCHC maintains a list of all pioneer and historic cemeteries in the state. The seven-member appointed commission helps people and organizations document, preserve and promote designated historic cemeteries statewide.”
