Not located on Linn Co. Tax Assessor map. EOT lists location as "on Jesse Barr place - SE of Liberty School, west of Sweet Home". 1930 Metsker map identifies Syrus V. Barr as property owner in Section 34 in 1930s.

From newspaper article by Martha Steinbacher, "The New Era", June 1, 1983:

"Up on Fern Ridge on the old Barr property is another small graveyard, the Lewis cemetery. Rachel Lewis died in1854 and her husband, Fielding Lewis, died in 1866. Not much is known about the other early occupants of this cemetery and it is believed that some of the bodies were removed to the Nye Cemetery."

From "Sweet Home: In the Oregon Cascades" by M. Carey and P. Hainline:

"About two miles southwest of the Nye/Liberty Cemetery is another deserted burial ground which was also on Cyrus Barr property. Called the Fern Ridge/Fielding Lewis Cemetery, it was abandoned when the site became hard to reach after county roads were established. Haskin found only two graves, of Fielding Lewis who died in1866, and his wife, Rachel B. Lewis, who died in 1854. Other graves had been opened, and the bodies transferred to the Nye/Liberty Cemetery."

The following information is transcribed from the WPA Linn County Cemetery Survey, researched & prepared by Leslie L. Haskin on 1/22/1940:

This cemetery is situated on a portion of the original Jesse Barr Donation Land Claim in Section 34, Township 13 South, Range 1 West. It is in what is commonly known as the Fern Ridge country about three miles due west of Sweet Home. The present owner [in 1940] of the surrounding land is Mr. Si V. Barr, a son of the original land claimant....

The history of the "Fern Ridge" Cemetery is quite obscure. It is only known that burials began here at a very early date but were discontinued because of the inaccessibility of the site after permanent county roads had become established. Many graves were then opened and the bodies transferred to the Nye Cemetery some two miles further west. Only two marked graves now remain here and one other grave is known to exist without marker (See Carrol Morris).

This is strictly a deserted cemetery; no burials having been made here for many years.... Note there are two o ld deserted cemeteries on the S. V. Barr property. The other is the Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery nearly a mile to the north-west. These two cemeteries are closely linked in neighborhood history.

The name given to this cemetery by the field worker is quite arbitrary. No real name is known for this tract. It has been called the "Fern Ridge" Cemetery because that is the generally known name of this neighborhood. The name "Fielding Lewis" Cemetery was suggested by the fact that the pioneer Fielding Lewis is the most prominent person known to be buried here....Note there is another "Fern Ridge" Cemetery in Linn County situated a short distance southeast of Lacomb. These duplications of local names are unfortunate but unavoidable.

Historical & Biographical Notes:

Fielding Lewis. Sept. 27, 1866 Aged 55 years, 3 months, 5 days Fielding Lewis was one of the earliest settlers in this neighborhood. It is not definitely known when he reached Oregon but probably in 1848. James P. Lewis, supposedly the son of this man, held a Donation Claim next west of the Jesse Barr Claim where these graves lie. A grandson of Fielding Lewis (name probably John), was County Treasurer of Multnomah County for thirty-four years. These graves are neatly tended and cared for by members of the Lewis family now living in Portland [in 1940].

Rachel B. Lewis Died 1854. The wife of [Fielding Lewis].

Both of the above [burials] are side-by-side in a single lot. The entire lot is covered by a concrete protecting block....

Carrol Morris. 1856-1857. Born May 12, 1857 Aged 5 mos. 15 ds. Believed to have been a son of A. P. Morris whose Donation Land Claim was just west of present Sweet Home. This child's grave is without marker but is known to be in this tract. The facts are these- Carrol Morris was buried here but the grave not marked. Some years later his people prepared a stone but when they essayed to place it at the grave they found that the tract was so overgrown that the grave could not be located. They therefore took the stone and placed it beside a brother buried in the Liberty Church Baptist Cemetery a mile further west.

This cemetery was not listed on the USGS mapping service.  Approximate location indicated by red dot on map below.

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References used to prepare these cemetery pages are provided.
Lisa L. Jones prepared and is solely responsible for the content of these pages. 
Copyright 2001.