From DAR History:

"In 1865 a group of sturdy folks of the pioneering spirit left Pennsylvania for the Oregon Territory. The following year they reached Linn Co., and took up their donation land claims at a point 10 miles southwest of where the city of Albany is now located. Because of the grove of oak trees on the hill where the United Presbyterian Church stands the community was named Oakville. Dr. W. B. Mealey, a physician, set apart a spot of ground on their land for the burial of their dead. A log building served as a church and schoolhouse of the community for a few years."

The following information is transcribed from the WPA Linn County Cemetery Survey, researched & prepared by Leslie L. Haskin on 2/17/1939:

This cemetery is situated at the country community of Oakville, Linn County, Oregon. It is part of the Donation Land clam of W. B. Maley in Section 16, Township 12 South of Range 4 West, Willamette Meridian. It is distant about six miles south-east of Corvallis, six miles north-east of Peoria, and five miles south-west of Tangent....

The history of this burying ground is intimately associated with the history of the United Presbyterian Church in Oregon. In the autumn of the year 1845 Rev. T. S. Kendall D. D., Dr. W. B. Maley, John McCoy, and others, members of the Associate Church, settled in this community. These early settlers built a log schoolhouse on a portion of Dr. Maley's Donation Claim and standing almost in the exact center of the present cemetery tract. In this schoolhouse, July, 1850, Rev. Kendall organized the Congregation of the Willamette with John McCoy and Dr. W. B. Maley as ruling elders. This congregation aided by the congregation of the Associate Reformed church of Union Point united in forming the United Presbyterian Church of Oregon on February 10, 1852, thus creating the first United Presbyterian Churches in the world.

A few years after the organization of the Willamette Congregation (commonly known as Oakville Church) the Maley schoolhouse was destroyed by fire and a permanent church building was then erected about one-half mile south of the original site. At this point, at the forking of the roads, the original congregation still worships, being the oldest Psalm Singing congregation west of the Rocky Mountains.

At the first communion of the Willamette Congregation, held in the old Maley log schoolhouse, four persons were received into membership. There were Washington L. Coon, Mrs. Caroline Hamilton, Thomas Anderson, a Scotch sailor, and Cassimer Wallowich, a Polish soldier and a veteran of Poland's unsuccessful revolt against Russia in 1830-31. This unfortunate refugee survived by only a few years his transplanting to Pacific Soil. He died in 1853 and was buried near the log schoolhouse, the first person to be buried in this cemetery. That same year, 1853, a triple tragedy struck the Maley family. Dr. W. B. Maley died on July 13th, followed soon by two sons (day not recorded), named respectively, William and W. Blane, the latter undoubtedly so named after Rev. Wilson Blain who was an active promoter of the church union. These four, the Polish refugee, Dr. Maley, and his two sons lie close together near the brink of the creek bank in the south-west section of the burying ground, all having died within a few months of each other. No other burial is recorded thereafter until that of Martha, daughter of J. A. & S. Junkin who died August 5, 1856 at the age of 47 years, six months. The father of this woman, James Junkin, was a very early settler in the immediate Oakville community. He died September 22, 1869 "In his nintieth year", making his birth date 1879, the oldest recorded in this burying place.

Other early birth dates preceding the year 1800 are- Martha Smith, Oct 20, 1783; Elizabeth Owens, 1793; William Pattison, 1798; and Sarah Pattison his wife, 1799; and Sara, wife of David Sherer, 1799.

Historical & Biographical Notes:

James M. Yantis. 1810-1879, An early settler in this region. His Donation Land Claim was in Sec. 26-26, Tp. 12 S. R. 4 W.

Sarah Ann Yantis. Wife of above.

Isaac Blevins. 1799-1883. His Wife Eliza. The Blevins were prominent pioneers of the Calapooia River. Their D.L.C. was in Sec. 10. Tp. 12 S. R. 4 W.

Martha Smith. 1783-1873. One of the very early birth dates recorded here.

William McIlree. 1810-1864. His claim was in Sec. 27. Tp. 12 S. R. 4 W. A very early settler here.

David Irvine. 1809-1890. An early pioneer here. An active early member in the Oakville church.

James Junkin. 1879-1869. One of the very early birth dates recorded here. His claim was about one mile North West of the Oakville Church.

W. B. Maley. 1803-1853. Dr. W. B. Maley was a pioneer of 1845. The cemetery is on a part of his D.L.C. He was one of the founders of the Willamette Church at Oakville. Maley's schoolhouse where the church was founded was upon his land and stood very near the center of this cemetery. Dr. Maley died in 1853, one of the first deaths recorded in this cemetery.

William Maley. 1848-1853. Son of the last. Also one of the earliest burials here.

W. Blane Maley. Died 1853. Another son of W. B. Maley. Died the same season as his father and his brother. His name (though the spelling is different) was evidently given him in honor of his father's fellow churchman, Rev. Wilson Blain of Union Point.

Rev. John E. Hannon. 1799-1863. A very early birth date. Rev. Hannon had an active part in neighborhood affairs here.

Elizabeth Owens. 1793-1884. A very early birth date. The Owens are believed to have been relatives of Mrs. Jos. Hamilton, a pioneer of 1847 about a mile north of the cemetery.

Joseph Hamilton. 1819-1884. Came from Ireland in 1824. Settled in Ohio. Came to Oregon in 1847. His D.L.C. is one mile north of the cemetery and is still held by his descendents.

Mary A. Wife of L. A. Banks. (1858-1881. Wife of a well known Methodist minister and writer.

Cassimer Wallowich. Died 1853. A Polish soldier and emigrant. He was the first man buried in this cemetery.

Marcus Whitman Walker. 1842-1903. Our information is not certain but it is believed that this was a son of Rev. Elkana Walker, early Indian missionary.

Memorial Tablet. This bronze memorial marks the spot occupied by the original "Maley Schoolhouse" where the Willamette Congregation was organized. Rev. Thos. S. Kendall D. D. founder. The plaque gives a representation of the original building which was destroyed by fire at a very early date.

Rev. T. S. Kendall, D. D. Founder o the Willamette Congregation in this neighborhood. A son of a Revolutionary War soldier. His full name was Thomas Simpson Kendall. He was born at Xenia, Ohio, April 4th, 1809. Was a graduate of Jefferson College in 1836. Of Cannonsburg Seminary, 1834. Ordained to preach by the Associate Church in Miami Presbytery, 1834. Received the degree f Doctor of Divinity from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 1870. Married Nancy Kendall Oct. 18, 1833, the first recorded marriage at Xenia, Ohio. Helped to organize the Willamette Congregation at Oakville in 1850. (Having come to Oregon in 1845.) Helped to unite the two Oregon Presbyteries in 1852, thus forming the first united Presbyterian Church n the world. First settled in Oregon near Oregon City. He is believed to have preached the first Christian sermon n Linn County, 1846. He built the "Calapooia Church", often called, north of Shedd, Linn Co. His grave marks the exact spot where the original pulpit stood in Maley's Schoolhouse.

John McCoy. 1814-1889. Emigrant of 1845. One of the founders of Oakville Church. Was a member of the first Linn County Probate Court, 1849.

Sarah McCoy. 1814-1883. Wife of the last. Came with him to Oregon in 1845.

Wm. Pattison. 1798-1873.
Mary, his wife. 1799-1881. Notably early birth dates.

[end of Haskin survey.]

Online Transcriptions:

    Surveyed by Richard Milligan in 1995 and available at Jan Phillips' website.

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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.