There is a settled farming community near the Northern line of Baker County approximately 20 miles northeast of Baker, an early pioneer cemetery is located in this area about one-quarter mile off State Highway 203 and about two or three miles south of Medical Springs. It is on the right-hand side of the highway going toward Union. Although this cemetery is in Baker county, it warrants being included in resources for Union County due to it’s proximity.
Land for this cemetery was donated by Jim Sams. It is located on a slopping sagebrush hill with a beautiful view of the surrounding country and is hardly visible from the highway.
The grounds are neglected but individual graves are maintained by family members. There are at least three unmarked graves in this cemetery.
We’ve included 2 different transcriptions for this cemetery. The first is a recent transcription taken down row by row. The second further down the page, was provided by the Baker Family History Center and was taken in 1959.
Big Creek Cemetery, Baker County, Oregon
Starting from North End
Row 2:
Sarah Spears b. 7/8/1813 d. 6/6/1905
Isaac Spears b. 12/15/1818 d. 7/1/1882
Philip W. A. Sept. 16, 1878
Son of D. B. & M. E. Wilson Aged 16 mo., 11 days
Percy E., Daughter of D. B. & M. E. Wilson 1893 12 yrs., 2 mos., 29 days
Mary E. Wilson 1853 – 1937
Jesse, Son of R. M. & J. A. Duncan 1881 – 1910
Sarah Lavinia, Daughter of David and Lyda Goble Died 1881, March 4
David Goble July 8, 1811 Jan. 30, 1905 Aged 94 yrs. and 7 mos.
Lydia Goble February 4, 1821 – November 7, 1908
William C. Goble 1856 – 1934
Lukke Arens February 21, 1826 – May 22, 1900
Daniel H. Lee January 6, 1823 – June 8, 1890
Unreadable marker
May Kennedy Dec. 26, 1907 – Dec. 28, 1907
Big gap in marked graves.
Wooden board – 1916
Row 1 (from North End)
George W. Duncan 1890 – 1962
Julia Ann Duncan 1859 – 1945
R. M. Duncan 1859 – 1914 Lorenzo son of G. Q. and Martha Harsin Feb. 17, 1889 Age 4 mos. 15 days
Garrett Q. Harsin 1838 – 1904
Martha S. Harsin Sept. 22, 1844 – January 27, 1937
Russell P. Harsin Sept. 28, 1924 – Dec. 22, 1933
M. Rosetta Evans 1928 – 1930
Vernon Eugene, son of J. G. & M. L. Turner Died Aug. 20, 1912 4 mos. 6 days.
May Lorene Turner April 14, 1885 – July 30, 1914
Row 1 ½
James Fuller 1902 – 1932
Row 1 (cont.)
J. Cyrus Turner 1875 – 1944
Gerald Turner 1913 – 1931
Ada L. Harsin Feb. 24, 1877 April 10, 1913
James B. Harsin April 1, 1940 72 years, 10 mos., 11 days.
Row 3
Fae Louene, Daughter of W. H. & Emma Duncan July 18, 1915 – April 16, 1918
Dorothy M. Duncan, daughter 1912 – 1930
Geraldin Duncan 1931 – 1932
Win H. Duncan 1888 – 1945
Rosco Duncan Sept. 1913 – January, 1986
Ruth Marie Duncan June 11, 1917 April 11, 1998, 81 years (her ashes were buried in the gravesite of Rosco Duncan.)
Elizabeth J. Wilson, July 9, 1856 July 29, 1887, Wife of Joseph L.
Our baby Chester L. Duncan Nov. 9, 1903 – Dec. 14, 1903
Father Frederick P. Duncan 1861 – 1936
Joseph M. Graham March 25, 1892, Age 75 years, 11 mo., 20 days.
Arthur B. Powell 1871 – 1888
Kenneth Gilbert Elliott May 15, 1940 – June 11, 1940
Headboard 1852 – 1888 (rotted wood)
D. H. Harris, father 1850 – 1936
Guestav Hugo Peters 1862 – 1946
Phebe Wirth 1840 – 1917
Philip D. Wirth 1917 – 1918 (shared stone with Phebe)
Clara Hulick 1865 – 1933
J. N. Hulick 1851 – 1932
Preston W. Burford, Oct. 24, 1835, February 1, 1911
Elizabeth A. (wife), Nov. 9, 1835, January 1, 1904 (shared stone with Preston. 2 foot stones)
George H. Rees, June 6, 1818, Sept. 15, 1876
Grave destroyed by road stone 1893 M. Strickland or perhaps Stocklan
Yvonne Williams
8730 S. E. Washington
Portland OR 97216
Daughter of Mildred Duncan Williams – might know something about the deed and the cemetery.
Big Creek Cemetery, Baker County, Oregon
The inscriptions listed below were taken in 1959. Our thanks to the Baker Family History Center for allowing us to use their copies of these cemetery records.
- Arens, Lukke b 21 Feb 1826; d 22 May 1900
- Bess, A. J. b 7 May 1852; d 9 Jan 1916
- Burford, Elizabeth A. b 9 Nov 1836; d 1 Jan 1904; wife of P. W.
- Burford, Preston W. b 24 Oct 1835; d 1 Feb 1911
- Duncan, Chester L b 19 Nov 1903; d 14 Dec 1903
- Duncan, Dorothy M. b 1912; d 1930; daughter
- Duncan, Fae Louene b 18 Jul 1915; d 16 Apr 1918; daughter of W. H. & Emma.
- Duncan, Frederick P. b 1861; d 1936; father
- Duncan, Geraldine L. b 1931; d 1932
- Duncan, Jesse b 1881; d 1910; son of R.M. & J.A.
- Duncan, Julia Ann b 1859; d 1945
- Duncan, R. M. b 1859; d 1914
- Duncan, Win H. b 1888; d 1945
- Elliot, Kenneth Gilbert b 15 May 1940; d 11 Jun 1940
- Evans, M. Rosetta b 1928; d 26 Aug 1930; aged 2 yrs 1 mo 13 days
- Fuller, James b 1902; d 1932
- Goble, David b 8 Jul 1811; d 30 Jan 1905; aged 94 yrs 7 mos
- Goble, Lydia b 4 Feb 1821; d 7 Nov 1908; aged 87 yrs 9 mos 3 days
- Goble, Sarah Lavinia d 4 Mar 1880; aged 18 yrs 4 mos 15 days; daughter of David & Lydia.
- Goble, William C. b 1856; d 1934.
- Graham, Joseph M. b 25 Mar 1892; aged 75 yrs 11 mos 20 days
- Harding, Fred L. b 23 Aug 1872; d 19 Mar 1898
- Harding, Mary S. b 9 Sep 1852; d 12 Jul 1908
- Harding, N. F. b 7 May 1849; d 8 Nov 1898
- Harris, D. H. b 1850; d 1936; father
- Harsin, Ada L. b 24 Feb 1877; d 10 Apr 1913
- Harsin, Garrett Q. b 1838; d 1904; father
- Harsin, James B. d 1 Apr 1940; aged 72 yrs 10 mos 11days
- Harsin, Lorenzo d 17 Feb 1889; aged 4mos 15 days; son of G. Q. & Martha S.
- Harsin, Martha S. b 22 Sep 1844; d 27 Jan 1937
- Harsin, Russell P. b 28 Sep 1924; d 22 Dec 1933
- Howe, Nora E. b 1909; d 1913
- Hulick, Clara b 1865; d 17 Jan 1933
- Hulick, J. N. b 1851; d 20 Apr 1932; aged 81 yrs (?) mos 27 days
- Kennedy, May b 26 Dec 1907; d 28 Dec 1907
- Lee, Daniel H. b 6 Jan 1823; d 8 Jun 1890
- Peters, Gustav Hugo b 1862; d 3 Jun 1946; believed to stone mason from Germany.
- Powell, Arthur B b 1873; d 1895
- Rees, George H. b 6 Jun 1818; d 15 Sep 1876
- Rees, Margaret b 26 Aug 1832; d 10 Jan 1907; wife of George H.
- Spears, Isaac b 15 Dec 1818; d 1 Jul 1882
- Spears, Sarah b 8 Jul 1813; d 6 Jun 1905
- Strickland, Vina M. b (?) Dec 186?; d 31 Mar 1893; stone damaged.
- Turner, Gerald b 1913; d 1931
- Turner, J. Cyrus b 1875; d 20 Jun 1944; aged 68 yrs 10 mos
- Turner, May Louene b 14 Apr 1885; d 30 Jul 1914
- Turner, Vernon Eugene d 20 Aug 1912; aged 4mos 6 days; son of J. C. & M. L.
- Wilson, Elizabeth J. b 9 Jul 1856; d 29 Jul 1887; wife of Joseph L.
- Wilson, Mary E. b 1853; d 1937
- Wilson, Percy E. d 28 Jul 1893; aged 12 yrs 2 mos 29 days; daughter of D. B. & M. E.
- Wilson, Philip W. A. d 16 Sep 1878; aged 1 yr 11 mos 16 days; son of D. B. & M. E.
- Wirth, Baby Son of Nora & J. C.
- Wirth, Phebe A b 1840; d 1917
- Wirth, Philip D b 1917; d 1918