Dallas Cemetery District No. 4

The Dallas Cemetery District #4 is asking for the Dallas community’s help to obtain grants.

Why the Money is Needed

Most grants require a local “match”. This means that non-grant funds must be used in addition to the grant funds to complete the project. A great way to support the cemetery is to request to have your loved ones’ markers cleaned or leveled. Volunteers will complete the tasks and your donation will go towards the ongoing efforts to improve the cemetery.

Security Grant

The latest grant applied for is a $2,500 Safety & Security grant from the Special Districts Association of Oregon. If received, this grant will purchase a gate for the cemetery. Generous donations received – many from marker cleanings were used as “match” in the application.

 

 

 

Tree Maintenance Project

The latest grant received from the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department was in the amount of $3,405. The 2025 funds were used to remove seven dead or dangerous trees and prune ten majestic oak trees. This project had to be completed with professionals with specialized equipment and skills.

Pioneer Section Grants

Thanks to our generous donors, in 2023 the Dallas Cemetery District obtained a grant from the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to complete much needed repairs to the Pioneer Section of Dallas Cemetery.

 

The Dallas (Pioneer) Cemetery began in 1847. Close by was the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery. In about 1951, a combination of these two old cemeteries was formed into the Dallas Cemetery District. It was formed for the purpose of maintaining the grounds (grass and landscaping) of the cemetery. Families of those buried in the cemetery are responsible to maintain the memorial stones. However, many families have either not had the money, died themselves, or moved out of Dallas. Volunteers have helped when they are available, but the neglect has caused a lot of damage and much is needed to be done to keep the stones upright, cleaned and repaired.

 

In 2021, the District received an Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department grant to help repair the most decorative stones in the Pioneer Section that were in the most critical need of repair. That grant money in addition to donations from a few volunteers and some money from the District allowed us to hire the professional restoration company, Historic Preservation North West (HPNW). With that money we were able to repair and stand upright, 21 memorials.

 

What Volunteers Have Accomplished

Volunteers have cleaned and repaired a lot of memorials over the last few years. But there is so much more to do!

Until 2021, there was only limited information on who was buried in the Pioneer section of the cemetery. With the help of volunteers, row maps and documentation were created on who is buried in the Pioneer Section. We also have an alphabetical listing of those we believe to be buried there, but they may not have a stone, or the stone has been buried. Volunteers have also tried to find valuable historical information and relationships on each person buried. That volunteer information has archived at the District, the local Polk County Museum, and is now available on http://www.FindAGrave.com to access anywhere in the world.

 

In order to qualify for grants, the Dallas Cemetery is to have broad support from the Dallas Community in the form of money. The higher the local match, the greater the chances of receiving a grant.

 

If you would like to help us, please mail a check in whatever amount to:

 

Dallas Cemetery District

P. O. Box 512

Dallas, Oregon 97338.

 

Please place in the memo section of your check: “Donation for Match”. That way, the funds can only be used for grants to improve the cemetery. The District is not a 501(c)(3), therefore, your donation is NOT eligible for a tax deduction. Won’t you help anyway?

 

If you would like to drop off your donation in person or if you have further questions, feel free to visit the office between 9 am and 4 pm Monday – Friday:

 

Dallas Cemetery District

2065 SW Fairview Avenue

Dallas, OR 97338

503-623-5757

dallascemetery@hotmail.com

 

Thank you for your help!

 

Pioneer Section

 

The Dallas (Pioneer) Cemetery began in 1847. Close by was the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery.In about 1951, a combination of these two old cemeteries was formed into the Dallas Cemetery District. It was formed for the purpose of maintaining the grounds (grass and landscaping) of the cemetery. Families of those buried in the cemetery are responsible to maintain the memorial stones. However, many families have either not had the money, died themselves, or moved out of Dallas. Volunteers have helped when they are available, but the neglect has caused a lot of damage and much is needed to be done to keep the stones upright, cleaned and repaired.

In 2021 the District did receive a grant to help repair the most decorative stones in the Pioneer Section that were in the most critical need of repair. That grant money in addition to donations from a few volunteers and some money from the District allowed us to hire the professional restoration company, Historic Preservation North West (HPNW). With that money we were able to repair and stand upright, 21 memorials. But, there is more to do…..

Why the Money is Needed

The weather, use of landscaping equipment and lack of families to care for their loved one’s memorial has taken a toll. Many memorial stones have fallen apart, are tipping, unlevel, or have sunk into the ground. Some of the taller decorative stones laying on the ground are still in need of raising and repair to be brought back to their original upright location.

There are approximately 91 cement block memorial stones that, in the 1930’s, replaced the existing disintegrating wooden crosses. Those cement stones were then engraved usually with a first initial and a last name. We identify those stones as “WPA” stones. Unemployed men during the Great Depression were hired by the US Government, Work Progress Administration to do special projects. Dallas Cemetery was one of those projects.  Even those WPA stones are now considered historical.  They too are disintegrating and sinking into the ground.

 

What Volunteers Have Accomplished

Volunteers have cleaned and repaired a lot of memorials over the last 3-4 years. But there is so much more to do, and volunteers are unable to do some of the repairs correctly. It takes special skills.

Until 2021, there was only limited information on who was buried in this section of the cemetery. With the help of volunteers, we have row maps and documentation on who is buried in the Pioneer Section. We also have an alphabetical listing of those we believe to be buried there, but they may not have a stone, or the stone has been buried. Volunteers have also tried to find valuable historical information and relationships on each person buried. That volunteer information has been shared to both the District and our local Polk County Museum.

What we need to qualify for the grant is to have broad support from the Dallas Community in the form of money. If we could raise at least half of the money needed for restoring the stones in Phase 3, we would stand a great chance of qualifying for another grant from the State of Oregon. When the District obtained the grant in 2021, the Cemetery Commission mentioned that we would have gotten more points to qualify if we had reached out more to the community.