Success at Grizzly Cemetery!!!

Yep, I didn’t even get charged by a bull. Not a bull in sight! (Here’s the post about my first attempt if you missed it.) It was a long, hot day. I chose the hottest day of the summer thus far, or close to it, to go wandering about the central Oregon wilderness, looking for cemeteries which have no road access what so ever. So, let’s start with the beginning of the 160 mile, 6 hour road trip.

As always, the drive to and fro the tiny little half acre or smaller cemeteries is just as spectacular as ever. These views can be spotted from Oregon State Highway 27, known as the Crooked River Highway. This highway runs from Prineville Oregon south, to Highway 20 between Millican and Brothers. If you have never been here, this is far, far beyond the middle of nowhere. You passed the Middle of Nowhere back in Utah someplace. This is the very absolute edge of nowhere. You can’t get more nowhere than out here, as beautiful as it is.

The southern part of Highway 27 isn’t even paved. It was recently graded (a fact my car was very happy about) and seems like once upon a time, it might have been paved. No longer, friends.

There are just a few farmers and ranchers left out here, many decendents of the pioneers who settled this land generations ago.

As such, many of these cemeteries are not on public land and as such, I won’t disclose their exact location. A word of warning: get permission first.

Roberts Oregon is an abandoned town site, but is currently private property. The cemetery is up on a hill side surrounded by beautiful but fallow (mostly) fields with some pleasing views.

This half acre site sitting atop a hilltop in the middle of alkali flats contains family, neighbors and decendents. It is well protected, loved and allowed to grow naturally though still maintained.

I have to admit, I was surprised to see this Whitze Bronze monument in such a small cemetery. It was set well after the hay day of White Bronze, which is fine by me. I’m not sure why people ever found White Bronze as undesirable. I love these monuments.

The barns and buildings you can see behind the cemetery are all of Roberts. I got excited reading that Roberts was an abandoned township. I immediately thought – ghost town! Not the case. There were no abandoned buildings. In fact, they were very new and well maintained. The community could never grow large enough to establish a modern township. I’m not surprised either. Roberts is so far out from anything else in Central Oregon, and there’s not a paved road for four miles. You’ve seen the whole of Roberts Cemetery, so let’s continue up Highway 27 towards Prineville and Grizzly.

I’ve seen almost everything Central Oregon has to offer and it’s not often I’m wowed by a highway. I was the day I drove this one, however. True to it’s name, Highway 27 follows the Crooked River through its canyon. It’s one of the most beautiful (and most hidden) drives in all of Central Oregon. Truly a hidden a gem.

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2 Comments

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  By Tina Micheal Ruse, July 10, 2009 @ 7:08 pm

  Thank you so very much for sharing this.What a amazing place.The first settlers of these places deserve to be remembered,their sacrifices and courage.I doubt many of us alive today could do what they did.A very special place, and I love that house!

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  By donna, August 17, 2009 @ 12:37 am

  so what was the sound????

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