Hillside Farm (OR Historical Society) Last August, a construction crew at the Oregon Zoo inadvertently discovered the remains of nine individuals whose lives had ended there, over one hundred years ago, when the forested hills served as a Poor Farm.
Thus began six months of diligence and care involving the state police, the state Historic Preservation Office and Commission on Historic Cemeteries, consultation with three different Tribes, and a detailed archeological study.
"Our priority," Zoo official Heidi Rahn told The Oregonian, "was to treat these remains with respect and ensure they received the utmost respect during the removal and future reburial." All parties agreed that the remains should be reinterred where they had been found: protected, private, with honor. In the future an educational exhibit would tell the story of the Poor Farm and the people who lived and died there.
But first, the bones needed to be laid back to rest.
Thus began six months of diligence and care involving the state police, the state Historic Preservation Office and Commission on Historic Cemeteries, consultation with three different Tribes, and a detailed archeological study.
"Our priority," Zoo official Heidi Rahn told The Oregonian, "was to treat these remains with respect and ensure they received the utmost respect during the removal and future reburial." All parties agreed that the remains should be reinterred where they had been found: protected, private, with honor. In the future an educational exhibit would tell the story of the Poor Farm and the people who lived and died there.
But first, the bones needed to be laid back to rest.
On March 14, 2014, graced by a glorious Spring sunbreak after a morning of gloom and drizzle, about 20 members of the discovery team gathered by the gravesite to pay their respects. After being welcomed by Zoo Director Kim Smith and Metro Councilor Shirley Craddick, I turned our collective attention to the remains of the individuals before us with these words:
"Cast your mind back nearly 150 years ago to 1868 when this place was known as Hillside Farm, established as Multnomah County’s first Poor Farm. Regardless of the circumstances that brought these early Oregonians to the Poor Farm, or to be buried here in a Potter’s Field, and for as little as we know about them as individuals, we do know this...
"These were human beings more like us than not, in their capacity for love and for grief, for joy and for disappointment. They had hopes and dreams. Perhaps they had a sense of another life beyond the one that ended here. And they left a legacy. Surely there were those who cared for them, who missed them, and remembered them. They may have touched others and shaped them in ways that have been passed down through the generations, perhaps even shaping who we are today.
"One of their clearest legacies is in the respectful way their remains now are being handled. The inadvertent discovery of these remains connects us more powerfully to our past and to the stewardship of the land we now gather on. And, most significantly, case studies of the best practices established here by all of you will influence any number of communities going forward. For all of this, we approach the remains before us with gratitude."
"Cast your mind back nearly 150 years ago to 1868 when this place was known as Hillside Farm, established as Multnomah County’s first Poor Farm. Regardless of the circumstances that brought these early Oregonians to the Poor Farm, or to be buried here in a Potter’s Field, and for as little as we know about them as individuals, we do know this...
"These were human beings more like us than not, in their capacity for love and for grief, for joy and for disappointment. They had hopes and dreams. Perhaps they had a sense of another life beyond the one that ended here. And they left a legacy. Surely there were those who cared for them, who missed them, and remembered them. They may have touched others and shaped them in ways that have been passed down through the generations, perhaps even shaping who we are today.
"One of their clearest legacies is in the respectful way their remains now are being handled. The inadvertent discovery of these remains connects us more powerfully to our past and to the stewardship of the land we now gather on. And, most significantly, case studies of the best practices established here by all of you will influence any number of communities going forward. For all of this, we approach the remains before us with gratitude."
words for what is unnamed Because we did not know their names and because the specific spot would go unmarked to ensure protection in perpetuity, I invited participants to give voice to the nature of the place we were now imbuing with our presence.
We scattered coins into the grave, honoring the tradition of providing fare for the ferry that symbolizes the crossing from one world into the next. We then ceremonially closed the site with shovels full of moist earth.
After John O'Donohue's "Blessing on Passing a Graveyard," I offered these closing words to the construction workers, Zoo officials, archeologists, and others who had invested so much in the process:
"Burial ceremonies are intended to mark endings and bring closure. Today we have laid to rest the remains of individuals we did not know but with whom we now share an enduring connection. This brings to a close the long period of diligence and care on the part of all who’ve been involved. You too can lay to rest your efforts on their behalf. As with any ending, the seeds are sown for new beginnings – the generations that visit the Zoo in years to come will learn more about the history of this place and the people who preceded them. Thank you all for bearing witness, for paying your respects, and for fully honoring the legacy of this sacred place."
All gathered were visibly affected by the experience of serving as an honor guard of sorts for these ancestral remains. As one told me, "I didn't expect it would go this deep." Another commented, "I was very impressed with the interest and attendance, and by the connections that everyone made with the human beings whose stories are so bare with the passing of time. I am moved that so many other people were so touched by this."
Further testimony to the legacy of those who came before us and the power they have to move us and connect us to place, to history, and to each other.
We scattered coins into the grave, honoring the tradition of providing fare for the ferry that symbolizes the crossing from one world into the next. We then ceremonially closed the site with shovels full of moist earth.
After John O'Donohue's "Blessing on Passing a Graveyard," I offered these closing words to the construction workers, Zoo officials, archeologists, and others who had invested so much in the process:
"Burial ceremonies are intended to mark endings and bring closure. Today we have laid to rest the remains of individuals we did not know but with whom we now share an enduring connection. This brings to a close the long period of diligence and care on the part of all who’ve been involved. You too can lay to rest your efforts on their behalf. As with any ending, the seeds are sown for new beginnings – the generations that visit the Zoo in years to come will learn more about the history of this place and the people who preceded them. Thank you all for bearing witness, for paying your respects, and for fully honoring the legacy of this sacred place."
All gathered were visibly affected by the experience of serving as an honor guard of sorts for these ancestral remains. As one told me, "I didn't expect it would go this deep." Another commented, "I was very impressed with the interest and attendance, and by the connections that everyone made with the human beings whose stories are so bare with the passing of time. I am moved that so many other people were so touched by this."
Further testimony to the legacy of those who came before us and the power they have to move us and connect us to place, to history, and to each other.
BLESSING ON PASSING A GRAVEYARD
By John O’Donohue
May perpetual light shine upon
The faces of all who rest here.
May the lives they lived
Unfold further in spirit.
May all their past travails
Find ease in the kindness of clay.
May the remembering earth
Mind every memory they brought.
May the rains from the heavens
Fall gently on them.
May the wildflowers and grasses
Whisper their wishes into light.
May we reverence the village of presence
In the stillness of this silent field.
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