Historic Cemeteries of Portland, Oregon

Memorable tombstones, colorful characters and ghostly phenomena.

Portland's historic cemeteries are some of the most beautiful and overlooked cultural treasures in the city. Full of fascinating secrets and eerie tales, these greenspaces are also the perfect spot for walking, biking and birding. Explore 25 burial grounds with public art in the form of remarkable tombstones that vary as much as the Portlanders they commemorate, including suffragists, spiritualists, Romani kings, politicians and murderers. From a photographer who captured the Golden Age of Broadway musicals to a celebrity orangutan, Portland's graves are full of surprises.

Come along with cemetery sleuths Teresa Bergen and Heide Davis as they share their insights into the Rose City's remarkable past.

Heide Davis and Teresa Bergen are good friends and cemetery sleuths who live in Portland, Oregon. Heide is a painter who loves vintage stuff. Teresa is the author of Easy Portland Outdoors and Transcribing Oral History. They love to explore old cemeteries and antique malls, go on ghost tours and otherwise poke around in the past.

Review Quotes:

"It's been a quintessential Portland October of brooding clouds and vibrant foliage these past couple weeks. But that's not the only thing to appreciate in the days leading up to Halloween. Oregon has quite a few historical sites with a dark past and speculations of paranormal activity. Whether or not you consider yourself a superstitious person, it's hard not to appreciate a bit of spooky state history." Portland Tribune- Kelcie Grega, Portland Tribune

"Bergen and Davis say the Portland area's historic cemeteries are 'some of the most beautiful and overlooked cultural treasures.' Their book seeks to encourage residents to visit their area's cemeteries that 'full of fascinating secrets, ' which they call 'perfect spots for walking, biking and birding.' In each chapter, they talk about cemetery history, remarkable headstones, highlight a few interesting residents, mention other recreational opportunities where applicable and sometimes include an 'eerie tale.' Lake Oswego Review- Raymond Rendleman, Lake Oswego Review