Methodist Meeting House Memorial To Be This Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nez Perce Elders to Visit North Hillsboro Grave Site for Memorial Dedication

A Monument Will Be Dedicated to the Methodist Meeting House on the Tualatin Plains and the Children
of Virginia and JosephMeek
Methodist Meeting House Monument on the Tualatin Plains
Hillsboro, OR - November 16, 2023 -

On Thursday, November 30th, Nez Perce elders Silas Whitman and
Chuck Axtel will visit the original site of the Methodist Meeting House on the Tualatin Plains within
present-day Hillsboro, Oregon, to dedicate a monument to the site and the children of Virginia and
Joseph Meek, who were buried there. Virginia Meek was of Nez Perce lineage. Joe Meek was a fur
trapper turned farmer and among the first settlers in the Tualatin Valley. Silas Whitman and Chuck Axtel
are members of the Nez Perce Circle of Elders.

• The dedication will take place at 10:00 AM at the site, which is across Starr Blvd from the ShuteMeierjurgen Farmstead at 4825 NE Starr Blvd, adjacent to the newly completed Amazon Fulfillment Center at 4230 NE Huffman St, Hillsboro, OR.

• The dedication will be followed by a reception at the historic Shute-Meierjurgen home and barn across from the site.

• At 2:00 pm, the Nez Perce elders will lead a discussion on the presence of the Nez Perce in Oregon, including salmon restoration efforts in NE Oregon. The discussion will take place at the Eagles Nest Reserve Vineyards & Event Center in Helvetia.

About the Methodist Meeting House

The Methodist Meeting House was built in 1844, on land made available by Edward Constable to
accommodate the local Methodists who had held camp meetings for the circuit-riding preachers. The
building was used for the earliest court proceedings in what was called the East Tualatin Plains. Other church denominations also used it. By 1865, the Hillsboro Methodist Congregation was building a
church in Hillsboro and the Methodist Meeting House was dismantled and used in the new building.

About the Children of Virginia and Joseph Meek

Virginia and Joseph L. Meek had twelve children. Family records state that five of those children were
buried near the Methodist Meeting House. The children were Hiram Meek (1842), Dallas Meek (1847),
Unnamed infant (1854), Josephine Meek (1860), and William H.H. Meek (1860). The exact number of
burials that occurred near the Methodist Meeting House is unknown.

About the Dedication

The dedication of the monument is a way to honor the memory of the Methodist Meeting House and
the children of Virginia and Joseph Meek. It is also a way to recognize the Nez Perce people who have
been a part of Oregon's history for centuries. Despite the use of cadaver dogs, archaeological work, and
ground-penetrating radar, no definitive location of the exact grave sites and former church were found.
However, based upon the historical record, the City of Hillsboro and the State of Oregon agreed in 2004
to locate a monument on a 1-acre site at this location. The Meek-Plains Historians and other community
members worked tirelessly with the landowner and the City of Hillsboro to make this important
memorial a reality. The monument will forever mark the location and be a reminder of what the Oregon
State Historic Preservation department has called one of the most important sites in Oregon.

About the Nez Perce Elders
Silas Whitman and Chuck Axtel are two Nez Perce elders who are dedicated to preserving and sharing
Nez Perce culture. They are both well-known speakers and have been featured in numerous documentaries and publications.

About the Eagles Nest Reserve Vineyards & Event Center

Eagles Nest Reserve is in Helvetia, Oregon, at 12995 NW Bishop Rd, 3 miles north of Hwy 26 off of
Helvetia Rd. Eagles Nest Reserve is owned and operated by the Mecklem family.

We hope to see you there!

Hillsboro Historical Society
Contact:
Dirk Knudsen
503-799-8383
dirkknudsen@gmail.com

Contact for Nez Perce elders:
John Platt
503-348-0882
johnplatt@helvetia.us

Read The Timeline For Oregon's Methodist Meeting House In Hillsboro

An example of a Methodist Meeting House back East

TIMELINE FOR METHODIST MEETING HOUSE, WASHINGTON COUNTY, OREGON

• July 12, 1843 Camp Meeting held by Jason Lee, Harvey Clarke and other ministers near the Five Oaks site, “Rocky Mountain Retreat.”

• 1843 - November 22, Edward and Brazilla Arthur Constable arrived from Missouri.

• 1844 - Methodist services held at Edward Constable cabin.

• 1844 - Methodist Meeting House built, by Joseph Hosgry circuit riding minister, services held there, also Baptist and Congregationalist services.

• 27 Apr 1846 Provisional District Court held in building, court continues until buildings built in Hillsboro.

• 1849/50 - Edward Constable off to California gold mines.

• 1852- James Barton Constable, brother to Edward died, was buried at Methodist Meeting House; later moved to West Union Baptist Cemetery. [His five orphan children move in with Brazil and Edward Constable.]

• 1854 - Unnamed Infant of Joe Meek dies, buried in burying ground by Methodist Meeting House.

• 1855 - Indian scare, stockade of fir tree logs built around the Meeting House.

• May 13, 1858 - Hiram Meek buried burying ground by Methodist Meeting House.

• July 13, 1858 - Dallas Meek buried in burying ground by Methodist Meeting House.

• 1860 -Building still in use as church

• Feb 17, 1860 - William H. H. Meek buried in burying ground by Methodist Meeting House.

• Dec 22, 1860 - Josephine Meek buried in burying ground by Methodist Meeting House

• 1865 - Building unused, dismantled and lumber taken to Hillsboro to add to Methodist Church there.

• 1888 - John Shute and wife Elizabeth Constable build house just to the west of site.

• 1985 - Methodist Meeting House and cemetery site that had been in fir trees cleared and farmed over.

• March 31, 1988 - Added to the Washington County Cultural Resource Inventory

• _____ Annexed to the City of Hillsboro Now included in the Hillsboro Cultural Resource Inventory

• 2003 - Included within the Urban Growth Boundary by Metro

• 2013 Roadway widened and excavated

• 2015 Sewer Line Installed by the City of Hillsboro through the site

• 2018-2019 Land bought by Majestic Development and plans approved for 800,000 + SF of warehouses

• 2019 Land Use appeal filed

The story continues to this day- Stay Tuned!

Why The Promised 1 Acre Now Being Taken Means So Much

It may only be 1 acre but it migth be the last acre left in teh Tualatin Plains that will not be covered with asphalt and buildings soon.

Under the ground on that acre are the bodies of 5 Children. Not just any children but the children of legandary Mountain Man and first regional law man Colonel Joseph Meek. He and his Nez Perce wife, Virginia, were among the first and most important settlers to come to the territory and help make it what we know today. Their struggles and the death of these 5 children may have been overlooked but never forgotten.

Buried on the land being developed this year by Majestic Development are the children and the remains of the Methodist Meeting House. That site is honored by historians, scholars, and State officials as one of the most important places in the Oregon Territory.

In 2003-2004 the City of Hillsboro wanted and needed approvals from the State of Oregon, the State Historic Preservation Office, and METRO to give Genentech millions in tax breaks under the SIPS tax program. In that process government officials dictated that a Culturally important site (The MMH and graves) be protected in exchange for finailzing the deal.

Quid Pro Quo - Preserve the Cultural Recsource under Oregon’s Goal 5 laws and you can have the tax breaks. Don’t and you can not….

Using caution and due-diligence then Hillsboro Mayor Tom Hughes and his staff agreed to preserve the site and a 1 Acre lot. The site was clearly identified and all parties involved were happy with the outcome and looking ahead to a profitable result.

Any of you that doubt that or question that please read this official document which we are certain is a contract between the City and the State of Oregon and its people. People that include the native relatives of those buried children.

See that Letter here as well:

”Require that NO STRUCTURES be built within the 1 acre site… Mayor Tom Hughes of Hillsboro commits to the Governor of Oregon

That folks is a much of a contract as anyone could ever have. A CONTRACT.

So why are those of us involved who care mad enough to spend money and hundreds of hours to fight this? Here is why-

From the City of Hillsboro - Majestic South development approval-

We are right- we will win or fight to the end.

The Native people had their land taken in 1855 via a broken treaty. Can we not see this is the same sort of thing? No people, this must not be allowed to happen.

The 1 acre is the most important acre. It may be the last acre any of can save but it is important beyond measure. Truly it is.

Here is what is coming- the 1 acre must be allowed preservation as promised. Period.

Current Handling Of Native Graves A Stark Contrast When Compared To White Graves

Article by local author Tonya Macalino-

After posting asking for support for the Methodist Meeting House the other day, I realized that many people might not be familiar with the practice that is proposed for the monument. I thought the Washington County Poor Farm (later Hospital) would be a good example.

Site background: The Washington County Poor Farm was a the first version of a social safety net in the county. Before this, the indigent elderly or infirm would survive on scraps of food, hiding from the night in barns and other remote shelters. After the poor farm was established, these folks could shelter there and those who were able also worked the farm. Patients who passed away were interred in the graveyard in the area at the foot of the Lowe's parking lot where the signs now stand.

As a result of having no heritage preservation plan: Lowe's purchased the property with the promise of erecting a historical marker. They were to retain responsibility for maintaining this marker. (This is the same fate that awaits the Methodist Meeting House site.) From the picture, you can see the following:

The Lowe’s parking lot had a large area set aside with a monument as required by our past City officials to commemorate a possible cemetary where our poor farm was. Questions are arising now that the Native graves at the Methodist Meeting House are not being provided equal protection even as the City of HIllsboro celebrates diversity.

1) The site has not been constructed in a welcoming or visually attractive way. This installation would never be a tourist attraction or education installation and therefore misses out on calling notice to the rather terrifying existence that faced the infirm and elderly who had no family support prior to Social Security among many other important historical affiliations.

2) The site has not been maintained or updated as new research has been conducted and is out of date.Vandalism and deterioration makes the signage difficult to read.

3) No one I have ever talked to knows this marker exists.

This site could easily be made part of our town's cultural branding, if it were brought under the city's protection. If you are able to attend the meeting on the 4th, your support would be greatly appreciated. :-) (You can also submit a letter to the Planning Commission, if that is more comfortable for you!)

This site, like the Methodist Meeting House site, is erected to preserve an unmarkered cemetery.

With regards to the Methodist Meeting House appeal hearing on the 4th of September, I'd promised to explain more about the unmarkered cemeteries that are common between both the Meeting House site and the Poor Farm/Hospital site. So here it goes...

When patients at the Poor Farm passed on and no relatives claimed their remains, they were interred in an area of the property without markers--a sort of tidy mass grave.

Sometime between 1923 and 1950, these graves were moved to the Pioneer Cemetery. However, because no one could be certain all the bones were removed, the lower end of the parking lot was designated sacred ground. When Lowe's bought the property, they were not permitted to pave over this section for their parking lot--where the historical marker and patch of grass stand today.

Now, to compare this practice to the Methodist Meeting House site.

The Meeting House also had a cemetery. And similarly, when the building was disassembled and moved into town, many of the graves were moved along with it. But not all.

Of the graves not moved were 5 of Joseph and Virginia Meek's children. These children were of mixed European and Nez Perce blood. It has been suggested that this may have been one of the reasons the children weren't moved with the rest. (Given that Joe was nationally famous and most of the early settler had mixed-race families, I'm not sure, but the move would have been made by later settlers who tended to be much more prejudiced against Native Americans.)

Whatever the motivation, the site of the Methodist Meeting House (currently in the field pictured) then became an unmarkered grave the same as the later Poor Farm. Attempts to locate these graves have been unsuccessful. Archaeologist David Ellis has stated that the acid soil and 100 years of plowing may be the cause of that.

Unlike the Poor Farm, however, the Methodist Meeting House site--believed by most local historians to have been marked by a grove of trees until the late 1900s--has not been afforded the designation of sacred ground and is set for paving according to the building and design plan currently under appeal.

Both sites offer no evidence of internment, yet one is at least minimally preserved and the other is not. I would caution that we not create a situation in which the possible burial site of white people is not given more respect that the possible burial site of Native Americans.

I hope that helps clarify things a bit. Tomorrow I will explain a little more about the importance of the Methodist Meeting House in local history.

PS - For those of you who are wondering how such a famous couple's children could be buried without headstones, take a look at the founder of our town, David Hill's headstone--donated in 1880 by a school children's coin drive 30 years after his death.

Join the Fight and Donate

Attend the Planning Commission Meeting Sept 4, 2019 at Hillsboro City Hall

Human Remains Detection Dog Marks Location Of Possible Human Remains At Methodist Meeting House

As provided by guest contributor

Certified Human Remains Detection Dogs are working and training in the

Pacific Northwest. A team of handlers and their dogs were used to help

locate the graves of the Meek children who are buried next to the 1844

Methodist Meeting House. The Meeting House was the religious center for

the pioneer settlement and government meetings were held here for the

Tuality District. No stones or grave markers have survived over the years,

but maps and personal testimony help us pinpoint the site. The Human

Remains Detection Dogs were another way of documenting the resting

places of the Meek children.

Mountain Wave SAR [Search & Rescue] team responds to more than 100

missions each year across Oregon and Washington. The nonprofit group is

based out of Clackamas County where volunteers train together each week

in environments ranging from state parks, private land, mountains,

historic cemeteries, to fire-rescue facilities.

Mountain Wave SAR have several speciality areas, one being — K9 Search

& Rescue where handlers and dogs are working on Human Remains

Detection. Some of the dogs are certified and others are in training.

Handlers train the dogs to recognize a certain odor, and if the dogs find it

and alert, they get rewarded with a toy or treat.

Trial Run . . . .

We started in the historic West Union Pioneer Cemetery. There were

several unmarked graves. Twenty minutes prior to the run, several random

areas were vented. The dogs were run individually.

K9, Coal was the second dog out. “Started K9 at northeast end of the

property, running northwest through open field and into main section of

cemetery. At ~1 minute mark into search K9 showed interest in a

particular pair of graves marked Nancy Sewell and Casper Bergh but did

not give his final trained response. Both handler and K9 continued passed

this area, heading toward the corner of the lot but the K9 abruptly turned

and went back to the location giving his final trained response (sit)

between the same two heads stones. K9 was rewarded and put back to

work. We headed towards the corner of the lot where the Bones Family is

buried. Their markers date them back to 1854 as they are the earliest

known to have been buried in this cemetery. K9 spent some time checking

the vent holes and also a few minutes checking the area just behind these

graves and out side of the cemetery proper. No final response was given.

As we headed east K9 Coal abruptly went directly back across the

cemetery ranging away from the handler to the Bergh/Sewell location and

again gave his final trained response there and was rewarded again. This

concluded our search of the property.”

Methodist Meeting House on Starr Blvd.

“Checking a section of an empty field for possible unmarked graves dating

back prior to the 1860s. K9 headed north along the NE Starr Blvd edge of

the property about 500 feet, then came back about 400 feet east and

entered the property to the south with no areas of interest. As covered the

south west corner of the search area he had a change of behavior

indicating he was in scent. He circled thru this area several times and came

to a location about 100 feet from Starr Blvd where he gave his trained final

response and was rewarded.

The coordinates for this point are:

10T 0504977

50 446000

Search completed.” Notes from Coal’s handler, Michelle Schireman.

Photo: Coal: Certified Human Remains Detection dog who gave is trained

response during the search.

Nez Perce Women Crucial And Forgotten In Oregon's Earliest History

The Tender Ties: the Nez Perce [Niimi'ipuutímt] Connection. [Nimipu, meaning "the people"]

By Ginny Mapes; Historian and Educator of Helvetia, Oregon

Joe Meek, Robert Newell, Caleb Wilkins, George Ebbert, William Craig,

William Doty [Doughty] and Joseph Gale were friends, having trapped together over the years.

All had taken indigenous women for their wives, some were young

girls at the time of the partnering. The men trapped and their wives tended

the camp, cooked, cared for the children and helped with the pelts. Now in

the summer of 1840, they hoped to settle in Oregon Country.

Mary Doty — Shoshone

Virginia Meek — Nez Perce

Kitty Newell — Nez Perce

Catherine Wilkins — Nez Perce

Fanny Ebbert — Nez Perce

Isabel Craig — Nez Perce

Eliza Gale — Nez Perce

Mary “Pigeon” Doty (Doughty) Shoshone, the wife of William Martin Doty had arrived in Oregon Country with their two children in September 1840.

Eliza, wife of famed Oregon pioneer Joseph Gale, was a Nez Perce woman also known as “Bear Claws” and crucial in Oregon’s earliest history.

Three Nez Perce sisters from the Rocky Mountains and their American Mountain Men husbands made it to the Tualatin Plains, and were joined by other trapper families on their way to the Columbia.

Virginia Meek, Nez Perce, wife of Joe Meek, and their baby boy, Courtney Walker Meek, was a year and a half old. Virginia was also caring for three-year-old Helen Mar Meek, the little girl from Joe’s former marriage. Once they reached the Whitman station, Helen Mar Meek was left in Narcissa’s (Whitman) care for the trip had been very rough.

Kitty Newell, Nez Perce, sister to Virginia Meek, wife of Robert “Doc” Newell had three children. Francis Ermatinger was five, William Moore two, and Marcus Whitman, two and half months old.

Catherine Wilkins, Nez Perce wife of Caleb Wilkins, was the third of the Nez Perce sisters. She had one child traveling with her, two-year-old George Wilkins.

Fanny Ebbert, Nez Perce wife of George Ebbert, was also with the group.

Isabel Craig, Nez Perce, was with her husband William Craig. She had given birth on September 10 to a baby boy, Joseph William, in Lapwai.

Isabel Craig; Wife of Wiliam Craig, was one of 6 Nez Perce women who came in 1840 to the Tualatin Plains in what is now Hillsboro and settled the land.

The journey was difficult extending over vast lava beds, round impassable canyons, and over rapid unbridged rivers. This was the most difficult part of the journey.

“In a few days we began to realize the difficult task before us, and found that the continual crashing of the sage under our wagons which in many places was higher the mules backs was no joke and seeing our animals began to fail we began to lighten up finally threw away our Wagon beds and were quite sorry we had undertaken the job. . .” Robert Newell [spelling corrected]

[The trappers were also guiding missionaries Harvey Clarke and his wife, Emeline and others going to the Whitman Mission.]

Another Nez Perce woman, Bear Claws, [later her name changed to Eliza] was the half sister of Young Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce.

Bear Claws had married Joseph Gale in 1836 in a traditional Nez Perce ceremony.

[Her father was the venerated Nez Perce chief Old Joseph, known as Tuekakas and Wellamotkin, who died in 1871. Her half brother was young Chief Joseph, or Hinmatooyalatkekt, who would become world famous in 1877 after the tribe's Wallowa Band was ordered out of Wallowa County and faced forced resettlement on a reservation at Lapwai, Idaho.]

Joseph Gale and Eliza were some of the first settlers on the Tualatin Plains and were soon joined by other trapper friends, Meek, Newell, Ebbert, Wilkins, and Doty in December, 1840.

These American men: Meek, Newell, Wilkins, Ebbert, and Doty along with Joseph Gale and David Hill would go on to establish the provisional government.

Joseph Gale after his service in the provisional government, was a gold miner, U.S. Army scout, sawmill and ferryboat operator, U.S. postmaster, manager of a stagecoach station, farmer and rancher. He and Eliza raised at least five children and lived together until his death in 1881 near Richland, Washington at age 74. Bear Claws died in 1905, but her actual age is unknown.

The Nez Perce wives and children of these American men played a very important role in the settlement of the Pacific Northwest.

A quote from memoirs of the Meek family, given by Virginia, Joe's wife - "Oh, but it was cold and lonesome [Dec 18,1840]. Mr Meek hurried and built a bark house and had a nice fire and made it nice and warm, but I couldn't help it, I was lonesome and homesick for my people. There was plenty of game and fish in the creek [McKay] and they were never hungry.

Mr. Meek would say, 'Never mind, Virginia, never mind. In the spring you will see he nicest country you ever saw.' Sure enough, the next spring everything was nice and green, and she found the prettiest flowers she had ever seen and the largest strawberries, but she couldn't help being lonesome and homesick. They picked out the land for their farm, built a log house and planted a garden. She was influential in choosing their farm where the land was easily cleared.” [Thanks to Judy Goldmann for sharing Virginia Meek's Memoir.]

As these Nez Perce women struggled to built a new American way of life in a new land, there was also sadness. Many times the women were on their own as the men were away. Meek, Newell, Ebbert, Wilkins, and Craig, were hired as hunters and guides by the Wilkes Exploring Expedition in 1841 for the Emmons’ Overland Party.

Isabel Craig, later returned to Lapwai, where her husband working with missionary Henry Spalding created a Nez Perce dictionary and the Nez Perce were taught to read and write.

However, there was also sadness. Kitty Newell died at 23, leaving Robert with five little boys. Over those early years, five of Joe and Virginia Meek's children died and were buried near the Methodist Meeting House.

Please help us honor those early Nez perce women and the children who were buried on this land.

Donate To Our Go Fund Me which is 100% for Legal Defense funds!

CLICK HERE

Photos: Bear Claws, [Eliza] married to Joseph Gale; and her stone. Thanks to Judith Fortney for taking the photo of Eliza's stone.

KOIN 6 News Covers The Growing Controversy Over The Methodist Meeting House

From KOIN 6 News - See More Here

HILLSBORO, Ore. (KOIN) — For years, historians and community members have been pushing to protect and honor the probable site of the Methodist Meeting House used by early pioneers in Hillsboro. Some people also believe there’s a cemetery there.

View fullsize

See the whole News Story Here

The City of Hillsboro has approved the construction of 3 warehouse buildings on the nearly 50 acres of land owned by a developer near Brookwood Parkway. The city also OK’d an on-site monument for the Methodist Meeting House.

This is land in Hillsboro where developers want to build warehouses but groups say they want a monument for early pioneers, August 22, 2019 (KOIN)

But critics say that falls far short of what community members were promised. Local historians and community members said they were promised a 1-acre section set aside for a monument that recognizes the historic significance.

They claim the Methodist Meeting House was built here in the 1840s and served as a place of worship and a seat of government for the early pioneers — including Joseph L. Meek and his wife, Virginia, who was a member of the Nez Perce Tribe.

Dirk Knudsen with the Five Oaks Discovery Coalition in Hillsboro, August 22, 2019 (KOIN)

Dirk Knudsen with the group Five Oaks Discovery Coalition said the Methodist Meeting House — “a very modest log structure” — was the “second organized church in the Oregon Territory” and was where people met, passed laws, celebrated life and worshipped.

He acknowledged no one has proven there’s a cemetery under the ground. He said there are written documents in the “last 120 years” along with “stories” and “archaelogical work to indicate something is in the ground. It just hasn’t been looked at.”

The state, the governor’s office and the state historic preservation group want to see more work done, Knudsen said. “That’s going to happen, but it’s not going to stop the building from occurring.”

Descendants say the couple’s 5 children were buried in a cemetery near the Methodist Meeting House.

Judy Gates Goldman

Words from the Family of the buried Children…

Judy Goldmann, the great-granddaughter of the Meeks, said she wants the memorial “to be big enough that it commemorates both the early worshipppers and these children, and other possible burials in that it be big enough and explanatoy in the fact that it lets those persons that live here now know more about what went on as the settlers arrived.”

Judy Goldmann’s great-grandparents were Joseph and Virginia Meek, early pioneer settlers in Hillsboro, August 22, 2019 (KOIN)

Goldmann said she knew for many years about “this burial place” because her parents “recorded information with some of the landowners that were still in the area.”

The city’s current plan, she said, is “too modest.”

Knudsen isn’t happy at all with the city’s decision.

“What we’re getting is a monument in a planter strip. That’s it. And it’s surrounded by parking and a building that’s 40-plus feet high,” Knudsen told KOIN 6 News.

Dirk Knudsen with the Five Oaks Discovery Coalition in Hillsboro shows plans for a memorial, August 22, 2019 (KOIN)

“When you look behind you here you see the weeds and the pole. That’s what we’re getting is a piece of cement over there. It’s not acceptable. It’s not what was promised.”

In an email to KOIN 6 News, the Hillsboro Planning Department said:

“Through the Development Review process, City staff have spent considerable hours working with all parties involved to find solutions. The site’s inclusion on the City’s Cultural Resource Inventory reflects the City’s awareness of its importance and its role in our community’s history. Policies are in place to ensure that upon development of the location, its significance to tribal and pioneer settlements is honored. The City is committed to balancing the long-term development of industrial land while memorializing the historically significant site for the benefit of our entire community.”

Some local groups are appealing the city’s approved development plan and will go before the Hillsboro Planning Commission on September 4.

But before that they also plan to meet with the developer to see if something can be worked out.

“It should be a simple issue to solve if all sides want to work together,” Knudsen said. “If they don’t we’re willing to take our chances to protect the asset that’s here.”

Dirk Knudsen with the Five Oaks Discovery Coalition in Hillsboro shows plans for a memorial, August 22, 2019 (KOIN)

Remember to follow KOIN 6 News onFacebook,TwitterandInstagram. Download ourfree news and weather appsfor the latest headlines and forecast information

DONATE TO THE LEGAL DEFENSE FUND FOR THE METHODIST MEETING HOUSE

The History of Hillsboro’s Methodist Meeting House by Ginny Mapes

Cemeteries . . . . . As the final resting places for Oregon country souls for over hundreds of years, nearby cemeteries hold immense historical value. Beyond symbols of mourning, cemetery monuments tell the intriguing stories of local people and events, bringing contemporary people closer to their rich local history.

However, one early local cemetery has vanished with time, There are no stone monuments, no wooden crosses, nothing but a field where the Methodist Meeting House Cemetery stands today.

The Methodist Meeting House was the first church built on the Tualatin Plains in1844. Visiting circuit riders performed religious services for the pioneers. The building also served as the center for government business and early court sessions for many years.

Next to the Meeting House was the burial ground. We know where it was because Joe and Virginia Meek’s five Nez Perce children are buried there. In 1865, when the Hillsboro Methodist Church was built, the large log timbers from that first Meeting House were removed and taken to Hillsboro to be reused.

Trees planted near the burial land [1.5 acres] grew into good-sized marketable timber. Although no one had disturbed the wooded area for 141 years, it was logged in 1985 stirring up controversy at that time because of the repeated references to the Meeting House and the cemetery, which was a historic cemetery of record with the state.

Early mapmaker, Robert L. Benson recorded the location of the Meeting House and the burial ground.

A monument was promised to be built on that acre of land where the Methodist Meeting Stood and where the burial ground is located. The City of Hillsboro, knew the sensitivity of the site when it sold the land to Majestic, a huge real estate developer who plans to cover the site with a parking lot. We, the Meek Plains Historians and the Five Oaks Discovery Coalition are demanding the one acre site be saved. We hope others will join the cause.

Judy Goldmann, great granddaughter of Joe Meek, stated, “I can see native, upland savannah plantings there; not too many trees, and suitable markers.”

We will keep readers updated as we get ready for the Appeals hearing.

DONATE TO THE LEGAL DEFENSE FUND HERE

The Planning Commission hearing is set for Sept 4, a Wednesday at 6 PM, Auditorium, City Building; they have wasted no time, using the 20 days from filing date. Anyone who has made comment before, in writing will be sent a notice of this meeting. And anyone who wishes to comment may do so.

Map Robert L. Benson
Photo: Robert A. Booth, 1900, former Methodist Circuit Rider when younger.

The Circuit Rider is a bronze sculpture by Alexander Phimister Proctor, located in Capitol Park, east of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Oregon, in the United States. The Circuit Rider depicts "one of Oregon's pioneer circuit-riding Methodist ministers" and commemorates "the labors and achievements of the ministers of the Gospel, who as circuit riders became the friends, counselors and evengels to the pioneers on every American frontier.

Nez Perce Tribal Elders and Community Leaders Converge For Ceremony In Hillsboro

Original Story Can be Read in Full Here-

Is planned Hillsboro development on historic land? We may never know.

Olivia Singer

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Members of the Nez Perce Tribe, local historians oppose latest proposal in city's development plan

STAFF PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER OERTELL - Nez Perce elders Charles Axtell and Silas Whitman performed a ceremony around the believed burial site Wednesday, Sep. 5.

Standing along Northeast Starr Boulevard on Wednesday, Sept. 5, two members of the Nez Perce tribe began to sing.

They stood in a circle with a few dozen local people, leading prayers, playing instruments and reciting sacred words. Silas Whitman and Charles Axtell, elders of the Nez Perce Tribe of Native Americans, made the trek from Idaho to honor the memory of members of their tribe.

Somewhere in this large field, some believe, lie the bodies of five Nez Perce children.

For generations, stories about a possible burial site on the land have been handed down from people who have had connections to the area. Stories say the cemetery was attached to a Methodist meeting house built in the 1840s, a log cabin that served as a worship space and the county's seat of government in 1846, but precisely where the structure was remains unclear.

It's unknown how many bodies were buried in the cemetery, but it is generally believed that the interred include five children of Joseph L. Meek, a pioneer who settled in the Tualatin Valley in 1840 and resided in what would later become Hillsboro. His wife, Virginia Meek, was a member of the Nez Perce Tribe.

Whitman said Wednesday's ceremony was important, as the children might not have formally received proper burial rights when they died in the mid-1850's, years before Oregon became a state in 1859.

"It's important that we bring the prayer and the song and the word to them to give them comfort as they are on the other side, something that was probably missing when they left, and so we restore that," Whitman said. "We have been here before statehood and these people came here before statehood, and they are buried, we presume, without the honors necessary for them."

Wednesday's burial ceremony was also seen as a protest, of sorts, against elements of the city of Hillsboro's planned North Hillsboro Industrial Renewal Area. The largely undeveloped land near Brookwood Parkway is expected to be converted into industrial and high-tech businesses over the next several years. The land is one of the few in the Portland area capable of housing large industrial sites, according to the city.

The possible Methodist meeting house site was recently purchased by a California developer who plan to build an 800,000-square-foot building on the site.

A handful of local historians are working to stop that development, saying the property hasn't been properly identified to display its historical significance.

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Not a new issue

The site is believed to have played a significant role in the history of Hillsboro, said Dirk Knudsen, a Hillsboro resident and chairman of the Five Oaks Discovery Coalition, who coordinated Wednesday's ceremony, though it has never been formally recognized. The site is identified by the city as a cultural resource site.

"These sites are, by law, very important and alteration of the site is a major concern," Knudsen said. "This is not just a few neighbors and historians making an issue where there is not one. The bar to develop this site is very, very high."

Meek, a territorial sheriff in the 1840s and the first U.S. Marshal of the Oregon Territory, played a major role in Oregon's history, said John Platt, of Helvetia, who met Whitman and Axtell during his 36 years working at the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission.

"Why those graves weren't (marked) and why the Methodist meeting house wasn't protected for a period of time, we aren't really sure," Platt said.

A small log structure built in the 1840s, the building was demolished and its lumber used to build the Methodist Church in Hillsboro in 1865.

Local historians and Meek's own descendants have long pointed to the site as a likely location for the meeting house and burial site, but little evidence has been uncovered to support those claims.

The topic isn't a new point of discussion for the city. The issue has flared up for years as the city has slowly prepared the area for development.

In 2013, archaeologists investigated part of the area for possible remains after city officials planned to expand roads in the area. No evidence was found of the house or burial site.

The city focused its search along a narrow strip of land — now part of the widened road. Knudsen said that same level of care should be given to the rest of the one-acre site before any plans for development are approved by city officials.

"The facts are that there has been no meaningful archaeological work on the actual land where we believe the site is," Knudsen said.

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'More work needs to be done'

The city and area historians struck a deal more than a decade ago, rezoning the area for industrial use, while agreeing an acre of the land would be kept undeveloped for a memorial.

Then-Hillsboro Mayor Tom Hughes signed a letter in 2004 stating that future developers of the lot would be required to leave the land so that it could be formally recognized as the official site of the Methodist meeting house and burial grounds, complete with a monument identifying the land's historic significance.

Developers of the site are required to build the monument on the site and are not allowed to build any buildings on the one-acre plot.

Developers have proposed leaving a space vacant for the monument, Knudsen said, but the proposal shows it will not be the acre archaeologists and local historians believe was the home of the burial site. Instead, the preserved space would be a grass strip along Huffman Street.

Knudsen argues the strip, which would not be in easy view of the public, does little to preserve the area's history. A drainage pond would be built where the believed burial site is, according to the developer's proposal.

"More work needs to be done," Knudsen said. "...That land (needs) to be looked at closer."

STAFF PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER OERTELL - Charles Axtell and Silas Whitman traveled from Idaho to perform parts of a traditional Nez Perce burial ceremony.

Whitman agreed the site should be preserved.

"The thing that we would try to do is to protect the integrity of the cemetery," he said. "You don't trod on the sacred grounds (of a) cemetery."

Development plans for the site have yet to go before city officials for approval. Hillsboro's Planning Director Colin Cooper said policies are in place to ensure that development doesn't dishonor the tribal and pioneer settlements.

"The city is committed to balancing the long-term development of industrial land while memorializing the historically significant site for the benefit of our entire community," he said.

Over the years, archaeologist David Ellis has spent time searching the area for anything that could be evidence of the meeting house or the buried bodies, including the land where Genentech now resides.

"Having worked in this area for about 40 years, the meeting house remains probably one of the top enigmas of my career," Ellis said. "If it wasn't there in that area, it should show up somewhere else, and it doesn't."

Ellis said acidic soil and 100 years of farming could play a factor in why there has been no hard evidence for the church or burial site up to this point.

A lack of solid evidence isn't enough to say the historical tellings are false however, Ellis said.

"I think it's a classic case of absence of evidence is not evidence of absence," he said. "I don't think the fact that there is no archaeological evidence or trace of either the meeting house or the burials (should) diminish the significance of the property. It's very important in the history of the early settlement in Washington County."

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