All along, a watchtower
Monument honors those who kept watch from Lincoln City cemetery
Story by Gretchen Ammerman
Oregon Coast TODAY
The word “charming” might seem an odd one to use when describing a cemetery, but it does seem apt when it comes to the Taft Pioneer Cemetery in Lincoln City.
The oceanview, hillside property is home to headstones engraved with the name “Bones,” for the family that originally donated the land upon which the cemetery rests, and another with the words, “A View to Die For.” Another makes it very clear that the loved one buried below was quite the fan of frogs.
Established in 1906, the nine-and-a-half-acre property held a role during World War II, with the construction of a watchtower that enabled a panoramic view of any threats from the sea.
With parts of the original structure remaining, the cemetery board of directors decided to create a memorial on the site.
A dedication ceremony to commemorate this historic landmark will be held this Saturday, May 25.
“We’ve been working for seven years to get this off the ground,” said Sheryl Smith McKee, current cemetery spokesperson and board member since 1993. “But now it’s all coming together and we are going to have such a great ceremony. It amazed me how many people stepped up to participate.”
The ceremony will feature Kate Harrison singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” with John Bringetto on trumpet and an opening prayer by Chaplain Polly Morrison.
“We will be honoring veterans during the ceremony,” McKee said. “Special guests Josh Zantello will present bouquets to the women and Lincoln City Mayor Susan Wahlke will present hats to the men. We will also have Representative David Gomberg, Senator Dick Anderson and Siletz Tribe Chairperson Dolores Pigsley.”
Another expected guest is Cait Goodwin, Oregon Coast Quest coordinator. Quests are clue- following adventures created by Oregon SeaGrant and located at spots all along the Oregon Coast. One such spot is the Taft Pioneer Cemetery, which played a part in the new watchtower memorial.
“When Cait came out with the Quest book and we went over the route it included a bench that looks out over the ocean,” McKee said. “I saw a vision that it would be nice when you are sitting on that bench to also be overlooking something that showed where the original watchtower was.”
Though the memorial is not an exact replica of the original structure constructed of concrete footings and a wooden frame, a plaque embedded in the cement has the image of the wooden tower.
“What was left was a huge cement block that our monument will sit right on top of,” McKee said. “We were going to remove the anchors below the old cement but I’m glad we didn’t because the hillside probably would have slid off if we did.”
For those that have visited the cemetery, there might be a question of parking, as the site has only a few dedicated spaces, but the community has stepped up for that as well.
“Michael Schneider, the general manager of the Inn at Spanish Head has been involved with the planning,” McKee said. “They are letting us use the parking lot for this dedication which is a huge help.”
The ceremony begins at 1 pm at Taft Pioneer Cemetery, located at 3990 SE Hwy. 101 in Lincoln City. Parking will be available at the Inn at Spanish Head, just south of the cemetery. For more information, call 541-921-8468.