Philomath in Benton County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
Reuben and Mary Jane Shipley
Benefactors of Mount Union Cemetery
Photographed by AJ Haberstroh, October 15, 2023
1. Reuben and Mary Jane Shipley Benefactors of Mount Union Cemetery Marker
During the first year of the Civil War, Reuben and Mary Jane Shipley donated land to establish this cemetery for the burial of both black and white people. The Shipleys were former enslaved laborers who arrived by wagon with their owners. Mary Jane arrived in 1844, and Reuben followed in 1853. Reuben gained his freedom in exchange for helping his owner, Robert Shipley move to Oregon. Mary Jane's freedom was wonderful by her parents, Robin and Polly Holmes, in Oregon's only slave trial.
The Shipleys married in 1857, raised a family, and farmed acreage southeast of Mount Union Cemetery which has remained in use for more than 150 years. Reuben and Mary Jane Shipley's son, Reuben Edward, changed his surname to Ficklin and erected the adjacent monument in that name to honor his family
Erected 2021 by Winema Chapter, NSDAR.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1844.
Location. 44° 32.297′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Oregon Wine Country and in the Willamette Valley. It is also on the American Pacific Coast, in the Pacific Northwest, and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Pacific Rim, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mt. Union Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); Shipley Family Homestead (approx. half a mile away); Historic Philomath College Building (approx. 1.8 miles away); Oak Creeks Watershed (approx. 2.6 miles away); Ecology of the Agricultural Reach (approx. 2.6 miles away); Sustainable Farm Management (approx. 2.6 miles away); Peavy Hall War Memorial (approx. 3 miles away); Kings Valley Millstone (approx. 3.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philomath.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 15, 2023, by AJ Haberstroh of Lacey, Washington. This page has been viewed 275 times since then and 24 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on October 15, 2023, by AJ Haberstroh of Lacey, Washington. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
