Random Rambler: Salt Lake City Cemetery: Oldest Grave and More

The Salt Lake City Cemetery is the largest city run cemetery in the country. There are over 220,000 people buried here. It is home to quite a few interesting graves, a couple urban legends, and some history as well. We were nearby and still had some extra energy after a couple of super short hikes, so we thought we would come back through here randomly. While we were here we remembered something we wanted to see last time we were here and didn’t so we decided to see the oldest grave here. This is our 3rd visit, and we still have yet to explore the entire thing it is so large! Currently over 150 acres.

Quick Details:

Length: As little or as much as you like.
Trail Type: Meander
Difficulty: DR1, can drive up to a lot of it, but some stuff requires walking across lumpy cemetery grounds so DR3 for those.
Elevation Gain: Depends on what you do.
Restroom: I thought I saw some, but I can’t say if they are still open to the public, or if they are year round or not.
Dogs? You know, I have no idea.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

Take North Temple east. After you cross State Street it will become 2nd Avenue. Use any street to work your way up to 4th avenue. Continue east past N Street. The cemetery will be on the left here.

The Adventure:

We were pretty much next door at the Greater Avenues Water Conservation Demonstration Park when we noticed this section next to it. At first it seemed like it was a separate cemetery, but after exploring it we have come to the conclusion that it is part of the main SLC Cemetery, just slightly removed due to being across 11th Avenue.

Driving through the short loop here (PSP).

Pretty sure we found another random redwood tree (PSP). I am starting to realize that they are just all over downtown.

The main cemetery across 11th Avenue.

Just after we entered the main section a random deer caught my eye (PSP).

Little closer (PSP).

Again.

This is fun. I am used to seeing deer in the not far from here Mount Olivet Cemetery but this is a first here.

Some friends a little further back.

This combines a few of our particular interests, cemeteries, history, and wildlife, so it’s super fun.

More deer friends.

Again as we decided to keep going (PSP).

More graves.

At some point we remembered we wanted to see the oldest grave here. I remembered it was near where we were last time so Landis headed that way while I tried to figure out where we needed to go. I did say this cemetery is huge right? Also, we did not really expect to end up here today so I was a little flustered trying to enjoy the adventure, and also on the fly find where we should go. It's not normally how we roll, but it does happen.

Heading into the heart of the cemetery (PSP).

The amazing patch of redwood trees along Grand Ave (PSP).

We stopped here for a minute to get our bearings and figure out where we needed to go. Okay, just as I remembered, just a little west of here.

While we were on our hunt we found this particularly neat looking marker. Is that petrified wood?

Yeah, that has to be petrified wood.

It is on a marker for Ivins. Anthony Woodward 1852 - 1934. Elizabeth A. Snow 1854 - 1936. Plot: C_5_17_1N2RDWY, 40°46'33.2"N 111°51'44.5"W

A large marker.

Another old marker, but not quite the oldest one we are looking for.

Landis found an image, which brought us to this marker. The last name is right, but not the first. What gives?

The west side lists some children. Oh, I guess this is a family marker.

Okay, here we go, the south side shows it.

Mary M. Wallace was the first person to be buried here in Salt Lake City Cemetery, September 27th, 1848.. I did not realize she was so young. Plot: C-6-6, 40°46'32.8"N 111°51'44.8"W

I did a lot of internet sleuthing, certainly not digging into county records or anything, but from what I can tell, this miiiiight be the oldest grave in the city as well. Don't hold me to that.

After the burial, her father George Wallace and Daniel Wells, and Joseph Heywood surveyed 20 acres for the areas burial grounds. In 1851 Salt Lake City was incorporated and the 20 acres officially became the Salt Lake City Cemetery with George Wallace as the first sexton.

The grave marker again.

The east side is blank.

More cemetery.

I was surprised to see a new one in such an old section, however this area does have a lot of family plots.

Ester Ann. Looks like 1865?

She has a pioneer marker.

1888? I can make out Cannon, but not much else.

The Cannon plot is pretty big.

More cemetery.

That is a pretty tall marker, so we decided to see who warranted that.

We decided this marker had to have been replaced. It looks a lot newer than 1897. From Surrey England, to SLC, Utah.

A fallen marker as we get closer to the pillar.

It’s tall, but is certainly no James McTernay, who has the tallest marker in SLC.

What what? This marker is for someone not even buried here?

Hyrum Smith, Born in 1800 in Vermont, died in Illinois 1844. Other than of course the culty cult culting, I don’t understand why he has a marker here.

Oh.. ok. I guess his son Joseph H Smith was buried here in 1918.

I don’t pretend to understand exactly how polygamy worked, but it looks like his preferred wife, Julina Lambson with the full size marker next to him died in 1936.

Another wife, Edna Lambson died in 1926. Uhm… were they sisters? That feels super gross.

3 additional wives. Just, yuck.

So.. he had 5 wives? I wonder if this might be who the vodka is named after? Nope, definitely not. But interesting coincidence.

Also, the F stands for Fielding. I wonder if that has anything to do with Fielding Garr Ranch? As far as our digging went, probably not.

Joseph Fielding Smith and 4 and of his wives graves. He was a son of Joseph F Smith and one of his wives Julina Lambson. Okay, digging too much into LD$ history just gives me the creeps. Super gross.

At least 2 more. Yuck.

Alright, I am officially icked out and need to move on.

This is a particularly interesting grave marker. John M. Bernhisel, 1881. He was a congressman

Oh, we did find some plat markers on the corners of the curbs. Well, that might have been helpful locating Mary Wallace! But, meh.

Back to where we were parked. While we were here we decided to look up if there were any other interesting graves we should check out. My dumb ass totally spaced Archibald Gardner that I did want to see due to recently finding a historical marker for him. But, we had to scroll through way, way to many LD$ cult members and were not particularly interested in any of them. As I said, I had about my fill of digging too deep into that nonsense… until Landis found Orson Pratt. Me not really thinking too deeply into it at the moment confused him for his brother Parley, so I went yeah, sure! So… one final LD$ rabbit hole for the day.

More graves.

Back to the redwood trees (PSP).

This one was easier to find that some of the others we have tried to find here.

Orson Pratt. 1881.

Upon arrival my brain finally caught up and realized this was not the Pratt I was interested in. I was hoping to find Parley Pratt who was his brother.

So, I skimmed Orsons stuff, he did LD$ cult stuff, but otherwise means nothing. So, onto his brother, Parley.

Parley explored Parley’s Canyon so it, the creek, and the trail among other things were named after him.

He was murdered by his 10th wife’s ex husband due to feeling he stole his wife, and was alienating his children. He was shot and stabbed in Arkansas and buried in alma Arkansas.

I mean, that sounds like a standup guy we should be naming stuff after. Go Utah.

An interesting and fun fact, even though he was buried in Arkansas, he wanted to be buried in Utah. So in 2008 his ancestors received permission to exhume him so that he could be buried in this cemetery, but no human remains were found at what was believed to be his gravesite.

I think I have made my feelings on the LD$ cult pretty clear though this article, but I find that to be a rather satisfying end to a particularly gross person who does not deserve to have as much named after his as he does.

However, I am a little surprised there is not a... historical marker of some sort like they did for Hyrum.

Back to Orson.

The back of the grave show the wives buried here, because you know, the womenfolk don’t matter.

The cemetery.

Interesting marker.

Neat arch.

I guess it is the Williams family plot.

Grandchildren.

This marker has a pioneer marker as well.

More cemetery (PSP).

Redwood trees (PSP).

I forgot I created a list of people of note I wanted to see a few years ago. I can say I knocked 1 out of this list. I was not planning to end up here today so aside from that my list still stands, with 1 addition.

Simon Bamberger: 4th Governor of Utah - 40°46'28.2"N 111°51'33.6"W
Thomas Battersby Child. Creator of Gilgal Garden - Plot WEST-11-BETW-24 3-23,
~~Mary M. Wallace: 1st known person to be buried here.~~ Found today.
Porter Rockwell. We have seen his cabin down in Eureka - Plot C_5_9_1E 40°46'33.6"N 111°51'44.1"W
Heber Manning Wells: Utah's 1st Governor - Plat J, Block 1, Lot 5, Grave 3, Tier West 40°46'32.9"N 111°51'28.7"W
Lester Wire: Inventor of the traffic light - 40°46'31.2"N 111°51'27.6"W
Edward Woods: American Actor. West Section-7-132-1-East 40°46'49.9"N 111°51'47.5"W
Archibald Gardner: Businessman who helped establish West Jordan and who built Gardner Mill in Gardner Village - Plot D-9-6-W3, 40°46'33.6"N 111°51'39.9"W

Several other Governors, Mayors, and other politicians. Full list on Wikipedia (outside link)

There are also a ton of prominent members of the LD$ Church, but I really don’t have any interest in any of them. I think I saw more than enough today.

Well, another fun visit to the Salt Lake City Cemetery. I once again forgot a few somethings I wanted to see, but I guess that means we have to come back again. We still have not even scratched the surface of this massive cemetery, but I think we have hit most of the interesting stuff. 8 Squirrels today.