Lone Pine Cemetery
The Lone Pine Cemetery is historically significant for its direct connection to the early pioneer settlers of the Tekoa and Lone Pine area. Although specific details of the establishment of the cemetery are not known, the location of the cemetery indicates patterns of early development by Euro-American settlers.
The Lone Pine area originally developed as a stage coach stop between the communities of Farmington and Cheney. Stories persist that the area was named because of a single pine tree that stood on a hill in a vast barren landscape. As an obvious marker on the landscape, the location became a logical stopping point. Eventually a log cabin was built to serve as a post office, stage depot, general store and school house.
In 2009, the Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation, under the abandoned cemetery provisions (RCW68.60) formally warded care and maintenance of the cemetery to the friends group.
Records of early burials in the cemetery are sketchy or non existent. The first burials are for the Kizer twins born in 1882 and died in 1883 and that of Ruthie Cozier in 1883. The last interment was that of Valentine Higbee in January 1953. Today no more burials are permitted. According to a chart at Kramer’s Kimball Funeral Home in Tekoa, a total of 115 burials have been made, however only 56 have markers can be accounted for.
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