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Poor Farm Cemetery
Davenport, Lincoln County, Washington

Lat: 47° 42' 08"N, Lon: 118° 07' 44"W
T26N R37E Sec 34

Contributed by Marge Womach, Dec 20, 2000, last edited Jul 03, 2008 [coffee@sisna.com]. Total records = 18.

To reach the cemetery site, drive north out of Davenport on Hwy 25 for about 3.5 miles. Turn right onto Olson Hill Road, continue for about .45 mile, cemetery is on the left.

County Has Poor Farm: "On Wednesday the county commissioners, through Stevens & Spencer purchased the John Reddy farm, three and a half miles north of town, which will be used for the county poor farm....-Lincoln County Times." (Harrington Citizen: Jul 26, 1901)

Old Poor Farm Brings $39,000 "County Wheat Land, Buildings, Sold at Auction. Davenport, Wash., May 20, 1946, -The Lincoln County farm, consisting of about 310 acres of good wheat land, two residence buildings and other improvements, was sold at public auction at the courthouse here this morning by the County Treasurer to George Gunning of Davenport for $39,600. About 100 persons attended the sale and bidding was spirited. The county farm, part of it acquired in 1902 and the remainder later, was used as a residence for aged county residents for many years until the system of caring for the needy was changed, and they were placed in private homes. Cemetery in One Corner. Mr & Mrs N M Lacey were in charge of the farm for many years and have had it leased during the last few years and the sale is subject to their lease, which expires in October. Another unique ruling was made as the sale began today, when it was discovered that there is a cemetery in one corner of the farm, where some 22 persons are buried, and the county commissioners held out this acre when no one objected." (Spokesman Review: May 21, 1946)

The cemetery has been farmed over while the county has failed to protect its boundaries. There is now no identifying marker on the graves, the cemetery or its boundaries. The present owner of the Poor Farm Cemetery is Lincoln County. The controlling agent for the (LCPF) records is the Lincoln County Commissioners, to whom all requests for copies of documentation should be addressed. All death certificates for the Poor Farm are located with the Lincoln County Auditor. A comprehensive search of the County Commissioner Journals and Ledgers was not done, since those records do not often identify the name of the deceased or the location of the burial.

I have researched this information and came up with a list just short of the number buried in it. If anyone knows of a name, please contact me and I will be happy to add it. Dec 19, 2005.

- Marge Womach

Clark, Chas, d. Feb 04, 1930, age: 73yr
Clarke, Fred, d. Jun 1903, an aged man
Cuddy, John, d. Jan 07, 1911, age: 85yr
Damas, Perry, d. Dec 01, 1905, age: 65yr, buried Lot 8
Denton, Robert, b. Aug 03, 1851; d. 2-26, 1909
Detillion, William F, d. Mar 18, 1906, age: 41yr, buried Lot 10
Donivan, Daniel, d. May 15, 1905, age: 82yr, Lot 8
Evans, William, d. Nov 27, 1916, age: 76yr
Fetherkile, Rachel, d. Jul 05, 1910, age: 56yr
McGillibray, Neil, d. Apr 01, 1913, age: 76yr
McIntosh, Jas, d. Sep 11, 1912, age: 65yr
Melcher, Fred, d. Dec 11, 1909, age: 68yr
Mitchell, John, d. Aug 17, 1907, age: 19yr, buried Lot 12
O'Brien, Thomas, d. Sep 28, 1902; age: 30yr, Lot 3 Block 1
Quirk, James, d. Jun 1914, age: 72yr
Reed, Malcolm, d. Aug 28, 1911, age: 30yr
Sickler, Frank, d. May 10, 1906, buried Lot 11
Smidthedt, Frank, d. Feb 8, 1902; age: 54yr. buried Lot 1.
Stevens, James; d. May 26, 1902, age: 79yr, buried Lot 2, Blk 1.