Dry Valley Cemetery, Lassen County

Bailey Creek, October 8, 2020

This is a follow up about yesterday’s post. The person who alerted me about the article in High Country Life was interested in a small county cemetery in Dry Valley, which is sandwiched between the Madeline Plains to the east and Grasshopper Valley to the west. It was an interesting conversation.

Dry Valley Cemetery, August 4, 2016.

In the fall of 2020, my companions made a trek into that region, the goal Bailey Creek Reservoir. Alas, for over a century, the road was now graced with a locked a gate. Onward ho, we go. Next destination Dry Valley and and the south end of Grasshopper Valley. While in the neighborhood, we thought a quick visit to the Dry Valley Cemetery was warranted. Lo, and behold the access road, which the public had traversed for over a century, was graced with a locked gate.

Dry Valley School
Dry Valley School, 1916. Courtesy of D.M. Durst Collection

Which brings up to this recent article and the inquiry I received. This individual purchased the property surrounding the Dry Valley Cemetery and closed off the road leading to the cemetery.  I did inform this person that it is public cemetery and the public has right to access. I provided this person with some history. Near the road  intersection to venture to the cemetery was the Dry Valley School. For a brief time the school children would march up the hill the to decorate the graves for Memorial Day. Needless to say, none of this mattered to the owner and the public cemetery is no longer accessible. Just for the record in 1918 P.E. Bowles donated the cemetery to Lassen County.

Tim

2 thoughts on “Dry Valley Cemetery, Lassen County”

  1. You should contact the Lassen County District Attorney about access. If the land belongs to Lassen County, the surrounding owner cannot deny access. Don’t let it go too long or he will have standing. Almost all cemeteries have some kind of recognized access.

  2. I live right by here a couple miles up rd . I see it on a map and drove to it . Easy to get to .However it’s Bern locked up and so over grown you can’t see any Graves. So heartbreaking to know these pioneers was forgot about and land no care for . I’d volunteer to clean up and care for it .

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