Old Chief Joseph Gravesite

Wallowa Lake Site
Gravesite of Old Joseph
Location Wallowa County, Oregon, USA
Nearest city Joseph, Oregon
Coordinates 45°20′11″N 117°13′20″W / 45.336360°N 117.222204°W / 45.336360; -117.222204Coordinates: 45°20′11″N 117°13′20″W / 45.336360°N 117.222204°W / 45.336360; -117.222204
Area 5 acres (2.0 ha)[1]
Built 1877
NRHP Reference # 89001082
Significant dates
Added to NRHP October 15, 1966[2]
Designated NHL May 5, 1985[3]

The Old Chief Joseph Gravesite, also known as Nez Perce Traditional Site, Wallowa Lake, Chief Joseph Cemetery and Joseph National Indian Cemetery is a Native American cemetery near Joseph, Oregon. The area was also a traditional campsite of the Nez Perce and may be archaeologically significant.

It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1985, listed as Wallowa Lake Site.[3][1] It is a component of the Nez Perce National Historical Park.

It is the burial place of Old Chief Joseph, the father of Chief Joseph.[4] When Old Joseph died in 1871, he had a traditional burial at the forks of the Lostine and Wallowa rivers.[5] In 1886 his grave was desecrated by local property owners and his skull was removed as a souvenir.[5] In 1926, the remains of the elder Chief Joseph were reburied. His grave is marked by a tall stone marker bearing the legend, "To The Memory of Old Chief Joseph, Died 1870." The cemetery is a sacred place for the Nez Perce people.[5]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nez Perce Traditional Site, Wallowa Lake.
  1. 1 2 Wells, Merle; Bearss, Edwin C. (August 26, 1988), National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Nez Perce Traditional Site, Wallowa Lake (PDF), retrieved November 23, 2014.
  2. ↑ Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Oregon Historic Sites Database, retrieved November 23, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Wallowa Lake Site". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved November 18, 2007.
  4. ↑ "Nez Perce National Historic Trail: Old Joseph's Gravesite". United States Forest Service. Retrieved November 20, 2007.
  5. 1 2 3 Nez Perce National Historic Park - Old Chief Joseph Gravesite
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