A new entrance sign welcomes visitors to Fall City Cemetery, honoring the community’s heritage and those who rest there. The project was made possible through support from 4Culture, the Fall City Historical Society, Fall City Community Association and Flintoft’s Funeral Home.
The Fall City Cemetery Association has proudly unveiled a new entrance sign at the historic Fall City Cemetery, a project made possible through the collaboration and generosity of several local organizations.
The new sign, designed to both honor the history of the site and provide a welcoming landmark, was installed this summer with funding support from the Fall City Community Association, the Fall City Historic Society, and a grant from 4Culture. Each of these partners played a vital role in ensuring the project could be completed, combining resources to preserve and enhance one of Fall City’s most significant historic places.
The Fall City Cemetery has long been a place of reflection, remembrance, and community heritage. Its original entrance marker had become weathered over the years. The updated sign now serves as both a practical improvement and a tribute to the generations who shaped Fall City. The first meeting of the Fall City Cemetery Association was held in 1898, and work was begun to organize the area and to buy sufficient land to plan for the future.
The area North of the current loop road was set aside as burial ground for Native Americans. The Fall City IOOF (International Order of Odd Fellows) was also interested in a formal cemetery, and in 1902 they purchased the plat located west of the loop road. Additional land within the loop road and later to the south of it was purchased over the years by the Fall City Cemetery Association. The area north of the current loop road was deeded to the Snoqualmie Tribe after their recognition as a legal entity in 1999. It is sacred ground to the Tribe, and they ask that visitors respect their boundaries and not enter that area.
Notable Fall City residents buried in the cemetery include: James Taylor, “the first settler at Falls City.” He, along with brothers George and Edward Boham, were the first to claim land in 1869 under the Homestead Act in the area called The Landing (now Fall City). The Bohams established a trading post and petitioned for a post office that put us on the map. They sold their lands in 1875 and left the area. Taylor stayed, and his brother David Taylor and family came in 1872.
David “Doc” Taylor, his wife Helen, and three children were the first white family to settle in what became Fall City. He opened the first hotel and restaurant here. Their home, built in 1903, still stands on River Street.
“This new sign project shows what can happen when our community comes together,” said Ron Johnson of the Fall City Cemetery Association. “We’re grateful for the support of the Community Association, the Historical Society, and 4Culture. Their contributions allowed us to complete a project that benefits residents today and preserves history for the future.”
Community members are invited to visit the cemetery to explore the history of Fall City and see the new sign that stands as a symbol of partnership, history, and pride in Fall City’s enduring story.
