In mid-November, Fall City Cemetery Association President and Cemetery Groundskeeper Ron Johnson solved an ongoing mystery at the cemetery—the exact locations of two particular headstones hidden by grass and dirt over time. These headstones honor three individuals who died in the Valley many years ago without formal identification or record of death. The headstones read “White Man” and “Two Italians.”
In a Valley Record article from August 1979, longtime resident Bill Lierley shared that he believed the two Italian men perished while working on the railroad, and that they did not speak English. They were simply paid for their work with little or no communication. He continued that he believed the “white man” shared a similar fate, his body found with no identification and provided a burial at the cemetery.
A June 2013 article also suggests that the two Italian men likely worked on the railroad and died on their first day of work. In an August 1995 Valley Record article, Tom Burnside, then caretaker of the cemetery, believed an “unknown man” worked for Weyerhaeuser and also died on his first day. In the end, no one knows their stories for certain.
In June 1972, the Valley Record published a special Fall City Centennial Edition. In one article, Emil Getschmann recalled the difficult and often treacherous working conditions of the logging era, including long hours and, at times, hardened treatment of those involved in accidents. He also described how men drifted between work camps, sometimes staying for only two weeks before moving on.
With Washington gaining statehood in 1889, that year’s census reflects the great distances people traveled for new opportunities in the Valley. Single men as well as whole families arrived from at least 15 different countries: Ireland, England, Scotland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Canada, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Prussia, and China. Most worked as farmers, laborers, and loggers, but also as cooks, carpenters, and blacksmiths. Some made the Valley their home, with descendants still living in the area today.
Sadly, there are a total of 15 “unknown” persons interred at the cemetery, some of them children. However, they all continue to be cared for by the cemetery association and the greater community. If you would like to volunteer, please contact the association at fallcitycemetery.org.
