Chase Cemetery
The following is a transcription of the Chase Cemetery located in Chase, British Columbia, Canada.
Location
- Latitude: 50o 48' 54.56" N.
- Longitude: 119o 41' 02.51" W.
Historical Background
Chase was named after Whitfield Chase, an American from New York State. After coming to Canada during the 1858 gold rush, Whitfield settled in the area in 1865. He was the first non-native settler that farmed and raised a family, in what was then called, The Shuswap Prairie.
Whitfield married a young First Nations girl. She was the eldest daughter of the Neskonlith Indian Band Chief Synsetia. Together Elizabeth and Whitfield Chase raised ten children, four boys and six daughters: Ulysses (who drowned at age 2), Sarah, Ellen, Minerva, Marcus, Amy, Catherine, Lillian and two adopted children, Hubert and David. Although the community did not exist until more than 10 years after Whitfield's death, the town was named in his honour.
An American logging company came to the area in 1907 and purchased property, what became the original townsite, from Whitfield's eldest son, Marcus. They subdivided the land into lots, installed water and electricity and sold lots to workers and business people. For the location of the mill, the company leased approximately 70 acres of land from the Chase family. This bordered the Thompson River near Little Shuswap Lake.
The Chase mill became known as the Adams River Lumber Company. The company was formed July 2, 1907. The mill started in 1908. The first lot sold in the townsite of Chase on May 5, 1908 was purchased by George Price.
The Chase Cemetery was established on the hillside overlooking the area before the townsite came into existence. The oldest marked grave dates to 1895 and is that of Whitfield Chase. The cemetery is still in use today.
Layout
The Chase Cemetery is located on a plateau overlooking the valley. There is a road splitting the cemetery in half. The north side has older burials, while the south side has recent burials and the cremation section.
The grounds are well maintained. There is a partial chain link fence on the north-east side of the cemetery, while the other sides are bordered by cliffs and trees.
The Chase Cemetery is located on a plateau overlooking the valley. There is a road splitting the cemetery in half. The north side has older burials, while the south side has recent burials and the cremation section.
The grounds are well maintained. There is a partial chain link fence on the north-east side of the cemetery, while the other sides are bordered by cliffs and trees.
Driving Directions
To access the Chase Cemetery from Highway 1, turn south-east on Foothills Road. Follow this road approximately 200 metres. The road at this point reaches a junction with Chase Cemetery Road. The Cemetery is located to the right.
Burials
The interments for the Chase Cemetery can be viewed as a pdf file here » interments.pdf
Additional sources of information:
- BC Vital Events Index
- Dunn Joyce. A Town Called Chase, Chase, BC: Fran Kay & Associates. 1994
- Royal BC Museum (death registrations)
Last updated March 2013