Pearl Cemetery
The Pearl Cemetery is on private property on a hill west of the Pearl townsite. It is described as "approximately 125 feet by 150 feet . . . as evidenced by a surrounding steel fence" in the easement granted by the state of Idaho to Fred Turner in August 1962 and recorded in Gem County Records October 2004. Fred Turner was a grandson of Don and Emma MacAskill. His descendants live in the Star area. The surrounding property passed from state ownership to private ownership in 1962.
The cemetery consists of seven rows aligned north and south, with a lane running east and west from the gate, down the middle, and is fenced by wire mesh "hog wire." Presumably at one time some of the unmarked graves were marked with wooden markers which have not survived. In 1921 J. B. McKenney prepared a plat of the cemetery. John McKenney and his wife Mabel MacAskill McKenney (Photo) moved to Pearl in 1903 and they lived there for the next forty years.
In 1962 the State of Idaho granted an easement to Fred Turner1, "his heirs, successors and/or assigns . . for an existing cemetery approximately 125.0 feet by 150.0 feet and situated in the approximate center of the northeast quarter of Section 16, T6N, R1E, B.M., County of Gem, State of Idaho, as evidenced by a surrounding steel fence in the above stated dimensions; and access thereto."
In 1992 the Gem County Historical Preservation Commission2 inventoried, cleaned up the site and attempted to place it on the historical register. Some of the stones were re-set and the historical marker was errected. These photos are from that project. Census rolls wre checked, obituaries were read, numerous research trips were made to the state archives and to Idaho City (the site was originally in Boise County). A conscientious attempt was made to identify any unmarked grave or grave marked with a fieldstone. The information below is an expansion and continuation of the research done at that time. The complete file is as the museum as well as the state preservation office. If you have documentation (death certificate, obituary, etc.) that someone else is buried here, please let us know and we will be happy to add them to the list.
In the summer of 2009 MacAskill descendants cleaned and cleared extensively. In recent years ashes of several MacAskill descendants have been scattered here.
1Son of Mary E. MacAskill and Fred Turner.
2 Gem County Certified Local Government Historical Preservation Commission, 1992-1993: Wayne Harper, Jessie Goodwin, Jamie Chilcott, Sharon McConnel, Wade Shaddy, Paul Naher, Gail MacDonald, and Fran King, Secretary.
Find A Grave for memorials
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| Atwood, John | (January 1900) | Emmett Index, 12 January 1900: "Mesrs. J. M. Lyons and L. H. Maberry came in from Pearl late Wednesday night after a coffin and announced the death of John Atwood, the butcher at that place. Atwood was found dead in his room yesterday morning and his death is supposed to be the result of a protracted drunk." | |
| Berg, Olaf (or Ole) | (1864) | (July 1902) | Emmett Index, July 10, 1902: Ole Berg, a miner of Pearl, committed suicide at that place last Sunday by shooting himself in the head. It was at first thought he might have met with unfair play but after investigation the coroner's jury decided as above. Deceased was about 35 years of age and was well known and well liked here. The spent the Fourth here with a number of other boys from that place. No cause is known for his deed except that he had been drinking was despondent." |
| Birdnell, Baby | name from plat; note: Sam & Ida Birdwell on the 1900 census | ||
| Brassey, Baby | name from plat | ||
| Burbeck, Mrs. T | name from plat | ||
| Charlton, Baby | name from plat | ||
| Carlton, Ebinezer M. | July 31, 1899 | Emmett Index, August 4, 1899: "Ebinezer M. Carlton died of spotted fever in Pearl, Idaho, July 31, 1899. He had been a miner in that camp for three or four years previous to his death. At the time of his death he owned a mine called the Alexander. His two partners in the mine died before him. He was formerly a butcher in Boise. He was an honest, industrious man and a good neighbor. He had been married but his wife had been dead for some years. He was about 46 years of age when he died. The funeral services were conducted at his grave by Rev. T. W. Atkinson of Emmett. His body was laid to rest in the Pearl cemetery which is beautifully located, where it will await the resurrection morn." | |
| Craig | name from plat | ||
| Eastman, Baby | two entries plat | ||
| George, Baby | See (1921 cemetery plat); John & Eva George appear on the census in 1900 & in 1910. Dorothy b. 7-1897 and Dudley b. 9-1899 are on the census in 1900, but not in 1910. | ||
| George, Baby | name from plat | ||
| Granville, Mary "Granvill, Mrs. Thos." |
1908 | "Mrs. Thos. Granvill" on plat; Miss Mary J. Thomas was married to Thomas Granville on Sept. 23, 1891. Both of DeLamar, married in Silver City, Idaho. Owyhee Avalanch and Idaho Statesman, Oct. 2, 1891. ——— Mrs. M. A. Granville, who kept the boarding house at the DeLamar mines during nearly the entire period while Captain J. W. Plummer was manager there, and afterwards, through the misfortune of having a reprobate son, William Thomas, who was sentenced to the penetentiary from Owyhee county upon conviction of murder, died and was buried at Pearl, on the 3rd instant. Mrs. Granville said to have spent nearly $10,000 in her efforts to save her son and became quite poor. She succeeded in getting him liberated, but he is again in the pen serving a sentence for another crime. She had another son and daughter by her former husband and also a son by the later husband, Thomas Granville, well known in DeLamar. The latter died here some years ago. The Owyhee nugget, Silver City,February 07, 1908, ——— Idaho Statesman., Feb 5, 1908: Mrs. M.A. Granville was well known at Pearl and vicinity having resided there for several years. She leaves four children. One boy, William Thomas Granville is serving a sentence in the penitentiary. Her youngest child resided with her at Pearl. A daughter is in Nevada and a son in Australia. - Statesman research courtesy of Jo Crandall |
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| Grimes, Florence Baldwin | (1850 - 1900 census) | 1 Feb. 1901 | same stone as Thomas |
| Grimes, Thomas C. | (1850 - 1900 census) | 11 Apr 1904 | same stone as Florence |
| "Mrs. Hurt" | (1921 cemetery plat); thought in 1992 to be Phoebe Hurt, mother of Bradley, but she is buried at Dry Creek. | ||
| Johnson, Samuel | (Nov. 1865 - 1900 census) | Dec. 30, 1902 | Jan. 1, 1903, Emmett Index: Sam Johnson was killed by a cave-in in the Checkmate mine at 9 o'clock Monday morning. He was buried at Pearl Tuesday, December 30th, at 2 pm. Undertaker Brown from Emmett conducted the funeral. He leaves a wife and one daughter." |
| "Kidd, Baby" | (1921 cemetery plat); Arch E. Kidd, divorced, was counted in the the 1900 census as was his ex-wife, Mary Shepherd Kidd (daughter of stage driver Joseph Shepherd). Without a date it's unknown whether Mary was the mother of this child or whether a second wife of Arch's was the mother. | ||
| Kimball, Mood C. | 1859 | 1924 | June 19, 1924, Emmett Index: "Wood C. Kimball, age 66, who has been a resident of Pearl for the greater portion of the time for 29 years, died at that place Sunday. Mr. Kimball, it is believed, was born in Iowa and came to Pearl from Stewart in that state. He was unmarried and, so far as known by neighbors, had no living relatives. For sometime previous to his death he was employed by the Granite States Consolidated Mines Company as caretaker of their property. Funeral services were held in the hall at Pearl on Monday. Dr. George Barnes of Emmett officiating." |
| Lynsen, Baby | three entries on plat | ||
| MacAskill, Donald A. | Mar. 5, 1845 | Aug. 22, 1915 | Obituary, The Emmett index. September 02, 1915: At his home at Pearl Sunday, August 22, Donald Angus MacAskill. Death was caused by heart trouble, from which he had suffered for a year He was a native of St. Anns, Cape Breton Isle, U. S., and was born March 5, 1845, and was 70 years 5 months and 15 days. Funeral services were conducted by Rev. Frank Baker of Boise. Interment was in the Pearl cemetery. He came to Pearl from Eureka, Nev., in 1902, where he has since resided. He is survived by a wife, two sons and four daughters, who are: Neil A., Donald 0., Mary Turner, Amelia Sego, Mabel McKinney and Miss Agnes, all of Pearl. He has two brothers and two sisters who live in the United States and Canada. He has crossed the great gulf between the two eternities and we doubt not that he is safe at home in a diviner peace and more perfect state than this world can offer and that he can now say of a certainty, "I know that my Redeemer liveth." We'll not forget thee, we who stay, To work a little here; They name, thy faith, thy love shall lie On memory's page, ever bright and clear. And when over burdened by the toil of life Our heavy limbs shall be, We'll come and one by one lie down Upon dear Mother Earth with thee. T. (Note: A daughter, Christina Morcom, died in 1910.) obit |
| MacAskill, Emma A. | Jan. 5, 1852 | Jan. 2, 1936 | photo (same stone as Donald) |
| MacAskill, Kenneth Arthur | March 21, 1924, Boise, ID | June 10, 2011, Livingston, MT | memorial - cremated, ashes scattered;  WWII(Kenneth spent part of his boyhood in Pearl); obit - Billings Gazette, June 13, 2011 |
| McKenney, Baby Girl | daughter of J. B. McKenney and Mabel MacAskill McKenney | ||
| McKenney, Richard Angus | Jan. 29, 1930 | Sept. 9, 2005 | memorial - cremated, ashes scattered "Mac" was raised in Pearl - obit, Idaho Statesman, Sept. 15, 2005 |
| McLean, Daniel | 21 Aug. 1905 | age 2 mo. 26 das.; infant son of D. L. McLean | |
| Majors, Baby | name from plat | ||
| Rhoades, Lewis N. | 21 Nov. 1821 | 18 Mar 1904 | March 24, 1904, Emmett Index: L. N. Rhodes, one of the oldest prospectors of the Pearl district, died Friday at his home near Box Springs, near Pearl. He was 87 years old. Rhodes' health had been failing all winter. About three weeks ago he returned from Missouri where he had been spending the winter. About an hour before his death, Rhodes had engaged in a heated argument with a sheep herder and it affected his heart. His only relative in the vicinty is a grandson, James Lee, who lived with Rhodes. The funeral took place Sunday in Pearl. Rhodes was one of the original owners of the Lincoln mine. He sold out about two years ago." |
| Rice, Baby | name from plat | ||
| Riece, Baby | name from plat | ||
| Ringold (Margaret Ringgold) | March 7, 1901 | Alice Ringold on plat; Ringgold on 1900 census; Boise Co. Newspaper Death Notices lists Margaret, age 18, died 7 March 1901. "DIED: At Pearl, Idaho, March 7th 1901, Margaret Ringgold, at the age of 19 years, 9 months and 7 days. Margaret RingoId was born at Tuscarora, Nevada, coming to Idaho with her parents and living at Bellevue until she was 12 years of age wnen they moved to Silver City, where she made friends of all, both young and old. She was a christian, belonging to the Episcopal church and a member of the Daughters of Rebekah Lodge at Silver City being the Secretary of that lodge when she came to Pearl. The family came to Pearl last fall since which time she had made herself a general favorite, being Secretary of the Sunday School at the time of her death. She leaves a father, mother, three sisters and a brother and many earnest friends to mourn her, loss, though they unite in saying that she was prepared to go, to which she also testified. Shall we mourn for her who has gone to the home prepared for her by a loving Savior? Shall we shed bitter tears? Shall we grieve for one who was so found ready by the Lord? No, but let us rather say; let us be us well prepared when our summons comes as she was. To the members of the family we tender our sincere sympathy. One who was there." The Emmett index. March 15, 1901, https://chroniclingamericadoc.govilccnisn86091145/1901-03-15/ed-1/seq-8/ | |
| Robertson, Baby | name from plat | ||
| Sego, Donald A. | 17 Mar 1903 | 7 Sept 1903 | son of Arthur Sego and Amelia MacAskill Sego |
| Severine, Lester | Sept. 1911 | September 21, 1911, Emmett Index: The three year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Severino of Pearl is seriously sick with diabetes and all hopes of his recovery has been abandoned. | |
| Smith, James M. | 1845 | 1919 | one stone with wife -- close up |
| Snyder | name from plat | ||
| Stewart | Emmett Index, Jan. 14, 1904: Charlie Stewart, abt. 55, a miner, committed suicide in his cabin near Rock Creek . . he had no relatives in the vicinity and was buried at Pearl. | ||
| Turner, Arthur E. | 28 Aug. 1905 | 31 Dec. 1906 | son of Fred B. Turner and Mary MacAskill Turner |
| VonHarten, Luella May | 1861 | 1914 | postmistress 1909 - 1915 (stone reset in 1990's) |
| VonHarten, Rush | 1850 | 1921 | obit state senator 1909 - 1910 (stone reset in 1990's) |
| Whalen, Baby | name from plat | ||
| Wilmot, Sarah C. | name from plat | ||
| Wyman, Clarence | Emmett Index, May 8, 1987: ". . a sad accident occurred in Pearl two weeks ago by which the ten year old son of George Wyman Esq. lost his life. The boy and his brother were out hunting rabbits and by some means the gun was discharged accidently inflicting a flesh wound in the boy's arm and severing an artery. The boys applied a ligature and the little fellow walked two miles to his home but the loss of blood was so great before medical aid was secured that he succumbed. He was buried at Pearl on Sunday." obit |
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