Forest Grove Cemetery
18000 Block of Northcraft Rd. S.E.
Tenino, Thurston County, Washington
360-264-2716
Also known as Skookumchuck or Tenino Cemetery
The cemetery is midway between the coaling towns of Tenino (formerly known as Skookumchuck) and Bucoda, railroad/mining stations founded in southern Thurston County early in the territorial period. The first interments date from the 1860s. Bucoda, the former site of the first territorial prison, was the larger of the two towns throughout the 19th century and contributed the majority of burials. Since about 1920, interments have come from several small Thurston County communities. In addition to the marked graves of several thousand residents, it is believed an unmarked mass grave for territorial prison inmate burial relocations may be on the property. The cemetery expanded from the oldest sections on the north side with upright markers (many New England style slate stones imported from Eastern marker firms) to the newest sections on the south side with flat and pillow markers. Many of the markers are now considered historic. The Olympia Genealogical Society canvassed the cemetery in 1990 and cemetery records were made available from the local sexton.
Forest Grove Cemetery Association in Thurston County was founded in 1896. In 1918, the cemetery was handed to the City of Tenino.
The Forest Grove Cemetery Association’s management was under the City of Tenino until 1938, when the Forest Grove Cemetery Association took over after its formation. The association took over the administration until 2011, when the cemetery land was deeded again to the City of Tenino.
The Forest Grove Cemetery Association has incorporated several graves from the local cemeteries. One notable relocation was done by Tenino Catholic Cemetery in 1996. After the relocation, a memorial with a list of the names of the deceased whose graves were moved was erected.
Forest Grove Cemetery Association in Tenino ranks number 1st out of the two cemeteries in Tenino City in terms of popularity. Further, it ranks 10th out of 24 cemeteries in Thurston County, 40th out of the 212 cemeteries in Washington State, and 2866th in the United States.
Visit the Forest Grove Cemetery Website