Pioneer Cemetery

Southeast of Heber, the farm hamlet of Center Creek buried its dead in ground that William Blake, an early settler, gave to the local congregation — a small pioneer cemetery a half mile east of this 1956 marker. Cluffs, Coles, Rookers, and Millers lie there, families from Center and Lake creeks who worked the upper end of the valley in the 1860s and 1870s. Most travelers know Heber Valley for its railroad and reservoir; plots like this one hold the quieter record, the people who stayed and are still here.

What the plaque says

One half mile east and one fourth mile northeast from this spot is a pioneer cemetery, given to Center Creek L.D.S. Ward by William Blake, an early settler. It was used for several years for burials of Center and Lake Creek pioneers. Among those buried are the following: Luttie Cluff, Eliza Foster Cluff, Hammond Cluff, William Cole, Rebecca R. Cole, Samuel McRae Rooker, Emily W. Rooker, Jens N. Miller, and Anna M. Miller. In 1877 the L.D.S. Center Ward was organized with Benjamin Cluff as bishop. He was succeeded by William Blake.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Heber Valley Railroad — 2.2 mi
  A vintage steam train ride through a stunning mountain valley
• Midway — 4.8 mi
  A Swiss-inspired village with a geothermal crater you can snorkel in
• Homestead Crater — 5.6 mi
  A hidden geothermal spring inside a 55-foot limestone dome
• Jordanelle State Park — 8.5 mi
  A sapphire reservoir nestled between the Wasatch and Uinta mountains

More markers nearby

• Abram Hatch Home — 2.3 mi
• Indian Peace Treaty — 2.3 mi
• Wasatch Stake Tabernacle — 2.3 mi
• Peace Treaty- Blackhawk War — 2.5 mi