WASHOE COUNTY NEWS RELEASE
More than 50 volunteers recently completed the fall cleanup of Huffaker Cemetery, which is the oldest known cemetery in the Truckee Meadows. Members of the John C. Fremont Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) joined members from other DAR chapters, the Northern Nevada Ghost Hunters, the Reno Sertoma Club and several other volunteers earlier this month to clean up the grounds of the cemetery that was established in 1862.
“The volunteers collected and bagged dead brush, weeds and trash to make a real difference in the cemetery grounds,” said volunteer coordinator Kevin Christensen. “They all made a difference to preserve and restore the oldest cemetery in the Truckee Meadows, and Washoe County was kind enough to supply a trailer, a portable restroom and huge trash bags, so we really appreciate this community-wide effort to clean up the grounds.”
The Huffaker Cemetery was the first known cemetery in the Truckee Meadows, and the marker was placed by the John C. Fremont Chapter of the DAR and a descendant of the Lyell Family in 1965 to commemorate the site. Today only a few of the original grave markers and gravesites of the pioneers remain.
“The coordination of the cleanup is truly the hard work and dedication of Mr. Christensen and the volunteers,” said Eric Crump, Park Operations Superintendent for the Washoe County Community Services Department. “Mr. Christensen contacted me requesting a few things to make this event successful, but he did all of the volunteer recruitment and coordinated the work on the day of the event.”
Huffaker Cemetery is located near the intersection of Foothill Road and Sierra Manor Drive in south Reno. To learn more about the historic cemetery, search Friends of Huffaker Cemetery on Facebook.
