Re-Mapping Mount Olivet Cemetery

Dr. Steve Hackenberger conducts fieldwork with the GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) along with his students at the Mount Olivet Cemetery, Roslyn Historical Cemeteries, May 27, 2023.

Over the 2023 Memorial Day weekend, Central Washington University Professor of Anthropology Dr. Steve Hackenberger along with his students conducted fieldwork at the Mount Olivet Cemetery using ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology. 

Mount Olivet Cemetery is an African American cemetery comprising one of the 26 cemeteries in Roslyn. Mount Olivet includes individuals and families who were recruited by the Northwestern Improvement Company to work the coal mines, breaking white coal miners’ strikes in the 1880s-1890s.

Among the family members included the Cravens, who have graciously served as caretakers at Mount Olivet for decades. Among them are Mr. Samuel A. Craven, and his son Will, who has continued to maintain the grounds. Joining the Cravens who are buried at Mount Olivet are members of the Hart, Barnett, Taylor, Strong, and Donaldson families. 
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There’s currently 63 graves accounted for out of an estimated 200. Descendants are interested in determining where exactly ancestors may be buried. The GPR work involves sending electromagnetic signals via antenna into the ground. The waves detect if the soil underneath has been disturbed, which can indicate soil tilled as part of a burial. Two areas were marked & analyzed based on review of available documentation, which includes a hand-drawn map from the collection of the Crave family.

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Ryan Anthony Donaldson and Lenora Bentley at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Roslyn Historical Cemeteries, May 27, 2023.

Donaldson family members Ryan Anthony Donaldson and Lenora Bentley were present to observe the work. There are 4 documented family members at Mount Olivet: family patriarch Jessee Donaldson (1846-1913), his son Thad Donaldson (1881-1902), his daughter Rusia (1897-1898), and granddaughter Ruby (1899-1899). There are additional family members buried at Mount Olivet. With the results of the analysis, the Donaldson family hopes to be able to properly commemorate their relatives. ​

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Grave Marker for Thad Donaldson at Mount Olivet Cemetery, May 27, 2023.

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