Mess Cemetery 

The deed to this historic site was given to THS in 1990 by the White River Valley Historical Society. It is located at 19821 Frager Road (57th Ave S) in South King County, Washington. Although the area surrounding the site is now largely commercial and industrial, the memory of some of the early pioneers from this area continues to live on in the small abandoned burial ground.

The cemetery was started in 1878 when a diphtheria epidemic claimed the lives of the two small daughters of Julius and Anna Mess. Anna, three years of age, and Wilhemine A., two years of age, died in June and July respectively, of that year. A lovely spot on the Mess farm, southwest of the family home, on a hill with a natural terrace and an expansive view of the Green River Valley was chosen for their burial.

In time others from the area asked to bury their loved ones in the same place. So with that, the Mess family had the grounds set aside for this purpose and taxed as such. It was managed by a board of directors. From historical documents through the South King County Genealogical Society, it was noted how many early residents believed that there could be as many as fifty graves located in the cemetery. However, no plot map could be found and many of the markers have long ago disappeared.

There were many shingle type markers with names and dates, some with names and dates, some of which could still be found in the 1940s. But time, nature, and cattle have obliterated them. In the beginning, a white picket fence with a gate surrounded the area. When that had to be renewed, there was a barbed wire fence and then more barbed wire fences. Each time it was replaced, however a smaller portion was fenced, until only the section with the large stones was included. the last burial was that of Mrs. Anna Mess in 1910. Sometime around the late 1960s or early 1970s, the cemetery was unkempt and suffered rampant vandalism. The largest monument is the Mess Stone made of three pieces of marble, the top and middle lay on the ground. The cemetery has no road access.

The cemetery was bequeathed to the White River Historical Society under the will of Mrs. Walter Mess, who died June 23, 1966. In May of 1990, the cemetery was deeded over to the Tukwila Historical Society as a property of  significance for local heritage and retains its tax exempt status as a pioneer cemetery protected under Chapter 68 of the Revised Code of Washington.

The remains of Dr. J. James and his stone were removed to Mt. Olivet in Renton, Washington in November of 1964. His stone reads as follows: "In Remembrance of ~ Dr. J. James ~ Died 1885 ~ Was a nephew to the Great ~ Chief Seattle, and Whilst ~ living was friendly to the Whites. ~ May the Almighty God ~ have mercy on his Soul". Also said to be buried there are Lars and Katrina Nelsen. He died in 1904 and she sometime later before 1915. They were the parents of Mrs. Nels Anderson.

Records of the tombstone inscriptions are available in the archives of the Tukwila Historical Society and those of Don Vincent and Arthur Fiske, which are also on file at the Seattle Public Library. These records were transcribed during the mid-1960s.