Digital Bob Archive

Calhoun Avenue, like many other Juneau streets, was named for an early resident of the area, but it didn't start out with that name. It began simply as \"the cemetery road\" and came as a result of a perceived need to move the town's burial ground.

The need for a burial ground had come early in the life of the camp, although the record is sparse. On June 4, 1881, Thomas Mooney staked a lot on Gold Street and described it as \"joining the man's lot that was killed by the timber falling on him.\" If the man's name was recorded, that record has not been found, but he was probably the first to be buried up on the ridge along what is now Gold Belt Avenue. Other burials followed and by the end of 1890 it became apparent that the Ridge Cemetery, as it was called, was too small for the needs of the growing towns of Juneau and Douglas.

At a meeting in January, 1891, a committee of five was appointed to select a site for a new cemetery. The committee selected a 15-acre tract north of Gold Creek, a part of which had once been staked as the Early Bird lode claim. At another meeting, in March, the Evergreen Cemetery Association was formally organized. A nine-member board of directors was named with John Olds, president; Frank Bach of Douglas, vice president; and B.M. Behrends, secretary-treasurer. The Garside brothers, George and Charles, volunteered to survey the site, and William Nelson volunteered to act as foreman for the road work.

It was decided that the ground would be equally divided among three groups:
Catholics, Protestants, and Indians. All burial permits would be issued by the secretary \"who shall keep a correct record.\" The fee for a permit would be $5 but \"all persons without means shall be respectfully interred.\" Three projects were named: to open a roadway to the site, to clear the grounds, and to enclose the entire cemetery with an iron fence.

A first priority of the cemetery board was fund raising. The Snow family staged a benefit show that raised $70. The explorer, Lieut. Frederick Schwatka, came through town and contributed a lecture that raised $93. Individual contributions came from 32 Juneau residents in amounts of $1 to $10, and Douglas did even better. There 91 individuals made cash contributions ranging from 50 cents from Sitka Charlie to $25 from J.P. Corbus. By the end of 1891 a total of $449.25 had been raised.

From these funds, $200 was paid to Frank McMahon for the construction of a bridge across Gold Creek, but work on the road itself was done by volunteer labor. A day's labor was contributed by each of 96 men, while 20 men contributed from two to five day's work apiece. The Silver Bow Mining Company contributed blasting powder; C.W. Young gave saws, spikes and posts, and John Olds of the Occidental Hotel contributed $27 worth of meals for the road workers. Board was then $1 a day.

By May 12, 1892, The Juneau City Mining Record reported: \"The road to the cemetery now provides a pleasant walk.\"