The site of the original Saint Paul's Mission was established near the Fort Colville Hudson's Bay Trading Post in 1830. This was the first non-native settlement in the area. The cemetery was most likely established around this time.
There is only one somewhat readable stone remaining. It is of Thomas A. McDonald: Born in 1887 and died on November 15, 1892 at the age of about 5 years old. He is the son of D. & M. McDonald.
"THE BURYING GROUND"
Nearby trenches outline a one-acre "burying ground" reclaimed by time. This small enclosure marks the resting place of several McDonald family members who were prominent in the history of Fort Colville.
In 1901 a visitor recorded "Just how many graves the ground contains will never be known. Marks identifying a great many graves have disappeared".
The grounds are strewn with old, decayed wooden headstones, railings, logs, etc.- These markers represent silent reminders of the many people attracted to Kettle Falls. Today, your footsteps have become part of the history that lies amongst the pine needles.