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Paul Washington Cemetery is located in the City of Siletz, former headquarters for the old Siletz Indian Reservation. This well-kept burial ground, located on a knoll known as Government Hill overlooking the present town site, has long served the Indian residents of the area. Beneath stately trees are buried hundreds of Siletz people. The oldest tombstone date is 1879, although the area is believed to have been in use in prior to that date. Formerly known as Siletz Cemetery, this native burial ground was renamed to honor Paul Washington after he was killed in France during World War I. Pfc. Washington, son of Hattie and Isaac Washington, died September 28, 1918. A double funeral was held May 24, 1919 for Paul and his brother Andrew after the latter died of tuberculosis in Denver as he was returning home from the war.
"Some years ago (1960's), I made a survey of Paul Washington when it was mostly brush," wrote consultant Leonard Whitlow II, a former U.S. History teacher at Grant High School in Portland. "I made extra effort to record every marked grave and knew there were lots unmarked. In fact Dorsey Streets told me that every time they dug a new grave up there, they dug into an existing grave."
Some of the information included here was gathered by Verna Miller Kentta of Logsden and Grace Elting Castle of Siletz from existing tombstones, probate records, death records, published obituaries, mortuary records and interviews with those who are familiar with the cemetery. "Verna Kentta and I traded [cemetery] information about 15 or so years ago," Whitlow informed the authors, in a letter dated January 15, 2001. "Since hers was all handwritten, I typed hers and integrated it with my own. I made two copies, one for me and one for her. I have added quite a bit since that swap. The research of Whitlow, Kentta and Castle is included in At Rest In Lincoln County, an exhaustive enumeration of Lincoln County burials compiled in 1978 by the late Evelyn Payne Parry of Toledo. (At Rest In Lincoln County, pp. 107-125)
Ludson, Herbert (7-10-1907-1931-5-19 Paul Washington) s/o Major;
Ludson, Catherine [see Washington] (1910-1942 Paul Washington) w/o Dewey Washington;
Ludson, Lee (9-7-1928-1928-9-9 Paul Washington) s/o Leona & Lee;
Ludson, Major (1865-1935-10-5 Paul Washington) f/o Herbert;
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