Lucerne was a divisional point on the Canadian Northern Railway. Lucerne was kind of in competition with Jasper, Alberta. In 1921 both towns had a population of about 300. Jasper was chosen as the divisional point of the new Canadian National Railway and by 1924 most of the people moved to Jasper. Lucerne eventually faded from memory.
The cemetery is about 150m east of Lucerne Station Road along Highway 16 and on the north side about 10m off of the highway and can be spotted from the highway. Lucerne Station Road is here: 52.854423, -118.550361. If you did not know where to look it would be easy to miss.
I drove on Lucerne Station Road up to the railroad tracks to see if there was anything there. The train station disappeared many years ago There are a few cabins along it. I did not take any photos as I wanted to let people have their privacy.
The cemetery from the highway. It has been restored at least once. Someone put up rails along the sides. I would guess the cemetery is about 40' x 40'. There are a lot of unmarked graves and four recent ones, the most recent dating 2016.
Sabina Kaminsky August 1919 - September 1919.
The Spanish Flu hit Lucerne hard.
One of a number of unmarked graves. There was one overgrown headstone that saw. I left it without uncovering it.
Sad story in many ways. Even sadder is the neglect in the cemetery - the fate of so many it seems.
ReplyDeleteI was driving home to Vancouver in October, 1973 when I came across this little cemetary. I stopped to answer nature's call and looked up to see white crosses in the forest some yards away. The graveyard was overgrown, but pretty and peacefull despite the traffic on the nearby highway. Many, perhaps most, of the graves were those of children, apparantly victims of Spanish Flu. I've never forgotten them or their hidden resting place.
ReplyDeleteTed Colley
Mayne Island, BC