Newcastle Tutors

About Newcastle

If you travel to Newcastle, Washington you might just find yourself hearing the story of the beginnings of Newcastle, and the infamous historic Newcastle cemetery, as both are so greatly intertwined.

During a celebration called Newcastle days, a tour of the Newcastle cemetery is included, as this cemetery marks the heritage and upbringing of the town itself. In the mid 1800’s coal was discovered in the Pacific Northwest, and it wasn’t long before mining began. As with all mining then it was quite dangerous. Uneven terrain, fractured layers, and differing degrees in thickness all posed problems for the miners. Despite these risks, many immigrants traveled to the area to try and make a living better than they could have elsewhere. This was no doubt before Newcastle tutors were around to help further the education of those they worked with. You could find Scotts, Irish, Welsh, Swedes, English, Germans, Italians, Croatians, Serbians, Slavs, Finns, and even African Americans and Chinese labored in these mining camps. This melting pot of ethnicities did not mean everyone cohabitated, however, and different settlements popped up all over the place. You also won’t find any Chinese gravestones in the cemetery, as families transported the bodies back home to family resting plots.

Today the mines sit empty, and the area they encompassed sits dark and unpopulated. This is due to dangerous cave ins, tunnel openings, and swamp gas that still comes out of the area. What you can go see, however, is the cemetery, a reminder of the families that started the area. While some may think of the cemetery as creepy, many enjoy going to see the old stones, dating back as far as the 1870’s. Trees as old as 100 years border the cemetery, adding more to the feel and authenticity of the place. You will find it listed on some spooky cemetery sites, however, the locals don’t view it as such. Families that descended from these first frontiersman rallied together to keep the cemetery intact, and view it as an unforgettable part of the town.

Any Newcastle history tutor would tell you that being able to see history first hand is a one of a kind experience, so in between study sessions you may want to go check out the local cemetery, and experience in person the energy of having history all around you. That’s if you can look past all of the scary ghost stories of course!