Historical Significance

Union Mission was established in 1820 as a ministry to the Osage Indians. Union Mission was the site of the first mission, first recorded marriage, first school, first printing press, first book published, first Christian burial, first commercialized salt works, first white settlement, first white and Indian cemetery, and Oklahoma's oldest grave marker (1825). All this is documented in the journal maintained by the mission's founders and researched and documented in The Chronicles of Oklahoma, Vol. 49, p. 376. The original journal is preserved in its original form in the archives of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Historical Designations

• National Register of Historical Places
• State Historical Commission

Historic Marker

• Marker Organization: Union Mission Chapter, NSDAR
• Marker Date: November 7, 1992
• Marker Text: 

Union Mission was established in 1820 by the United Foreign Missionary Society as a mission to the Osage. It was in existence only fifteen years but occupies a unique position in Oklahoma history. It was the Pioneer Institution in bringing Christianity and aspects of western civilization, such as education, to Oklahoma. Here was the site of the first church, the first school, and the first protestant wedding. The Union Mission Chapter NSDAR feels a pride in and obligation to commemorate the brave spirits who labored here.

Funded

The funding to maintain the cemetery has come from voluntary donations of materials, labor, and money through the Union Mission Chapter, NSDAR.

Physical Condition

• Condition of Property: Preserve

Toursim

• Open to the Public? Yes
• Public Fee: None
• Public Hours: Every day
• Is it Family Friendly? Yes
• Lodging? No
• Brochure available? The Mayes County CooYah Museum has a flyer which gives the history of the Mission and the cemetery.