Sand Ridge Cemetery is on the original Donation Land Claim of Raphael Cheadle. The first burial was in June, 1857 when Alfred Douthit, son of Harrison and Loueza Douthit, died of an accident. A few of the gravestones show earlier death dates, notable that for Joseph Swank, but the graves were moved to Sand Ridge from elsewhere. The earliest birth date recorded is for Thomas Hannah, born September 11, 1777. He came to Linn County from Iowa and died in 1861 at the age of 84.

An all volunteer Board of Trustees is actively involved in running the Sand Ridge Cemetery Association. The Association is a 501(c) (13) non-profit organization. It is funded by donations and plot sales. The cemetery is comprised of about 7 acres of ground.

Sand Ridge Cemetery Association of Linn County, Oregon was originally registered with the State of Oregon on June 16, 1923. The founding Trustees were J.H. Scott, William Morgan and W.E. Parker and the Clerk was Anna Clark. The original survey and plat of Sand Ridge Cemetery was finished on July 5, 1923 and was accomplished by Professional Engineer and County Surveyor Charles H. Leonard. The SRCA conveyed the road ways and alleys to Linn County as public right of ways on November 1, 1923. Linn County approved the plat on November 7, 1923.  

The Wheeler Addition of Sand Ridge Cemetery was surveyed, and the plat completed, on April 24, 1994 by Professional Land Surveyor Donald L. McConnell.

Sand Ridge Cemetery was designated a Historic Cemetery by the Oregon State Parks and was registered with the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries on April 7, 2017.