SIGNATURE MONTANA | 69
Preserves Deer Lodge History
LANE MEMORY
As Montana's early selements evolved into towns, a proper burial ground, along with schools and
churches, became the hallmark of a stable and educated community. Haphazard "boot hills"—usually
located on high ground and so named for those who died suddenly with their boots on—were characteristic
of early western communities. ese informal cemeteries were typically abandoned as urban development
encroached. Deer Lodge, one of Montana's early selements, follows this trend. Hillcrest Cemetery was
perhaps Montana's first formally planned burial ground. Its landscaped driveways and tombstone styles
parallel the growth of Deer Lodge while interpreting the transition to the modern era.
Hillcrest Cemetery
By Ellen Baumler | Photography Ellen Baumler
Wrought iron fencing and an upright imported tombstone commemorate W.A. Clark's two small daughters.
