Alzada Cemetery project will help preserve area history

 

Alzada Cemetery sign

A project to survey and map grave sites at the Alzada Cemetery recently received a $4,000 grant from the Montana History Foundation. The grant was one of twenty-eight that were awarded across the state as part of the foundation's 2022 preservation projects.

The Alzada Cemetery Project's goal is to preserve and share cemetery history for local residents and Montana history researchers. The cemetery property is owned by private landowners and maintained by local residents. However,unless more complete and permanent records are created in the near future, valuable historical information could be lost.

There are several sources of data that the project will utilize. Existing data is a sketch of the cemetery, a letter dated 1939 which lists veteran burials and a 2010 book of burials in Carter County. A thorough field survey will be necessary to assemble this information into the final product.

The project will produce an accurate map and database which will be stored at the Carter County Clerk and Recorder's office and available to the public. The map and database will also be incorporated into a geographic information system and accessible through ArcReader software on a computer at the county courthouse. These paper and digital maps will serve as a foundation and template for others to add additional archival and historical information.

Retired land surveyor, Charles M. Madler has worked with rural cemeteries for many years and will be assisting the project. He has surveyed and mapped cemeteries in southeastern Montana, western North Dakota and the Black Hills in South Dakota and understands rural cemetery issues of the area.

A booklet of newspaper articles and obituaries pertaining to the Alzada Cemetery will also be published as part of the project. This booklet will be collection of materials from Mrs. Jean Sneesby of Whitewood, South Dakota. Mrs. Sneesby has long time ties to the Alzada community and has been compiling materials for many years.

A weather tight display case with a cemetery map and a laminated booklet with the cemetery database printout will also be installed on the cemetery site.

Stoneville was the first settlement in present day Carter County and the Alzada Cemetery is probably the oldest cemetery in Carter County. The first recorded burial was in 1890, however there were deaths before that date. In September of 1883 the Black Hills Daily Times of Deadwood, Dakota Territory published a newspaper article about a gunfight over a card game in Stoneville that ended with two Texas cowhands dead. In February of 1884 the Axlebee Gang and a Deadwood posse clashed in Stoneville and two cowboys and one outlaw were killed. It is highly probable that these men were among the first local deaths and are buried at the present cemetery site. These were sudden deaths on the frontier and the men had no families in the area, so there was no record of the burial and no permanent markers erected. These deaths may account for some of the unknown grave sites in the cemetery.

Historically, the cemetery has a number of veteran burials. These interned veterans consist of Civil War (4 union, 1 confederate), World War I (7), World War II (1) and Vietnam (1).

The cemetery is approximately two acres in size, has about 115 grave sites and is still active.

The Alzada Cemetery has always been maintained by volunteering individuals and organizations. The cemetery survives because those volunteers appreciate its local historical and cultural significance. Since the cemetery is operated and maintained by a community and not an organization, Carter County has found it necessary to assist in preserving their records and history through the implementation of this project.

Another area project that received some of the Montana History Foundation's $212,000 in funding is the Old Baker State Bank Façade Restoration project in Baker that will replace and repair windows in the Old Baker State Bank Building.

This year marks the largest amount awarded since the foundation began the grant program in 2012. The History Foundation's total amount awarded to date is now over $1.3 million.

"We are humbled by the number of worthy projects seeking funds this year," said President/CEO Charlene Porsild. "It is an honor to support 28 community organizations working to preserve their history across Montana."

The Foundation grants up to $10,000 per project. The total cost of the Alzada Cemetery project is expected to be around $15,000.

"We are thrilled to support such diverse range of historic projects in communities across the state," says Program Director Ciara Ryan. "We are excited to partner with the Montana State Library to use ARPA resources to fund more projects than ever this year!"

The Montana History Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity raising money for history and preservation projects across Montana. For more information, or for help contacting any of our 2022 grantees, please contact Zach Coe at [email protected].

 

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