See The Oldest And Still Active Cemetery In Montana

When Montana became a state in 1889 it's not as if there was nothing before then. People had been living here for years prior, and that means that people were buried here as well.

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One of the earliest English-speaking settlements in Montana was the Yellowstone River settlement which is present day Billings.

Billings became official in 1877 and there you can find the headstones in the Billings Cemetery, now known as the Mountview Cemetery, dating back to those early settlers.

However, that still isn't Montana's oldest cemetery.

Helena, the state capital has a family plot that you can find headstones dating to 1870.

Yet, that STILL isn't the oldest cemetery in Montana.

Where is Montana's oldest cemetery?

According to Reader Digest which attempted to locate each states oldest cemetery, Helena is where you'll find the oldest and still active cemetery in Montana.

Located near the west side of Helena Capital High School is the Home of Peace Jewish Cemetery. A few burial plots can still be found under the practice football field.

Built in 1867 the website HelenaHistory had this to say about the cemetery,

Prior to establishing Home of Peace, Jews were buried along with everyone else in the City Cemetery, which occupied the site where Central School is today. The bodies of those pioneer Jews were later reburied at Home of Peace; the others buried there were eventually re-interred at the Benton Avenue Cemetery.

To see some more pictures of Home of Peace Jewish Cemetery check out the gallery below.