Benton Avenue Cemetery Association

Our mission is to preserve, maintain, and enhance in perpetuity the historic integrity and sanctity of Benton Avenue Cemetery, to provide for the respect and dignity of Lewis and Clark County's early pioneers, descendants and friends. The Association meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 7 pm, usually at the library, and we welcome all to join our group. We have repaired many damaged and vandalized grave markers, and this work continues. We maintain the grounds in keeping with a pioneer cemetery. We have installed a drip system, and have planted trees along the original wagon road. We have established an endowment which, when fully funded, will assure a permanent source of income for the cemetery. To raise funds, we have held "Tales from Underground," a series of skits featuring re-enactments of some of the cemetery's inhabitants.

When begun in 1870, Benton Cemetery was known as the City Cemetery, and was maintained by the City. Later, it became known as the County Cemetery, and was maintained by the County. Still later, it was claimed by neither governmental group, and fell into deplorable condition. There have been several groups throughout the years which have rehabilitated the Cemetery, but each time the Cemetery has fallen into disarray when they lost key members. In 1998, the Benton Avenue Cemetery Association was reorganized. In 2003, the cemetery received a National Register of Historic Places designation. We expect that our endowment fund, when fully funded, will keep our organization functioning for many years.