History
Boothill Cemetery, located in Yellowstone County, Montana, served as the burial ground for the short-lived town of Coulson. Established in 1877, Coulson was a bustling, albeit wild, settlement along the Yellowstone River, named for the Coulson Packet Line steamboats. The town's existence was brief, lasting only until 1882 when the Northern Pacific Railroad established the nearby city of Billings, drawing away most of Coulson's residents.
Following Coulson's abandonment, Boothill Cemetery fell into disuse. Its wooden grave markers deteriorated due to weather and time, and the graves became overgrown with native grass. The land, including the cemetery, was eventually acquired by the Northern Pacific and its subsidiary, the Minnesota & Montana Land & Improvement Company. In a significant act of preservation, the company later deeded the cemetery site to pioneer farmer and irrigation specialist I.D. O'Donnell, who recognized its historical importance.
O'Donnell played a crucial role in preserving Boothill. He erected a distinctive rock and mortar obelisk on the cemetery's hilltop, featuring a concrete plaque inscribed with "Died, 1877-1882." The obelisk's base is adorned with verses by Mrs. B.F. Shuart, wife of Billings' first Congregational Church minister, commemorating the lives of those buried there. In the late 1920s, O'Donnell further secured the cemetery's future by deeding it to the City of Billings, transforming it into a city park and an "Approved Old West Trail Attraction."
Modern preservation efforts continued in 1970 when the Billings City Park Department installed a large steel sign at the entrance, detailing Coulson's history and highlighting notable burials. Further enhancements by the Billings Park Department and the Billings Heights Kiwanis Club included the erection of a wooden pole fence, regular mowing of the native grass, and the placement of replica headboards at most graves. In 1978, a new granite marker was dedicated to H.M. (Muggins) Taylor, a prominent figure buried in the cemetery, ensuring his legacy and the cemetery's historical significance are permanently recognized.
Landscape and markers
The cemetery is a physical record of the harshness of the frontier. The dates carved into the markers tell a story of brief booms and sudden collapses, of winters that took the young and mining accidents that took the strong. To walk among these graves is to feel the immense weight of the past pressing down on the present landscape.
Who is buried here
The stones here tell the story of the settlement. H.M. (Muggins) Taylor (born 1830, died October 1, 1882): Civilian scout for the Army, carried news of Custer's defeat. Later a deputy sheriff in Coulson, fatally wounded in a struggle. Infant child born to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Reed Mrs. John J. Alderson: wife of a prominent Coulson citizen Dave Courier: killed in the Nez Perce raid of 1877 Joe Redmond: waiter at Skillen's Saloon, murdered by Dutch Charley, a gambler Thirteen U.S. soldiers: bodies put in a mass grave after being found near the NP survey route Hugh Smith: "accidentally killed" at his cabin William Stooltz (Dutch Bill): Coulson saloon employee, died in a "drunken fit" William Preston: saloon owner, shot by Dan Leahy in an argument over use of a corral Clarence Toplift: killed when he fell from his horse during a race July 4, 1882 Thomas Christie: UP track layer, pistol "accidentally discharged" Billy Nedham: mail carrier, gun "accidentally discharged" in McAdow's store Louisa Canteen (died at 25): committed suicide by walking into the Yellowstone River. James V. Russell: killed in a saloon brawl. Patrick Dryden: NP section hand, shot in a "quarrel." Unknown soldier: run over by a wagon. Ben: shot in a quarrel. Ed Prebble: suicide. Louis Johnson: WP employee, killed in a construction camp near Coulson. Judge Foutkes: farmer, justice of the peace, attacked by an WP locomotive.
Visiting
Boothill Cemetery is located on a small hill at the east end of a 500-foot rocky outcrop north of Billings, Montana. It is now a city park of Billings, bordered on the west by a County road right-of-way and on the north, east, and south by vacant lots. The site is maintained by the Billings City Park Department and the Billings Heights Kiwanis Club. Visitors can expect to find a wooden pole fence, mowed native grass, replica headboards marking many graves, and a prominent granite marker dedicated to H.M. (Muggins) Taylor. The cemetery is accessible and serves as a historical attraction, offering a glimpse into the early days of Coulson and the Yellowstone Valley.