History
Demersville, a bustling boomtown in the late 1880s, was originally intended to be the site of Kalispell. However, its fate changed dramatically when the Great Northern Railway chose Kalispell for its division point, rendering Demersville obsolete almost overnight [1]. The town, named after Telephose J. Demers, flourished for a few years around 1887 on the Flathead River, boasting saloons, gambling halls, and other businesses. The Demersville Cemetery, established around 1890, served this vibrant community and is considered the oldest known cemetery in the Flathead Valley [1, 2].
Flathead County has administered the cemetery for many decades (local accounts differ on whether county care began in 1893 or 1954). Record-keeping over the decades has been inconsistent, leading to significant challenges in identifying burial locations. Multiple cemetery lot maps with varying configurations exist, and many graves are unmarked. A lapse in record-keeping in the late 1920s even led to some gravesites being accidentally reopened for new burials .
Today, the Demersville Cemetery is largely forgotten, much like the town it once served. A moratorium on most burials was imposed some years ago and remains in place due to the confusion surrounding burial plots. The cemetery also functions as Flathead County's "potter's field," where two to four indigent burials occur annually. As of 2021, there are approximately 2400 individuals buried at this location, with the majority of these graves unmarked . Flathead County has no cemetery map or grounds description on file . Efforts are underway to create a work group and potentially a cemetery district to oversee its maintenance and historical records, including a proposed sonar mapping project to identify unmarked graves and empty lots. Challenges include persistent lilac bushes growing through graves, which cannot be removed without disturbing the remains .
Despite its neglected state, the cemetery holds profound historical significance, offering a glimpse into the early settlement of the Flathead Valley. It is the final resting place for many of Demersville's original inhabitants, including individuals like James M. Dunn, a prospector buried in 1890, whose grave is now lost [1]. The Museum at Central School in Kalispell reportedly holds a list of those buried, including names, ages, and causes of death, highlighting the somber realities of pioneer life, with many succumbing to forgotten diseases or dying at very young ages [1].
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. James M. Dunn: Prospector, buried in 1890. His grave is now lost [1]. Julia Dalatte: Born in Paris, France, 1875, died 1898 [4]. John Cheley: Died September 30, 1887 [5]. (Note: Another source indicates birth 18 Jan 1810 and death 1880 [6]). Baby Horn William Lisle Berge Martha Livingston Demographic patterns: Many graves are unmarked. The cemetery served as Flathead County's "potter's field" for indigent burials. Many early settlers, including children, succumbed to forgotten diseases [1, 2].
Visiting
Demersville Cemetery is located on Cemetery Road, south of Kalispell, Flathead County, Montana. Coordinates: 48.16580, -114.29330 . It is the oldest known cemetery in the Flathead Valley. Access to the cemetery should be arranged with the County Records office [2, 3]. The cemetery is administered by Flathead County, which maintains the grounds (mowing, tree trimming) [2, 3]. There are many unmarked graves, and record-keeping has been inconsistent [2, 3]. Visitors should be aware that the cemetery has faced challenges with maintenance and accurate mapping of burial sites. A walk-in gate next to a locked gate is reportedly always open, though the main gate may be closed due to past vandalism .