Wake up! Wake up, you Great Falls pioneers! Wake up and tell us your story! If you won’t wake up on your own, we’ll wake you during the “Waking the Dead” event at Highland Cemetery located at 2010 33rd Avenue South on Sunday, June 21, at 1 p.m. and again at 3 p.m.
Twelve ancestors have been awakened each year for sixteen years to tell Highland Cemetery visitors what they did in life and how they contributed to the development of Montana, especially Great Falls.
This year those attending will meet actors dressed in early-day regalia who are portraying the following people: Rich Breiner as Paris Gibson, founding father of Great Falls; Austin Haney as Charlie Russell’s cowboy friend; Mary Jane Bradbury as Nancy Russell who was Charlie Russell’s wife; Elliot Merja as George Montgomery, famous actor; Chris Warden and Kim Swanson Coleman as Charles Bovey and Sue Ford Bovey, developers of Nevada City; Paula Egan Wright as Josephine Trigg, children’s librarian and friend of Charlie Russell; Thomas Risberg as Joe DeYong, artist and protégé of Charlie Russell; Dwight Smith, USAF Lt. Col. Ret. as Army Pvt. & Marine Capt. Billy Kennedy; Donna Winters will disclose the story of Soldier’s Plot; Renee Phillips will share her research on Potter’s Field; and USAF Capt. Drew DeLong as C. P. Downing, first sheriff of Great Falls.
The actors will come from their graves to tell their story, giving participants a view of early-day life in Montana. Tour visitors can either walk or ride the hay wagon, where hosts, Megan Sanford, Ashleigh McCann, and Norma Ashby Smith, will contribute to the early Montana story.
Highland Cemetery, located south of the city limits, was designated by Paris Gibson and fellow residents as the community’s cemetery on property that was originally part of Gibson’s ranch. Unlike many towns where the cemetery is overseen by city government, Highland Cemetery is presently operated by a private trust and governed by a board of directors. It is located on “high ground,” protecting it from flooding. Because of its location, the splendors of the Highwood, Little Belt, and the Big Belt Mountains can be appreciated. Nearby can be seen the power line that was built in just months around 1910 for the purpose of transporting electricity from the newly built Rainbow Dam on the Missouri River to power the mines in Butte. Look for the original metal structures that carry those electric lines.
Early on, the Highland Cemetery hilltop bore prairie grass swept by the prevailing southwest winds. Over the years, trees, shrubs, and watered lawns have been added to give a good percentage of the cemetery a verdant, peaceful appearance. The cemetery has several sections: the old Highland Cemetery, the veterans’ section where Confederate and Union soldiers are buried aside one another; potter’s field; the original Catholic cemetery, and the present cemetery. Every year the organizers of Paris Gibson Month and Waking the Dead contribute to community projects, including trees to be planted at the cemetery, with proceeds from “Waking the Dead.”
The event is fun; it’s educational; it’s organized; and the groups are small enough that everyone can hear. The cost of taking the tour is $15 to walk along with the wagons or $20 to ride. Get your tickets at Kaufman’s Menswear, 411 Central Avenue. Organized parking is conveniently located close to the beginning of the tour. Those who have purchased tickets previously will have preference, but those buying tickets at the event have always been able to take part. Wearing a hat is recommended. Two hours of Continuing Education Credits for educators will be available.
Those taking part in the Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance Annual Gathering are invited to attend this historical event on the first afternoon of this organization’s national meeting.
Author: Staff
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