Restoration of grave fences continues at Lincoln Gulch Cemetery

The grave of Minnie Neal, who died and was buried in 1869 in the old Lincoln Gulch Cemetery has a newly reconstructed fence back in place around her grave.

Her grave was one of three from the pioneer mining era that had picket fences around them, and the only one of them identified by a headstone.

Lewis and Clark County Heritage Preservation Officer Pam Attardo, joined by Mary Webb and Emory Padgett with Preserve Montana worked to rebuild the fences during a visit Oct. 16 and 17, but were only able to fully restore the fence around Minnie’s grave.

The original fences were weathered and worn but had remained standing around three graves for decades. By 2016 time and heavy winter snows finally took their toll, causing a couple of them to collapse. Restoration of the fences began last July, when a crew of teens with the Montana Conservation Corps spent five days at the cemetery building stone bollards to mark the boundary of the pioneer cemetery and dissembling the three grave fences.

The MCC crew, overseen by Attardo and Webb, spent time cutting and shaping new pickets and posts to restore the fences. In keeping with the original fences, the wood for the restorations came from local pine milled by Leroy Blancher, Attardo said.

During the year since, work continued on the fences, finishing the pickets and, in some cases, replacing the bottom sections of corner posts with new wood. The restored fences also include a mix of original and replacement pickets.

Likewise, they re-used many of the original handmade nails recovered from the original fences by MCC crew last summer

“We’re trying to use as many as we can” she said. “We have some that are reproduction. They are old style; they’re just galvanized and obviously a little bit heftier than the handmade nails.”

Attardo said they tried to do everything the same way as it was done originally, from foregoing round nails or staples to hand chiseling the mortise-and-tenon joints that secure the fence rails to the corner posts. “It’s pretty accurate.”

“Of course it won’t last forever, but considering these (originals) have lasted for as long as they have, these things may be here a while.” Attardo said. She admitted it’s likely the originals were made from dense old-growth trees cut down during the mining days.

Although they hoped to have two of the three cemetery fences rebuilt completely during their visit, they were only able to finish the one for Minnie’s grave before they had to leave. Attardo said they expect to be back next summer to finish the work.