Carlton Cemetery is in Missoula County, Montana. Set in the grassland of the Bitterroot with beautiful mountain vistas, Florence has a population of approximately 735 residents. Incorporated in 1888, it was originally known as
One Horse. Immediately east of the cemetery is the Carlton Florence Community Church, known as the "Cowboy" Church.
In August 1938 the WPA allocated $3,161 for “cemetery improvement” near Carlton, Montana. The Living New Deal assumes this to be this cemetery. We won't dispute it, as this is about the only cemetery in the area. By the time the WPA funded work was done on the cemetery it would have been about 54 years old.
Completed and dedicated in June of 1884, the Carlton Cowboy Church AKA Carlton Chapel was served by Methodist circuit riders for its first 40 years of existence. The land for the church was deeded to a group representing the Methodist Episcopal Church by Robert Carlton, a Roman Catholic, the only stipulation being that the little church must always display a cross on its steeple. Various circumstances eventually led to the closing of the church in 1924, with it seeing very little use during the next two decades and falling into a state of disrepair. It is said that, at this time, livestock was known to periodically inhabit the building. Later reopened under various denominations, it remains in use today as a nondenominational church.
Carlton Cemetery is approximately 3.5 acres in size, mostly native grasses and majestic mountains in the background. There are approximately 1,182 known interments. The cemetery was established in the late 1880s or early 1890s with the first known interment of:
Froney Wagner, who passed away July 27, 1894 at the age of 11 years, 7 months and 17 days.
