The first grave site for William Clark was on the farm of his nephew, Colonel John O'Fallon in 1838. When Bellefontaine Cemetery was opened in 1849 William Clark and several other Clark family members were moved to the northern corner of the new cemetery. Clark's youngest son, Jefferson, died in 1900 and left twenty-five thousand dollars for the construction of a monument to his father. A granite obelisk and a bronze bust of Clark mark the site of his grave. They are right in the center of the family's lot. It was dedicated in October 1904 during the World's Fair. William Clark's grave monument faces the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers where he and Meriwether Lewis set out to discover the West. The inscription beneath the bust reads: WILLIAM CLARK BORN IN VIRGINIA AUGUST 1, 1770 ENTERED INTO ETERNAL LIFE SEPTEMBER 1, 1838 SOLDIER, EXPLORER, STATESMAN AND PATRIOT HIS LIFE IS WRITTEN IN THE HISTORY OF HIS COUNTRY

The symbol engraved in the granite obelisk is the symbol of the stone masons, showing that it was sculpted by them. The obelisk still looks new because it is made of granite, which has held up in the weather because granite is strong. The bust looks older because the weather has affected the bronze, which has worn down over the years.

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