Snoma Finnish Cemetery
The Snoma Finnish Cemetery is a cemetery located about 3+1⁄2 miles (5.6 kilometers) southeast of Fruitdale, in Butte County, South Dakota, United States. In 1885, a small Finnish community called Snoma was founded nearby, and the residents built the cemetery. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 13, 1985. The cemetery has rarely had new burials since the 1980s, with only two occurring recently in 2019 and 2022 respectively.
History
In 1885, about 40 Finnish families settled in the area and attempted to farm the land. The town had a hotel, post office, and blacksmith. John Lakson, the town's interpreter, submitted the name of either "Suomi" or "Suoma," which is Finnish for Finland, to the Post Office Department, but his handwriting was misread.
Geography
The cemetery and town rests in Butte County, South Dakota. It is located about one-half mile south of the Belle Fourche River, one-half mile southeast of Fruitdale, and about 10 miles east of Belle Fourche, South Dakota.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Parker, Watson, and Hugh K. Lambert. Black Hills Ghost Towns. First ed. Vol. 1. Chicago, IL: The Swallow Press Incorporated, 1974. 176–177. 1 vols. Print.
- ^ "Snoma Finnish Cemetery." National Register of Historic Places. NPS, n.d. Web. 21 Aug. 2013.
- ^ "Feature Detail Report for: Snoma Finnish Cemetery." USGS. U.S. Department of the Interior, 13 Feb. 1980. GNIS. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
