National Register of Historic Places

Snoma Finnish Cemetery

Fruitdale, Butte County, South Dakota
Listed
November 13, 1985
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
85003492

About this property

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. 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. 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.

Location

Fruitdale, Butte County, South Dakota
44.63292, -103.68554

Categories

EUROPEANEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Questions about this property

When was Snoma Finnish Cemetery listed on the National Register?

Snoma Finnish Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 13, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Snoma Finnish Cemetery?

Snoma Finnish Cemetery is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Snoma Finnish Cemetery?

The period of significance for Snoma Finnish Cemetery is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Snoma Finnish Cemetery?

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