Rapid City, South Dakota
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St. Onge (Lawrence) South Dakota In reading a history of St. Onge either in an article from the Whitewood Centennial July 1776 or the online version at http://www.st-Onge.us/town.hum, we learn that St. Onge was settled as a French colony in the 1870's with pioneers coming mostly from Canada, Massachusetts and Iowa. These settlers were farmers who supplied the mining towns in the hills with their produce. A wagon trail followed the ridge west of False Bottom. The area was known as False Bottom until, in 1881, one member of the group, Pitoche St. Onge started a trading post and post office at his ranch on the west side of False Bottom Creek. Mail was delivered to the St. Onge ranch by people coming past from Deadwood on the old Minnesela Trail. Because of this the community became known as St. Onge. A life long resident and local historian told me that the first cemetery was started by the Catholic Church, as most of those early settlers were Catholic. The cemetery was named "Gates of Heaven". Later the Catholic Church sold a portion of the cemetery to the Protestant portion of the community and this part became known as "Sunset Cemetery". Today both parts are known as St. Onge Cemetery. Only recently has Find a Grave combined the listings. This list was published inSOME BLACK HILLS AREA CEMETERIES South Dakota Book III Complied and Printed by THE RAPID CITY SOCIETY FOR GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH, INC. 1981 |
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