Canistota  City  Cemetery
 
Section 26 - Canistota Township - McCook County - South Dakota 

Canistota  City  Cemetery  at  Canistota, South Dakota

Canistota was established as a farming support town in the early 1880's, but the coming of the railroad in 1883 propelled its rapid growth and ensured its survival.  Canistota's history actually started with the founding in a nearby section of a settlement named Cameron after a farmer who built a hotel on his property in 1878, but was failing before the railroad didn't pass through in 1883.  Not getting rail service was the closing chapter for many a small town in the 1880's and prompted underserved and short lasting growth of many places that did start because of railroad access. 

Many buildings and businesses quickly established themselves in Canistota, perhaps the most important being the post office, banks (2), elevators (3), general stores (2), blacksmith shops (2), a saloon, lumber yards (3), a hotel, a jail, a library (uniquely), a school, and a church although most church meetings were held in member homes for some time.

Electric lights were installed on the streets shortly after 1900 and the city also had installed some water mains and a sewer system by 1910.  The electric business was tough and was sold to Northern States Power.  A simple phone company was also formed in this early growth period. The photo on the left is from the mid 1920's but shows a new hotel and a good number of autos that brought people to Canistota for health reasons and day to day shopping and business.  The Ortman clinic operated by a local family achieved a wide reputation for successful chiropractic care, which began with treating neighbors and friends, then expanded across the entire US. The large four story building was a hotel for lodging of patients with a cafe and other needed services.

Canistota is a town of the prairie and has experienced the associated weather extremes, with years having heavy rainfall, winters with severe snow storms, tornado visits that destroyed buildings and summer days that one dreams of for years with beautiful days for outdoor activities. The photo at the right is a veterans memorial with the school in the background.

The cemetery is relatively large and seems to have grown in stages over the years.  The first burials that have markers appear to have taken place in the 1880's, likely just as the town was being developed.

 
  A  view  of  the  Canistota  City  Cemetery

 
An Aerial  View  of  Canistota  City  Cemetery 
North is to the right and 447th Avenue is along the East side (by the trees at the bottom of the photo) 

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The Canistota Cemetery information database consists of 4 parts.

This information was prepared by Ken Tiahrt (1935-2014) and may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations
for their private use. 

1.  A Cemetery Map

An aerial photo showing the cemetery in relationship to the access roadway 447th Avenue, gives the user a physical setting.  

2.  A List of Burials

A listing of the burials at Canistota City Cemetery – Section 26 – Canistota Township – McCook County, gives the individual names in
alphabetic order.  This listing also gives the date of birth and date of death when available.   Unfortunately, those burials without grave
markers are not generally included because the official burial list was not available at this time. 

3.  Additional Records - Obituaries

A special thank you is given to Vicki Wakefield and Roger Berke for their prior work in creating a burial list.

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