11 miles east of Belle Fourche, sits St. Onge, South Dakota. Home of the St. Onge Livestock Market, St. Onge Bar, a Post Office, and the one and only 87 year old Pat Shannon. Pat is an absolute South Dakota gem, I would have liked to visit with her all day long. I ran into Pat while she was heading to get her free coffee at the St. Onge Bar, which also serves as a convenience store, cafe, off sale liquor, and a full bar. And known for it’s “Prime Rib Friday Nights”. We got to visiting and I forgot to take her photo, so I tracked her down back at the bar where she was drinking her coffee, snacking on some crackers and getting an envelope ready to mail for a chance to win the lottery.
St. Onge was founded in 1881, and named after Henry P. Saintonge, a pioneer settler. The population of St. Onge was 363 in 2017, but according to Pat that number is much lower nowadays. I walked around town and took photos of a few older buildings still standing. One is the 1902 Furois building pictured below. There is a very interesting read about the Furois Family of St. Onge on the Spearfish Area Historical Society website. There is also a book by Jeannine P. Guern titled Forgotten Or Unknown – A History of St. Onge available on Amazon and if you stop at the St. Onge Bar you can pickup a copy there too.
If you are traveling out west on Highway 34 and happen across St. Onge. Stop and say hello to Pat while she is having her coffee at the St. Onge Bar.
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- The one and only, Pat Shannon.
We travelled through St. Onge, South Dakota on our cross country trip in the summer of 2019. We did not have the opportunity to stop there. I am interested because my family name is St. Onge. Joanna Jones and Jeannine Guern were writing a book on the history of St. Onge – they belong to the Spearfish Area Historical Society. Do you know where I can get a copy of this book?
Sheila Santaw (formerly St. Onge) Cameron
Encinitas, California 92024
Hello Sheila, yes you can purchase her book on Amazon. Here is the link https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-History-Jeannine-P-Guern/dp/0692033726
Aw! Pat will be missed. She was a very sweet lady that had a ton of fun stories to tell to anyone who would listen. It’s so nice to see someone take the time to talk with her and learn about the amazing town of St. Onge!
The 1902 Furois store building was built by and belonged to my family until the 1960’s. The old stone house out by the cemetery is our family’s homestead and the original store and post office. The building that was across the street from the 1902 building with the red door was my family’s garage/office/print shop. That land was donated to the Volunteer Fire Department of St. Onge and the building was torn down. They plan on building a fire hall and dedicating it to my Uncle Ed Furois. Donations for the new fire hall are highly welcomed… hint hint!
Hi Renee! Yes, I am SO glad I ran into her when I was walking around town taking photos. We drive by the old stone house all the time, always wondered about it’s history! stopped and took a photo of it a while back too. If you or someone has an online donation setup for the Fire Hall I would be glad to share it!
I was so happy to stumble across your article about St. Onge and Pat! She was my good friend! We are both cat rescuers. Sadly, Pat passed away yesterday, but her presence will never be forgotten. Thank you for taking the time and interest with visiting with her. I’m grateful that you took her picture as that is the only one I can keep to remember her by.
Oh no I’m sorry to hear that Lori…:( Just a lovely lady and I was glad I got to meet her and take her picture. 🙂
Oh how cool! Granny Pat was my grandma. Fiercely independent and sharp. Apparently she had taken to drink Monster Energy near the end. Along with a coffee. An absolute legend! She is missed.
Thank you so much for this post. It really means a lot.
Thank you Marc. Yep she was sharp as a tack for sure! It was a pleasure to meet her.
I was born and raised in Rapid City. When I was in my 20’s, my mother and I would go to the St Onge Bar on Friday nights. They had the best Steak fingers and Jojo potatoes I’ve ever tasted! There was always a good Country Western band playing and a lot of great dancing. Those good times we had were in the 80’s but I still treasure them! You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen St. Onge in the daylight. We were always there in the evening.
Hi Kathleen, thanks for sharing your memories!
I’ve never been to South Dakota but I’ve listened to family stories and memories about St. Onge. My husband’s family was from the area, family names Chamberlain, Nelson and Derosier. Celeste (Sister) Nelson Derossier was the postmistress for many years. My husband has
fond memories of the wanted posters hanging in her living room when they took a family road trip in the mid-1960s. His grandparents moved to Oregon, probably looking for work at the end of the Depression. Most of the family still lives in the Pacific Northwest.