Haunted Cemeteries of North and South Dakota

North and South Dakota became the 39th and 40th states on November 2, 1889. There are 2,516 documented cemeteries in North Dakota, which covers 70,762 square miles and had a population of 739,482 in 2014. South Dakota has 2,702 documented cemeteries in 77,184 square miles and a population of 853,175 in 2014. The Dakotas have several interesting haunted cemeteries.

Sims Cemetery is in the ghost town of Sims north of Almont in Morton County. It can be found on Sims Road south of the Sims Lutheran Church. It has a little over 400 interments going back to the 1880s. The church and cemetery are still active.

This is a typical haunted cemetery. Apparitions are occasionally seen here, but eerie mists and colored orbs are more common.

Menoken Cemetery is on 158th Street NE in Menoken in Burleigh County. There are around 400 interments with dates back to the 1880s. The cemetery is still active. There is only one known ghost here and he actually appears in the field across the street from the cemetery. He is dressed as a farmer and is seen running about six feet above the ground while carrying a bucket.

Tagus Lutheran Cemetery is located on Old Hwy. 2 in the ghost town of Tagus in Mountrail County. In 1940 Tagus had 140 residents, but by 1976 there was no one left. There were many abandoned homes and businesses and one abandoned church. There are less than 30 interments here. The oldest one is from 1908 and the most recent was in 1927.

The legend says that once Tagus was abandoned the church was used by satanists. They seemed to be drawn here by some mysterious and powerful energy. The church was burned to the ground by vandals, but supposedly there is a stairway covered over by earth that is still there. The satanists believed it was a gateway to hell.

The legend goes on to say that if someone stands in just the right spot they can hear the screams of the tortured souls in hell.

Short Creek Church Cemetery can be found on 106th Street NW northeast of Columbus and southwest of Portal in Burke County. There are approximately 362 interments dating back to 1904. This cemetery is still active.

This is another North Dakota cemetery that doesn’t have a particular ghost but does have its fair share of paranormal phenomena. Some of the tombstones will have what appears to be an aura around them at times. Typical mists and orbs, as well as cold spots have also been reported.

Tyner Cemetery is a small graveyard in the middle of a field bounded by 102nd Street NE, 140th Avenue NE, 101st Street NE, and 139th Avenue NE. It is north of Cavalier in Pembina County. There are around 80 interments going back to 1880. Tyner no longer exists and there is no road leading to the cemetery or even a fence around it.

There are no known ghosts here or even any reports of paranormal activity. It is included in this list, not because of hauntings, but because of the eeriness of its location. The last burial here was in 1975. Visitors do come to the cemetery, some to pay respects to their ancestors and some just to revel in the quietness of such a forgotten place.

Sherbrooke Cemetery is another graveyard with no known ghosts or reported paranormal phenomena. It is located on Highway 6 near Finley in Steele County. There are a row of trees surrounding the cemetery and then it is surrounded by acres and acres of fields. It is yet another cemetery that is the only remnant of a ghost town. It has the same lonesome and forgotten feel as the Tyner Cemetery. The cemetery was established in 1899 by the Sherbrooke Methodist Church. There are around 85 interments here.

Riverside Cemetery is on Fifth Street South in Fargo and bounded on the southern side by the Red River. There are around 15,000 interments here dating back to the 1860s. This Cass County cemetery has three U.S. Congressmen buried here.

There is one mausoleum that if a recording device is left on top of it, knocking noises can be heard coming from inside. No one has ever heard the sounds with the “naked” ear. EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena) have also been captured here.

Cass County Cemetery #2 is located on Elm Street North in Fargo. It is one of three cemeteries that are located inside the Trollwood Park. There are about 315 interments here.

There is a ghost woman wearing a dark blue 19th-century style dress that is frequently seen walking in the cemetery part of the park. She appears most often when there is music playing somewhere nearby. She is also said to have a favorite willow tree that she enjoys dancing under.

Other ghosts are seen here from time to time and sometimes people here their name being called or footsteps behind them.

Mount Moriah Cemetery is off Mount Moriah Drive in Lawrence County. There are around 3,000 interments dating back to the 1860s. There are several famous folk figures buried here including Martha Jane Canary, also known as Calamity Jane, and James Butler Wild Bill Hickok.

Almost everyone who visits this cemetery reports having a feeling of uneasiness while there. It is considered a very beautiful graveyard, but the constant feeling of being watched can be very nerve wracking.

Keystone Cemetery is also known as Mountain View Cemetery. With almost 600 interments, it can be found in the town of Keystone in Pennington County off of Cemetery Road just before Greyhound Gulch Road. The oldest graves go back to the 1880s. Bobby Buntrock, best known as Harold Baxter in the 1960’s sitcom Hazel is buried here.

The cemetery is near Mount Rushmore and there are many mine workers and people that died working on Mount Rushmore buried here.

Ghosts are only seen here with the aid of a video camera. There have been many reports of people recording in the cemetery and not seeing anything strange until they play back the video. Faces and white figures hanging from the trees appear.

IOOF Cemetery is located in the town of Gregory in Gregory County. IOOF stands for Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The population of the town is about the same as the number of interments in the cemetery, 1,200. It is found on 11th Street just before it turns into 336th Avenue. The oldest dated grave is 1893.

There is one ghost here who appears to be a lonely old man. He has white hair and seems to be lost or possibly looking for something. If a visitor approaches to offer assistance he simply vanishes.

Gregory County Home Cemetery is located on Highway 12 in Gregory. There are 15 interments enclosed by a white fence. The 15 graves are from 14 different families, the oldest being from 1920.

Different colored orbs have been seen here on a regular basis. Ghosts that have been witnessed always try to scare visitors away.