Zeona was laid out in 1910,[2] close to Spring Creek and the Moreau River. There are multiple stories about the origins of the settlement's name: local legend attributes it to a handwriting mishap by H.E. Rowson, one of the founders, who intended to name the town after his daughter Leona.[3] The Federal Writer's Project recorded that the settlers wanted something "unusual and different."[2]
The official population history of Zeona is unclear. The area's population was not recorded in the United States Census, and Zeona was mostly populated by homesteaders,[3] who were more likely to migrate to other regions. Additionally, the Great Plains region was struck by drought only a year after Zeona was founded, driving many early settlers to leave.[4] Documents from the establishment of Zeona's first post office in 1911 place the population at about 225 people,[5] while postal records from 1935 place the population at 79,[6] and the Federal Writer's Project placed the 1940 population at 6.[2]
Norwegian homesteaders made up a sizable portion of the village, and were hosting community church services as early as 1913.[7] In 1923, the Immanuel Lutheran Church was built to establish a place of community, both for the Norwegian Lutherans and other villagers.[3] Six years later, in 1929, the post office was discontinued, and Zeona's mail was rerouted to Strool.[8]
Like many other rural South Dakota communities, the village's population had significantly declined by the late 20th century, owing to changing agricultural practices, increased accessibility to transportation, and smaller family sizes.[11] Zeona's post office and its 57795 ZIP code were discontinued in February 1998, with its postal services merged into the nearby Mud Butte.[12] As of 2019, the church was still in use.[3]
^"South Dakota: Minnehaha - Perkins Counties". Records of the Post Office | Reports of Site Locations. United States National Archive Catalog. January 9, 1911. p. 1160. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
^"South Dakota: Minnehaha - Perkins Counties". Records of the Post Office | Reports of Site Locations. United States National Archive Catalog. 1935. p. 1153. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
^"Personals". Aberdeen Evening News. April 17, 1929. p. 2 – via Newsbank.com. Effective April 30, the post office at Zeona in Perkins County will be discontinued, with the mail from and to this office going to Strool.
^"The Postal Bulletin"(PDF). United States Post Office Department. September 4, 1936. Archived(PDF) from the original on February 8, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
