Deadwood in Lawrence County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Riches from Mud
Photographed By Connor Olson, October 6, 2021
1. Riches from Mud Marker (replacement marker)
Gold had to be removed from the ore (rock) brought out of the mine. Milling processes crushed the ore to the size of sand. Mercury, cyanide or heat then isolated the gold particles. Deadwood Gulch mill men used several methods, including chlorination, stamp/amalgamation, cyanide leaching, and smelting. The Slime Plant in front of you extracted gold from muddy, finely crushed ore. This slime was dried in large filter presses, then leached with cyanide solution, which dissolved the gold. Charles W. Merrill invented this variation of the cyanide process for the Homestake Mining Company. The company paid the inventor a percentage or the gold that his method saved – making Merrill a wealthy man. The plant operated from 1906 to 1973.
Captions:
Workers exposed themselves to dangers in both industrial mining and milling.
Detail of the stacks of filter bench presses in the Slime Plant
An overview of the press floor of the Slime Plant.
A diagram of the layout of the Slime Plant. The sludge entering the mill at the top of the hill, on the left of the diagram.
Erected by
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.
Location. 44° 22.474′ N, 103° 43.827′ W. Marker is in Deadwood, South Dakota, in Lawrence County. Marker is at the intersection of Deadwood Mount Dr. and Pine Steet on Deadwood Mount Dr.. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Deadwood SD 57732, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Architecture of a Unique Building Complex (here, next to this marker); Bonanza in the Hills (here, next to this marker); Gold Discovery in the Great Sioux Reservation (here, next to this marker); President Taft Comes to Deadwood (within shouting distance of this marker); Job Corps Project (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Civic Stability (about 300 feet away); Lawrence County Jails & Capital Punishment (about 400 feet away); Black Hills Railroads (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Deadwood.
Additional keywords. mining
Photographed By Connor Olson, October 6, 2021
2. Riches from Mud Marker (second from left)
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 23, 2009
3. The Slime Plant being renovated
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 23, 2009
4. Former Riches from Mud Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 8, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 19, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 757 times since then and 88 times this year. Last updated on October 6, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 6, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. 3, 4. submitted on November 19, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
