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)

Inscription. 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 Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.

Location.

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44° 22.474′ N, 103° 43.827′ W. Marker is in Deadwood, South Dakota, in Lawrence County. It 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.

Regionally, this marker is in West River.

It is also in the American Black Hills,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

and on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

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); Lawrence County Great World War Memorial (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lest We Forget (about 300 feet away); Job Corps Project (about 300 feet away); Civic Stability (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Deadwood.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Gold in the Gulch (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Additional keywords. mining

Riches from Mud Marker (second from left) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Connor Olson, October 6, 2021

2. Riches from Mud Marker (second from left)

The Slime Plant being renovated image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 23, 2009

3. The Slime Plant being renovated

Former Riches from Mud Marker image. Click for full size.

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 1,159 times since then and 46 times this year. Last updated on October 6, 2021, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 6, 2021, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. 3, 4. submitted on November 19, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.