Rapid City in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Hangman's Hill

A Tale Of Frontier Justice

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026

1. Hangman's Hill Marker

Inscription.

Dinosaur Park has been a well-known tourist attraction since the 1930s, but before that it was known as Hangman's Hill due to an altercation on June 21, 1877. Three men suspected of being horse thieves were picked up by a posse while they slept on Cowboy Hill, the prominence across the valley known today as M Hill, and were brought to a public hearing.

Their names were A.J. 'Doc' Allen, Louis 'Red' Curry, and James Kid' Hall. Doc and Red confessed to stealing the horses but Kid professed his innocence. Kid claimed he only recently met up with Doc and Red. They had offered him a ride on one of the horses in their possession, but he did not know its illegal origin. Doc and Red confirmed his story and that he was a mere passerby, but it did not help Kid escape sharing their sad fate.

The angry mob drug all three protesting men up this hill. Three nooses were put around the necks of the men and they were hanged from a low branch on an old tree. The mob retired to town to celebrate their assertion of justice. The next day it was discovered the ropes were too long and drew out their deaths by strangulation.

The lynch

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mob was never tried or held accountable for seeking justice in such a criminal manner. The three men were the only people to be executed on Hangman's Hill.

[Photos and illustrations]
1 Hangman Hill [early photograph]

2 Hangman's Hill Colored Post Card

3 [Early photo or drawing of the hanging in silhouette]

[Unnumbered right side panel reads]
Are they still with us?
Some people claim to have heard faint galloping noises in the evening.
Others claim to have spotted a ghostly cowboy in the area, perhaps roaming the hills in anguish for his wrongful death at the hands of a mob.

Erected by City of Rapid City.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Events. A significant historical date for this entry is June 21, 1877.

Location. 44° 4.706′ N, 103° 14.754′ W. Marker is in Rapid City, South Dakota, in Pennington County. Marker is in Dinosaur Park, along the walking path. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 940 Skyline Drive, Rapid City SD 57701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West River

and in the Badlands.

It is also in the American Black

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026

2. Hangman's Hill Marker

Left marker

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: The Great Race/Black Hills Geology (here, next to this marker); Local Lakota: Osh Kosh Camp (a few steps from this marker); Triceratops (a few steps from this marker); Tyrannosaurus Rex (a few steps from this marker); The Inconvenient Truth (a few steps from this marker); Apatosaurus (within shouting distance of this marker); Trachodon (within shouting distance of this marker); Stegosaurus (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rapid City.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 10, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 10, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.