Wolsey: A Crossroad of the Heartland
Wolsey has been a crossroad of the heartland of South Dakota from its beginnings. In 1880 the Dakota Central Railway, a subsidiary of the Chicago & North Western, laid track following a wagon trail called . . . — — Map (db m123906) HM
Downtown Brookings located its commercial, public, and civic buildings in proximity to the railroad depot, creating the main street. As in many towns of that era, Brookings' main street and railroad line formed a "T" shape. The Chicago and North . . . — — Map (db m213617) HM
Oakwood post, established in 1835 by Major Joseph R. Brown for the American Fur Company, was an early trading post in Brown County. French explorers called it “place of the scrub oaks,” a landmark used by Indians and Whites alike. Pierre Le . . . — — Map (db m187060) HM
The Great Western Cattle Trail embodied the spirit, determination, and grit of the early cowboys and remains one of the most romantic and interesting times of our past. The entire trail extended from Matamoros, Mexico to Saskatchewan, Canada (Texas . . . — — Map (db m234800) HM
Henry’s Centennial Tree, also known as “The Big Tree,” was planted the same year the town of Henry was established, by David & Lucenda Wiley, in from of their business, Lucenda’s Millinery Shop. The tree’s circumference was 30 ft. and its height . . . — — Map (db m213992) HM
Watertown was platted by the Winona & St. Peter Railroad. The uptown district, consisting of six square blocks, was divided into narrow lots intended mostly for commercial use running parallel to the railroad tracks. Important noncommercial . . . — — Map (db m120097) HM
Although extensive trade networks were always part of the economies of the indigenous Tribes in North America, the trade in furs between Native peoples and European traders emerged as the major tribal industry on the Missouri River from the . . . — — Map (db m113318) HM
Between 1874-1876, thousands of citizens illegally entered the Black Hills in search of gold. Every gold panner, newspaper article, and frontier story told of great wealth and encouraged the onslaught of the region.
The military made vain efforts . . . — — Map (db m121400) HM
Historic Site
Miners Meet
The miners of the Black Hills
held their first meeting to
pass mining regulations at
this location in 1875
— — Map (db m119986) HM
Spurred by rumors of gold, many prospector groups attempted to enter the Black Hills in the 1870s. Without regard to the Fort Laramie Treaty, they planned to enter the region and exploit the untapped wealth.
A group of 28 people headed west from . . . — — Map (db m121399) HM
George Hearst (1820-1891) United States Senator, mining engineer, sportsman, speculator. Starting with nothing, he developed three of the fabled mines in the American West -- The Ophir, the Anaconda, and the Homestake -- and founded one of the . . . — — Map (db m180982) HM
The town of Firesteel takes its name from nearby Firesteel Creek. First known as “Firesteel Station”, it started in May of 1910 with an influx of settlers drawn by rumors an entire section (square mile) to become a government townsite. Many who had . . . — — Map (db m161846) HM
← Onion House
Built in 1902 and listed on the Nat'l Historic Register. Named for the onion shaped metallic dome.
Bluebird Locker →
Business began in 1944 and known regionally for its "Delmont Sausage". Business uses . . . — — Map (db m234939) HM
Welcome to Edgemont, the beginning of the Burlington Northern George S. Mickelson Trail! This winding trail follows the abandoned Burlington Northern Railroad route 114 miles through the heart of the Black Hills and ends at Deadwood.
The . . . — — Map (db m123925) HM
(side 1)
The site of Hot Springs was occupied before white men ever came to the area by tribal peoples for the “curative” benefits of the mineral springs. The constant 97-98 degree waters became the basis for the thriving . . . — — Map (db m124000) HM
(side 1)
In 1889 South Dakota was admitted to the union and western
South Dakota was opened for settlement. The next year surveying was conducted throughout the summer and the town of Midland, named for its location halfway between the . . . — — Map (db m124087) HM
On June 2, 1983, a meeting to save rail service was organized by area shippers and community leaders at the American Legion Hall in Philip that began a three year struggle which culminated in the creation of the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern . . . — — Map (db m125975) HM
Harlan J. Bushfield, born August 6, 1882 in Atlantic, Iowa, came to Miller in 1883. He earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1904 and returned to Miller to practice law. In 1912, Bushfield married Vera Cahalan, a fellow Miller . . . — — Map (db m185466) HM
U.S. Highway 85 Regina, Canada – El Paso, Texas 1588 miles through five states South Belle Fourche • 78 Deadwood • 103 North State Line • 80 Williston, N.D. • 219 Probably the first white men to traverse this area were Wilson Price Hunt and his . . . — — Map (db m231200) HM
Historically that meridian is significant. For two generations the Insurance Companies and other world-wide lending agencies would not, as a matter of agreed policy, lend a shiny dime west of this line. There reason was that some geographer had . . . — — Map (db m123868) HM
The landscape before you has undergone many changes since 1804. The Army's Corps of Discovery, headed by Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, passed through here heading west. The hill you are standing on is man-made, associated with . . . — — Map (db m112893) HM
Charles L. Hyde devoted much time and energy to promoting the young town of Pierre. A true believer in the city, Hyde built five of the seven buildings in Pierre's historic commercial district along upper Pierre Street. The St. Charles Hotel was his . . . — — Map (db m124294) HM
On this, then private, pasture dotted with Sioux Effigies (see marker north 1 mile), Colonel Charles Lindbergh landed his Ryan monoplane, "The Spirit of Saint Louis", September 1st 1927 at exactly 4 pm. On May 21st he had been the first person to . . . — — Map (db m176674) HM
As Pierre grew during the late
19th and early 20th centuries, Pierre Hill became the most
prestigious real estate in town.
Business owners, lawyers, and
judges all built homes on "the Hill.” Most of the Hill's houses were built
during . . . — — Map (db m169318) HM
Pierre Was a Cowtown (marker side 1)
Yes sir, Mister, Pierre was a cowtown. Why they built the sidewalks two feet off the ground to keep the cows from spattering ‘em up. The stockyards ran longside the river for half a mile and three . . . — — Map (db m124153) HM
The partnership of Registre Loisel and Hugh Heney in 1802 set up a fur post on Cedar Island, within sight, about 5 miles down stream. Loisel was called Little Beaver by the Indians. This was part of Louisiana, receded by Spain to France in 1800 and . . . — — Map (db m219925) HM
The area within about a 5 mile radius of this site was considered a neutral area by all Indians. French traders set up a trading post every fall near the big spring. There was no fighting; competing tribes camped side-by-side. However, it is fairly . . . — — Map (db m180747) HM
In 1916 Foster Stratton erected a two-story brick building on this site. It held a garage and machine shop on the lower level, with a photography studio and living quarters on the second floor. When the building was razed in 1989, the Stratton . . . — — Map (db m113050) HM
Next to Fuller's Hardware was Bradley's Drugstore, run by young George Bradley and his wife, Hattie. Charles Ingalls would often step across the street to exchange stories of the day, tell jokes and maybe play a game of checkers.
George . . . — — Map (db m209679) HM
As Laura sat sewing, she looked out across Main Street at the Mead Hotel, Wilder Feed Store and Harthorn's Grocery. Clancy's store was across the street in the middle of the northeast side of Main Street.
A census of 1880 does not mention Mr. . . . — — Map (db m209684) HM
Edward H. Couse purchased this lot and the original store building on it from Charles P. Ingalls. By 1885 Couse had succeeded well enough with his hardware business to expand his operation and replace his original wood framed building with a . . . — — Map (db m123916) HM
Only the pioneers could recall the building that stood at the corner of Calumet Avenue and Third Street. The building dates back to 1880, the first year the town was settled. John A. Owen, pioneer attorney, constructed the building.
John Owen . . . — — Map (db m209678) HM
The Kingsbury County Bank, or Ruth Bank, was organized in 1880 by A. Ruth and Thomas Ruth. In December 1885 it was incorporated under the territorial laws with an authorized capital of $200,000.
Born on March 5, 1844 in Carmichael, . . . — — Map (db m209683) HM
In the early years of De Smet this building served S.B. Owen as a shoe-making shop and residence for his family. Mrs. Owen was a tailor by trade and taught suit-making to at least one of her children, V.S.L. Owen. He was often mentioned in the files . . . — — Map (db m209682) HM
Thomas P. Powers located his tailor shop in the building between the Loftus Store and Tinkham Furniture. In August of 1886, he sold his business and stock of clothing to Hamilton and Flaata. The following Tuesday night he started for Ireland, his . . . — — Map (db m209681) HM
The original Loftus Store still stands today and was one of the first businesses on Main Street in 1880. Throughout his life as a merchant, Mr. Loftus carried the slogan "The Quality Store" and became known for the quality of goods on the shelves. . . . — — Map (db m209680) HM
The Kingsbury Abstract Company was formed in 1887, with J.C. Gibson, A.W. Miller, C.L. Dawley, Al Thomas and A.N. Waters as members. The company built this building in 1888-89.
Through the years the building has housed many offices, including . . . — — Map (db m123969) HM
The architectural style of the Homestake Slime Plant is typical of turn-of-the-century mining complexes that once dotted the
Black Hills landscape. The press and precipitation buildings before you are classified as heavy timber framed . . . — — Map (db m183262) HM
This property has been placed on the
National Register of Historic Places
by the United States Department of the Interior
Built 1904 Restored 1990
by First Western Bank — — Map (db m126699) HM
The placer gold in the creeks had been eroded from the surrounding hills. By late 1876, miners began shifting their attentions to the source of the gold by tunneling into the hills. Such hard rock mining used explosives instead of pans and sluices. . . . — — Map (db m183260) HM
The street that runs behind the buildings on this side of Main Street was once known as West Main Street, but has been called Broadway for many years. Local mythology holds that this was the Main Street in the early days. There were, however, . . . — — Map (db m234696) HM
This is the site of the Burlington Interurban Power Plant, commonly known as the Burlington Powerhouse. The Powerhouse was originally built to generate electricity to run a passenger trolley between the cities of Lead and Deadwood. The Powerhouse . . . — — Map (db m183463) HM
The view of the Belle Fourche reservoir, Belle Fourche,
and Spearfish has great significance to how
Seth Bullock tied those communities together with
Deadwood.
Belle Fourche Business and
Railroad Train Deals Bullock and Sol . . . — — Map (db m183473) HM
(Panel 1)
In its heyday, the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad yard was a beehive of activity. Four different railroads including the Deadwood Central, the Black Hills & Ft. Pierre, the Grand Island & Wyoming Central, and the . . . — — Map (db m121051) HM
Although the Chinatowns of New York, San Francisco and Chicago are more well-known, these ethnic enclaves weren't exclusive to America's urban centers. There were many Chinatowns in Western boomtowns, including one right here on Deadwood's Lower . . . — — Map (db m120093) HM
Thousands of people suddenly burst into Deadwood Gulch in 1876. Some came to try their luck at mining; others hoped to strike it rich with supply stores, restaurants and saloons.
"Six weeks ago the site of Deadwood City was a heavy frost of . . . — — Map (db m183181) HM
Note the sites of the county courthouse, the federal building, the depot, the slime plant, and the school. The buildings on Main Street also changed character. Whitewood Creek was partly channelized in 1884, and is covered by a highway. Commercial . . . — — Map (db m183226) HM
From 1876 to 1883, Deadwood Gulch contained numerous placer mining operations along Whitewood Creek. Typically, a placer drift mining operation consisted of a vertical shaft excavated down to bedrock. Prospectors then dug a series of horizontal . . . — — Map (db m234698) HM
Extending from the base of
Brown Rocks to the beginning of
present-day lower Main Street,
Elizabethtown was the first of many mining camps
established in Deadwood Gulch during the earliest days
of the gold rush. Named for Elizabeth Card, one of . . . — — Map (db m183219) HM
Near this point in 1875 occurred the first of two initial gold discoveries in the Deadwood area. The more accepted account of the
discovery states that in late August; 1875 a party consisting of Frank
Bryant, John B. Pearson, Thomas Moore, Richard . . . — — Map (db m185224) HM
“A good twenty horse power saw mill would pay big here" appeared in a Letter to the Editor of the Minneapolis
based Star Tribune newspaper on June 4, 1877. Canadian born John Hunter took those words to heart.
During the 1870s Minnesota . . . — — Map (db m183271) HM
After gold was discovered in Deadwood Gulch in 1875, commercial buildings were quickly erected on the flat land along Main Street, leaving the hillsides above as the only area for residential development. The first houses in Deadwood were built on . . . — — Map (db m183182) HM
Placer miners first looked for gold among the gravel and sand in the creek bottoms, such as the one near you. If panning was productive, a group of miners would stake a claim and build a sluice to wash gold from the gravel. Captions: . . . — — Map (db m183190) HM
The Burlington Interurban Railway was part of a focused effort to modernize the City of Deadwood at the turn of the century. The town had transformed in a relatively short period of time from a lawless gold camp to a law abiding community and . . . — — Map (db m183252) HM
Jewish American pioneers significantly contributed to the commercial development and establishment of responsible government in Deadwood. For example, gritty Jewish westerner, Sol Star, arrived in Deadwood in 1876 with his business partner Seth . . . — — Map (db m183220) HM
Prospector Frank McGovern staked his claim on the hillside above you in 1876, then promptly became one of Deadwood's infamous rabble-rousers. After an argument with a grocer in 1878, McGovern was shot in the thighs. During his recovery in the . . . — — Map (db m121058) HM
Mining and Logging Go Hand in Hand Homestake Mining Company contributed significantly to the need for long-term forest management practices that would ensure the perpetual availability of Black Hills timber. Fred and Moses Manuel in 1876 . . . — — Map (db m184914) HM
Deadwood's viewshed is an integral component that truly makes this community unique to the visitors who come here annually. Poised in the center of the downtown core district is McGovern Hill, an erosional feature carved by Whitewood and Deadwood . . . — — Map (db m234699) HM
The land before you was once part of Placer Claim No. 2 above Discovery on Whitewood Creek. In 2017, construction workers
unearthed the remains of a placer drift mining operation near this sign. The discovery consisted of thirteen logs used . . . — — Map (db m183263) HM
On October 21, 1911, U.S. President William Howard Taft delivered a 30 minute address from this location to a large crowd of spectators. President Taft's visit to Deadwood was one stop on a nationwide campaign tour across South Dakota and the . . . — — Map (db m183189) HM
This brick structure before you served as the foundation base and cleanout chamber that supported the 135-foot smokestack. Once part of the Burlington & Missouri Railroad Powerhouse complex, this brick feature was created in 1901 and helped supply . . . — — Map (db m183432) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m183258) HM
Near this point in 1875 occurred the second of two initial gold discoveries in the Deadwood area. It was made by the Lardner party of eight prospectors, steered here by John B. Pearson, a man already familiar with Deadwood Gulch. Their "Discovery . . . — — Map (db m185225) HM
Although Deadwood was in a mining district, it didn't remain a mining town. Instead, it became the service center for the Northern Black Hills. Regional residents came to Deadwood for their legal, financial, wholesale, retail and entertainment . . . — — Map (db m36629) HM
Deadwood developed along both sides of Whitewood Creek, forming the two main thoroughfares of Main and Sherman Street. In the 1880s the firms on Sherman tended to be small retail and service businesses. Captions: William E. Adams . . . — — Map (db m183267) HM
In 2016 the Deadwood Historical Commission hired a local mason with expertise in historic masonry to reconstruct this section of the 135" B & M Powerhouse smokestack using radial brick collected on site. This section has a 9'-3" outside radius and . . . — — Map (db m183433) HM
Although the uphill side of Deadwood's Main Street seems like a natural area for development, the neighborhood didn't get its start until the turn of the century, thanks largely to two factors: gunpowder and the stubbornness of Deadwood's first . . . — — Map (db m120997) HM
Architect O.C. Jewett built the Waite Block Annex as a two-story structure and immediately established his offices on the second floor. In 1901 The Wrought Iron Range Co. moved in to the first floor. A recessed entry between this building and the . . . — — Map (db m183186) HM
From 1876 to 1880, the junction of Wall and Main Street was the commercial center in Deadwood Gulch. Initially, Wall Street was situated on the southeast/northwest boundary of Placer Claims 13 and 14 above Discovery in the Whitewood Creek Mining . . . — — Map (db m234700) HM
A hundred years ago,
almost every Deadwood railroad
passenger would have spent a few
moments right here. They waited
to see how much it would cost to
bring goods on the train. Freight companies and railroads charged by
the pound, so lever . . . — — Map (db m183425) HM
"The most important
single ingredient in the
formula of success is
knowing how to get
along with people.
- Theodore Roosevelt Gold Rush in the Hills
A U.S. government expedition discovered gold
in the Black Hills in . . . — — Map (db m183622) HM
Lead's City Hall was located in this ornate building at 215 West Main Street from 1912 until 1938. The building originally housed the mayor's and treasurer's offices, the courtroom, jail, and judge's chambers. After construction of a new City Hall . . . — — Map (db m121489) HM
Battery locomotives were the work horse of locomotives used in the Homestake Mine. Every operating level had at least one locomotive and up to 4 or 5 locomotives. These locomotives hauled ore trains, miners to the work area, mechanics and . . . — — Map (db m121722) HM
In the early days of mining stamp mills were used to crush the ore prior to gold recovery. A stamp mill is a very simple machine. The flywheel builds momentum to turn the cam. The cam lifts the stamps and then gravity drops them back down at a rate . . . — — Map (db m121493) HM
Homestake Mining Company Locomotive Number 9 was purchased in 1907 from the H.K. Porter Company of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. The H.K. Porter number for this locomotive was 3847.
This locomotive is powered by compressed air. The capacity of the . . . — — Map (db m121593) HM
The Halloran Block was designed by City of Lead Architect J. A. Archibald and was completed for James Halloran in December, 1897. Mr. Halloran originally came to the Black Hills with the Custer Expedition of 1874. James Halloran was a prime mover . . . — — Map (db m121495) HM
Locomotive Number 35 was purchased in April, 1931 from the H.K. Porter Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This locomotive was in service on the Homestake Tramway hauling ore from the Homestake shafts to the Homestake mills.
This locomotive is . . . — — Map (db m121492) HM
This gas-powered locomotive was operated as a tramway locomotive, hauling ore in the Trojan Mining District, west of Lead. The mines serviced by this locomotive were the Clinton, the Two Johns, and the Trojan. The ore from these mines was hauled to . . . — — Map (db m121506) HM
Medical services at the Homestake Mining Company, one of the pioneers in the United States in the field of industrial health services, first began in 1877, when the company contracted with Dr. D. K. Dickinson to furnish medical and surgical . . . — — Map (db m121497) HM
The one-ton ore cars were prevalent throughout the mining industry in the early Twentieth Century. These ore cars were small enough to be used in the smallest tunnels to haul rock from the production face to a dump point. Some dump points were over . . . — — Map (db m121494) HM
This is Homestake's Open Cut Mine, one of the best known landmarks in the Black Hills. It is the site of the original discovery in 1876 of the Homestake claim, named for "making a man rich enough to make his home stake (enough money to return home . . . — — Map (db m34673) HM
Slag buggies, cast at the Homestake Foundry, were used in two different processes at the Homestake Refinery. One process was receiving slag produced in the blast furnace process. The Homestake blast furnace process utilized a coke-fired furnace to . . . — — Map (db m121498) HM
This man car was used by the Homestake Mining Company to transport men and equipment from the shafts to the mining areas. This man car has 18" gauge trucks (distance between wheels) that were used in the upper levels of the Homestake Mine.
In . . . — — Map (db m121598) HM
A man car is used in underground mining operations to transport miners to and from shafts to underground mining locations, traveling on a railroad. These man cars usually held eight miners, packed tightly with their equipment, tools and lunch pails. . . . — — Map (db m121594) HM
The Bald Mountain district, which includes the Portland area, is 3½ miles southwest of the Lead district. Claims were located in the Portland area in 1877, but early mining was handicapped by the highly refractory (difficulty) nature of the . . . — — Map (db m121597) HM
The overshot mucker was a rail-mounted, rock excavation machine, operated by compressed air. This mucker was used to scoop up blasted, broken rock and throw it overhead into an ore car positioned behind the mucker. As the mucker advanced the mining . . . — — Map (db m121585) HM
The pneumatic rock drill, also called a jackleg drill, was the most versatile rock drill used at the Homestake Mine and mines worldwide. This drill was used to drill holes that were then loaded with explosives for blasting and to drill holes that . . . — — Map (db m121595) HM
The Spargo Hoist was developed by a Homestake Mining Company engineer. This small, pneumatically operated hoist was used in many applications in the underground Homestake Mine. One of the uses was a sinking hoist; used by mining crews to mine a . . . — — Map (db m121584) HM
Lead's first bank was founded in 1879 under the name of Samuel Wood & Co. and was later renamed Thum, Lake & Co. It became a state bank in 1883 under the name of the Lead City Bank, a name which was changed to the First National Bank in 1891, and . . . — — Map (db m121484) HM
The Glover House at 11 Glendale Drive, was built in 1899 as a Christmas gift from Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Science Church, to her son George Washington Glover II. At the time of construction, the site was located outside of the city . . . — — Map (db m121481) HM
The Homestake lode, the basis for the great Homestake Mining Company, was discovered by Moses Manuel, who, with his brother Fred, had come to the Black Hills in 1875. The two brothers, along with Hank Harney, officially located the claim on April 9, . . . — — Map (db m34714) HM
The Open Cut was once a solid mountain on which Fred and Moses Manuel with Hank Harney located the original Homestake claim on April 9, 1876. It is estimated that up to 14 different mining companies removed 48 million tons of ore and waste from . . . — — Map (db m34674) HM
In 1895, the Lead Evening Call newspaper described the small community of Pluma, strategically placed between Deadwood and Lead, as ”One of the most thriving places around”. Soon after, Deadwood began marketing itself as the . . . — — Map (db m121100) HM
Belt City Light and Power Company, 1893 – 1905
In 1893, the Belt Light and Power Company of Lead built a 30 x 92 foot brick and stone power station in this vicinity. The plant boasted a Brush Alternating System consisting of two 1500 kW . . . — — Map (db m121099) HM
Cattle began arriving in the 1860s when the cattle drives came up from the south bringing the large herds of long horned cattle, and in the 1870s homesteaders brought small herds to the Whitewood area. The natural tall prairie grass of the High . . . — — Map (db m184172) HM
184 entries matched your criteria. The first 100 are listed above. The final 84 ⊳
