A mesmerizing presentation on Black Hills floods

Hydrologist Dan Driscoll recounting historic floods

There was standing room only Tuesday night (2/5/13) as more than 100 people sandwiched themselves inside the Senior Citizen's Center in Spearfish to hear Dan Driscoll talk about flooding.

It's a topic all too familiar to many residents of the northern Black Hills, and memories of the devastating Rapid City flood of 1972 came back with little prompting as Driscoll gave the group an hour-long overview of historic floods in the Black Hills region.

An hydrologist with the U. S. Geological Survey in Rapid City, Driscoll has been very involved with studies relating to flood-frequency analysis.  Well rooted in science, he provided members of the Spearfish Area Historical Society with a thumbnail sketch of how scientists go about measuring size and frequency of flooding -- underscoring the importance of historical data, while conceding that there's still a lot of uncertainty about flow estimates in flooding rivers.

Driscoll's presentation -- including links to historic flood photographs and information -- is reported on the web site of the Spearfish Area Historical Society.  Read more here...

The Newell Museum: A Jewel in the rough...

by Larry Miller

Good friend Don Matthesen and I had been ruminating for some time about a trip into the Belle Fourche Irrigation District country to visit his old stomping grounds.....and to visit to the Newell Museum.

We finally made the trip yesterday (6/29/12) and it was delightful day.

After driving a back road route to Nisland -- via the old Dane Church -- we enjoyed some burgers and fries at the Nisland Cafe before setting off for Newell.

For a community that claims only about 800 souls, the Newell Museum is a real surprise.  Despite a few newspapers articles about the museum in recent months, we were the only visitors on this sizzling Friday afternoon.  Of course, it was a weekday, and younger folks are at work.  We're a couple of retirees -- but even most of the folks in our age category have enough sense to stay home on hot afternoons!

Nonetheless, we were pleasantly greeted by Museum Curator Linda Velder, who spent much of her afternoon giving us a tour of the museum, co-located with town offices on 3rd Street in Newell.

Linda Velder is the Curator at the Newell Museum.....a "must-see" destination!

We suspected that the museum might have more items than you might expect in such a small community, and we were right!  The museum is spread out in four different buildings -- and there's a newer storage building on the back of the property containing items "not yet ready for prime time."

The ground floor of the main museum is chock full of artifacts and documents that should delight any history buff.  While space is sparse for conducting research, many people have already utilized the variety of school yearbooks, family histories, and other historical publications that are nestled in a front corner of the museum.

Don was able to forage through quite a bit of Matthesen information; of course, since he'd attended school in this vicinity as a youngster, he was familiar with many of the family names and businesses in the area.  I'm still a bit of a newcomer, but I thoroughly enjoyed delving into the variety of displays and memorabilia.

Most of the items relate to the early settlers and businesses of the area, and there's quite a bit about the U.S. Reclamation Service (USRS), which played a key role in helping develop the irrigation district.  Named for the first USRS chief engineer Frederick Haynes Newell, the town was established in 1910.  For more than a century now, irrigation waters have been the lifeblood of this area stretching eastward from Orman Dam on the plains at the northern end of the Black Hills.

We'll not recount all the fascinating things you'll find in the museum, but we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the superb doll collection that's displayed on the second floor of the museum.  We're told that there are more than 800 dolls, antique toys, and numerous other artifacts from  bygone eras.  There're also replicas of a medical clinic, an old bathing room, a judge's chambers, and more.

And that's all just in the main museum.

In separate buildings you'll find an impressively outfitted cabin that was built in 1880 on Horse Creek and served as home for the Johannes Flaigg family.

The One Room Schoolhouse will transport you to another era when education seemed a bit more straightforward -- and some might say better!  If the pot-bellied stove, chalk boards, and old desks don't nudge your nostalgia, the meticulously assembled school census records available in the old Wetz School building will remind you that this was an important part of education -- and life -- for generations past.

And although it was a Congregational Church when it was built in 1911, the Church Museum on the lot behind the Newell Museum is very ecumenical these days -- and very impressive.   While curator Linda Velder laments the laundry list of things yet to done in this and other museum areas, we think there's also good cause for her and the citizens of Newell to rejoice at such a remarkable resource in their community.

Numerous folks have contributed items and funds to help make this museum one of the best -- if yet least known -- museums in the region.

We have a feeling that'll change in the coming months and years -- as it should.

We've started this small gallery of photos from our excursion.  See:  Newell Museum. 

Congratulations to Linda Velder and the Town of Newell for their vision in developing this institution.  With more promotion......and community involvement......current and future generations can gain a better understanding and appreciation for their ancestors and their significant contributions to this region.  

Tales of Lookout Mountain

Veteran educator Paul Dingeman was in front of a class again – but this time it was an eager group of history buffs chomping at the bit to learn more about Lookout Mountain on the northeast edge of Spearfish.

“It’s not much of a mountain,” Dingeman told members of the Spearfish Area Historical Society. “Its elevation is 4,452 feet, only about 800 feet higher than Spearfish.”

But the northern Black Hills landmark has a rich history, and Dingeman shared much of it with a packed house last night (2/2/10) at the Spearfish Senior Citizen’s Center.

Dingeman, who was born in Deadwood and raised in Spearfish, recalled hiking up the mountain numerous times as a youngster – even collecting a jar full of rattles from rattlesnakes that he’d encountered along the way over the years.

“Growing up, everyone thought Lead was the highest town in the Hills, but it’s not. Custer is 5,318 feet and Lead is 4,960. Spearfish is just 3,643 feet.”

He recalled as a 6th grader, he had to write a paper on Lookout Mountain, so he enlisted the aid of two older ladies – the “Massey girls” – who ably shared several yarns with the lad and later came to school to address the students.

The Masseys told of the early days when settlers would send lookouts to the mountain from a stockade – located about where Roma’s restaurant is situated today. They would use mirrors and smoke signals to communicate with folks back at the stockade, warning of Indians or other perceived dangers.

The mountain was referred to as a “she,” and because of its shape, “she” was deemed our “protector” and referred to as the “queen of the valley.” Thus came the origin of “Queen City” when referring to Spearfish.

Dingeman spent considerable time relating the mystery of the Thoen Stone. Discovered by Louis Thoen in 1887, the block of sandstone was found concealed near some oak trees on Lookout Mountain. On it was etched a message by one Ezra Kind, saying that he and his group had found “all the gold we could carry” in 1834. Alas, the message went on to report that all but he were killed by Indians, and that he had nothing to eat, no horse, and the Indians were hunting him.

Over the years, the validity of the story has been challenged, but researcher Frank Thomson, in his 1966 book “Thoen Stone: A Saga of the Black Hills,” defended the Thoen story.

And so it is that the stone (shown at right) has remained something of an historical controversy, and its authenticity may forever remain a mystery. It is among the many wonderful exhibits in the Adams Museum in Deadwood.

In the 1950s, Dingeman was scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 17 and Explorer Post 254. At the request of Frank Thomson, Dingeman shepherded his lads up the mountain where they roped off sections and commenced to dig nearly a foot deep in search of artifacts – and they came up with plenty – a pistol, a dutch oven, buttons, shovels, spent rifle casings and “all kinds of stuff.” Thomson took pictures of the findings, which were reportedly delivered to the Adams Museum in Deadwood, but Dingeman says they’re no longer to be found.

Dingeman said his mother-in-law, years ago, bought a “high-powered” metal detector and convinced him and a brother-in-law to search atop Lookout Mountain for any "Thoen gold." Alas, several long weekends of searching netted no booty!

While Deadwood would seem to have the corner on colorful wild west stories in Black Hills, Spearfish is not without a few of its own stories. Dingeman shared the story of two cattle thieves, caught at the foot of Lookout Mountain and dragged to a couple of nearby oak trees, where swift justice was exercised.

Perhaps less colorful – but just as contentious – were the struggles for routing the new Interstate Highway through Spearfish. Early plans had called for routing the superhighway to the east of Lookout Mountain – headed for Belle Fourche – before swinging back to the west toward Wyoming. After much local advocacy, highway officials changed the route to the west, but taking a route through the heart of the valley, near the site of the hospital today. Homestake Mine intervened, reminding officials that they’d have to guarantee safe delivery of all water in some 87 irrigation ditches that snaked through town. Government officials relented and moved the highway back up to its present track on the west side of Lookout Mountain.

More photos and a bit more information can be found in our History Gallery of the Spearfish Area Historical Society.

Dancing into the past

Folks came to learn more about the historic Tretheway Pavilion. What they got was that and a lot more, as writer Paul Higbee teamed up with musician Gary Mule Deer for a rare evening of history and music last night (1/5/10) at the Spearfish Senior Citizen’s Center.

Some 50 people braved freezing temperatures and light snow to attend the January meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society.

Spearfish native Paul Higbee – who has presented many society programs over the years – was back to talk about the old Spearfish Park Pavilion, known these days as the Tretheway Pavilion.

Last year, the building was one of the first inductees into the South Dakota Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.

“I didn’t know that buildings could be members of Halls of Fame,” Higbee quipped, “but it is – along with another building, the Arkota Ballroom in Sioux Falls,”

But the history of the Spearfish Park Pavilion pre-dates even its legendary rock ‘n roll era. Likely built in the 1920’s, the pavilion was a center of much activity – from roller skating to boxing. Of course, it was dancing that increasingly dominated the scene, especially after movies replaced much of the dancing in the old Matthews Opera House.

When Higbee asked how many in the audience had actually gone to dances at the pavilion – about half the crowd raised their hands. One lady volunteered that she’d danced there in the 1930s to Henry Phillips and the Ambassadors, a Lead group that was one of the more popular area bands.

But by the late ‘50s and into the ‘60s, it was rock ‘n roll that launched a new era for the pavilion. Artists like the Everly Brothers (at right), the Shirelles, Chubby Checker, Seals & Croft, Jerry Lee Lewis, and many others, scheduled shows at the pavilion – usually when they were on their way from one city to another, like Denver or Cheyenne to Minneapolis.

“This was music with an edge,” said Higbee, “and it was connected to booze, and fights, and cigarettes, and – yes, sex.” He noted that Gary Mule Deer once told him, while discussing the Spearfish park pavilion, that “rock and roll was about being defiant, and parents hated it!”

For kids growing up in that era, nighttime radio in western North America was dominated by the 50,000-watt powerhouse, “KOMA in Oklahoma.” The Oklahoma City station, at 1520 on the AM dial, would often mention the performers and dances scheduled throughout their wide listening area – including those at the “Spearfish Park Pavilion.” For most KOMA listeners, it was probably the first time they’d ever heard of the little town in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

By the 1970s, the pavilion happened upon hard times. Heating was becoming a big problem for the old white clapboard building, and by the 1980s there was even talk of tearing it down.

That’s when Mayor Wilbur Tretheway helped save the building. A generation earlier, Tretheway had been a member of the Henry Phillips band that played in the pavilion. The mayor helped lead a successful campaign to save and refurbish the building. Today, it carries his name.

Another fellow who’s no stranger to the pavilion is Gary Mule Deer. A surprise addition to the January program, Mule Deer spent nearly an hour singing and sharing anecdotes about the Spearfish Park Pavilion and the rock ‘n roll era.

Both Mule Deer and the Tretheway Pavilion were named to the South Dakota Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame last year. Higbee noted that another Spearfish resident – Larry Bell – is slated for induction into the Hall of Fame this year.

Our Spearfish History Gallery shares a bit more information and a few additional photos from the Tretheway Pavilion presentation.

Next month, history about "Lookout Mountain" will be shared by long-time resident Paul Dingeman. That program is set for 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 2nd. As always, the public is invited, and there’ll be refreshments served after the program.

Barns of Lawrence County

When it’s a hot topic, even bitter cold weather won’t keep history buffs away! It was standing room only last night (12/1/09) at the Spearfish Senior Citizens Center as more than 75 folks crowded the hall for an incisive look at the images and histories of many “Barns of Lawrence County.”

Long-time SDSU County Extension Agent Leo Orme – now retired – was the speaker for the December meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society. Click on any of the photographs shown here, if you'd like to see a larger image.

All 42 barns included in Orme’s research are at least 50 years old. Many, of course, are even older. More than 2,000 photographs were taken as part of a project done about 10 years ago to document barns in Lawrence County. Asked if those barn photographs included any interior shots, Orme noted that most are “so full of stored stuff, that you can’t get any pictures inside.”

“We’d be here all night, if I tried to cover all 42 barns that I’ve researched,” said Orme, who shared the histories of more than a dozen barns among the many scattered across Lawrence County. Orme had worked with Bob and Ann Matheney in assembling an exhibit about the barns back in 2000. It was part of a display at the High Plains Western Heritage Center, which was a local sponsor of a national Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit about barns.

A native of Colorado, Orme came to South Dakota in 1959 to lead a U.S. Fish and Wildlife project at the McNenny Fish Hatchery west of Spearfish. As a 4-H leader, and later as an SDSU Extension Agent, he became well acquainted with agricultural interests in the region, including many of the barns included in his research.

Orme said he’s hoping to publish a book on the barns of Lawrence County sometime in the future. At right is one of the interesting barns included in his research. It belongs to Ralph and Becky Crago and is located near the Red Water River just north of Spearfish. A few snapshots from this December meeting can be found in our History Gallery.

A more contemporary structure – but one of great popularity these days – is the Tretheway Pavilion in the Spearfish City Park. That’ll be the topic of the January gathering of the Spearfish Area Historical Society, when veteran writer Paul Higbee shares the history of the pavilion. His presentation will be at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, January 5, 2010, and the public is invited to attend.

Homestake - It isn't over

Long an economic powerhouse for the region, Homestake Mine operated for more than 125 years and was the deepest – and most productive – gold mine in North America. It closed its doors in 2002. With the people of South Dakota as new owners and an eye on science, the once prolific gold mine has started a transformation that – if and when completed – promises to make it a top-flight international research laboratory.

“The game isn’t over,” says Dr. Jose Alonso, a nuclear astrophysicist who spent 30 years at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California before heading up the Sanford Underground Laboratory at Homestake. He is now director emeritus.

“One should be aware that the game isn’t over yet. The fine print on the selection was…IF the underground lab is going to be built in the United States, it will be built at Homestake.”

Alonso said the $15 million set aside to prepare a Preliminary Design Report isn’t nearly enough. Some $500 million will be needed to actually build the lab, with about half of that amount going for infrastructure – the rest for experiments. It’ll likely be some three years before we know if Congress will actually appropriate the funds for the project.

But that point didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of a couple of dozen folks who filled a downstairs room at the Adams Museum in Deadwood last Thursday (11/19/09). The museum strutted its stuff by hosting a terrific double-barreled presentation that focused on both the past and the future of Homestake. Author Steven Mitchell and scientist Dr. Jose Alonso teamed up with The Adams, the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, and Black Hills State University to present an all-afternoon presentation called “Homestake: Its Past and Its Future.”

With an impressive array of incisive historical research and compelling photographic images, Mitchell set the stage with a journey into both the history of the peoples and the geology of the Black Hills region. A life-long resident of the Black Hills, Mitchell holds degrees from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, but he belied his academic training and career as a mining engineer by demonstrating a gift for storytelling based on well-documented facts.

Reaching back to the Treaty of 1851 that sought to settle tribal territorial disputes and stabilize the precarious relations between the American Indians and westward-migrating settlers, Mitchell also shared details about the Great Reconnaissance Act of 1853 to explore the west, primarily in search of routes for expanding rail transportation. With the discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874 came an onslaught of entrepreneurs, many of whom became the stuff of legends.

Homestake Mine is the focus of Mitchell’s new book, Nuggets to Neutrinos: The Homestake Story. From early mining claims and extraction techniques to wily business strategies and modern technology, Mitchell seemed to cover all bases right up to the closure of the mine. He discussed several significant reclamation projects that have occurred in recent years, laying the groundwork for development of a deep underground science and engineering laboratory.

After a short intermission, the focus moved from the past to the future. Dr. Jose Alonso talked about the transition of Homestake, providing a chronology of the scientific and political maneuvering that have occurred in the last few years. Once a director of the Sanford Underground Laboratory at Homestake, he remains a champion for the project and serves as emeritus director.

Alonso walked the audience step-by-step through the “bureaucratic” solicitation process that proponents of the underground lab have followed in seeking approval for funding from the National Science Foundation.

In 2006, between the political advocacy of Governor Mike Rounds and a $70 million gift from the deep pockets of T. Denny Sanford, Homestake had “stacked the deck” against its challenger, Henderson Mine in Colorado. Barrick donated the mine – 186 surface acres – to the State of South Dakota, and Homestake had secured a $120 million war chest that could be spent to get things going early. This was an enormous advantage for Homestake – giving them a three or four year head start. It was a very enviable position in the pursuit of a world-class underground laboratory. And Alonso said there was something else that made Homestake more attractive to scientists.

“Henderson is an operating molybdenum mine… and continues to operate…and it’s very clear when you are there, even as a guest, their first interest – bottom line – is mining. So you are really a second class citizen there. You have certain case times, you have certain things you can do, certain things you cannot do. You have little control over schedule, resources, or anything else.”

“Over here (Homestake), science owns the mine. And that is huge.”

By July of 2007, the National Science Foundation endorsed a recommendation from a 22-member independent panel that tapped Homestake as the site for a University of California-Berkeley design proposal for a DUSEL (Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory).

Alonso laid out the NSF timetable for awarding the $500 million to actually build the underground laboratory, noting that much more than $15 million is needed for the preliminary design phase – to be completed next year – probably something on the order of $75 million. With a final approval from NSF expected in May 2011, the $500 million project would have to be funded by Congress, and it would likely be a part of the federal FY 2013 budget request. That would require Congressional approval by about October of 2012.

If the costly and somewhat complicated funding process is a bit confusing – it pales compared to the esoteric but significant science projects on the drawing boards. In fact, early science projects are already being planned or are underway. Dr. Alonso’s animated enthusiasm for the projects may not have been enough to keep a few of us luddites in the audience on the edge of our seats, but many of the late afternoon hangers-on were themselves scientists or budding researchers, anxious to talk science with the dynamic Doctor Alonso.

Even using lay terminology, Alonso’s efforts to shine a light of nuclear astrophysics knowledge into the dark recesses of a few unscientific minds in the audience was probably fruitless. But his unrestricted enthusiasm and lively exchanges with tekkies in the audience was almost mesmerizing. “Fuzzy science” took on a somewhat different meaning as the good doctor covered the scientific landscape all the way from the “Coulomb Barrier” and “Gamow Peak” (which are not remote holiday getaways) all the way to “Neutrino Double Beta Decay!” And we’re still in the dark regarding planned “Dark Matter” experiments.

Nonetheless, this was a rare afternoon of enlightenment – even if much of the scientific gobbledy-gook flew over the head of this History major.

We’d gladly camp out on the doorstep of the Adams Museum for the opportunity to participate in another such session. For Mary Kopco and the folks at The Adams Museum and House, it was another excellent event – helping to inform and inspire area residents about the wealth of history and resources in the Black Hills. Resources that will one day likely include a fully-operational, world class deep underground laboratory.

And then it really won’t be over. It’ll be just the beginning.

Far from the sea: Dewey, South Dakota

Whether or not there was a veteran of the Spanish-American War living in southwest Custer County in the early 1900s, we don’t know. But there was someone with enough regard for Admiral of the Navy George Dewey to name a town after the military hero.

Fifth generation resident JoAnn Boggs shared that and other stories about Dewey, South Dakota this week (11/3/09) during the November meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society at the Senior Citizens Center. Boggs and her husband ranch near the Custer County hamlet – and they also run a saw mill and pellet plant.

Boggs’ interest in genealogy helped her uncover the fascinating story of Dewey, which is nestled along the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks close to the Wyoming border in Custer County. It’s about 40 miles west of Custer on the flatland just west of Elk Mountain.

“Go to the edge of the earth, turn around and go back a quarter of a mile, and you’re there!” says Boggs, quoting another resident of Dewey.

Boggs says her ancestors arrived in the county in 1878 at about the same time that the S & G Ranch was formed there by the Union Cattle Company out of Laramie, Wyoming. It was one of five major ranches in the region, according to Boggs, and once ran as many as 10,000 head of cattle. But the blizzard of 1888 forced the ranch into receivership, ending up in the hands of Goshen Irrigation, which – says Boggs – was a part of the Union Cattle Company!

Thanks to the availability of water in the area, the Burlington & Missouri Railroad chose to build a station and stockyard at the S & G in 1889. Boggs says the facility was important to the area, and it rivaled Belle Fourche as a livestock shipping center for a time.

While there was a post office for a short period in 1899, it was moved to Edgemont until about five years later when mail service returned to the community, and the name Dewey was chosen for the post office. By 1908, the railroad station also changed its name to Dewey.

Boggs recounted the creative ways that some couples would file for homesteads before getting married, thus providing them with larger property holdings after marriage. It also gave rise to a home being built on skids, allowing it to be moved back and forth from one property to the other, thus assisting the homesteaders to “prove up” their land as required by the government.

While there were never many buildings in Dewey, it did have a general store, post office, and school. Hard times and lightning have seen the demise of several buildings, though one of the older homes still stands in the community. JoAnn Boggs has agreed to share some of her photographs with us, and we'll post them to our history gallery when we receive them.

Ranching remains important to the region, and Dewey still feels the rumble of some 60 to 70 coal trains per day passing through – but never stopping – at the old town.

Bentonite was once important to the region, but no more. Boggs says uranium exploration has spurred new activity in the area.

The Spearfish Area Historical Society expressed appreciation that Ms. Boggs would make the 115 mile trek to Spearfish for the program, which sparked many questions from the audience. As always, there were treats and good conversation following the presentation.

The next meeting will feature Leo Orme sharing photos and stories about the Barns of Lawrence County. Mark your calendar for 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 1st!

Partners saving Meeker Ranch

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The weather simply wasn't cooperating.

Early evening rain and lightning nearly caused cancellation of the August Moon Walk to the historic Meeker Ranch homestead near Custer on Saturday (8/8/09). But Mother Nature relented, and about 100 people weathered the storm to enjoy another terrific educational hike sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service.

At first, the weather was sunny and mild, followed by clouds, rain, and then – the bane of all hikers – lightning! They tell us that only lightning will force cancellation of a Moon Walk. Fortunately, the small storm pushed rapidly through the hills east of Custer, and by 7:15, skies were clearing. It turned out to be a delightful evening for a hike – even with a few pesky mosquitoes nipping at our necks.

This place has been the catalyst for some interesting partnerships.

Five years ago this month – August 2004 – the Meeker Creek Habitat Conservation Project celebrated a partnership between the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Ina Davis family. The goal was to conserve the 278-acre parcel of land known as Meeker Ranch.

But it wasn’t until 2008 that the ranch captured more widespread attention. That’s when well-known Black Hills artist Jon Crane (left) helped elevate it into public consciousness. Crane’s advocacy in getting the Forest Service to alter plans to either burn down or tear down buildings on the scenic ranch had all the elements of a good news story. Bernie Hunhoff wrote one such story for the March/April 2008 edition of South Dakota Magazine.

Crane, like most of us, was apparently mesmerized by the beauty of the ranch, and enlisted others – including the media – to get the government to reconsider its initial plan to get rid of buildings on the ranch. The Forest Service was confronted with a myriad of safety and liability issues; retaining the buildings and fixing them up would be costly.

One senses that the road to the current “partnership” between the U.S. Forest Service and the Black Hills Historic Preservation Trust – which Crane helped organize – was probably full of potholes and detours. Nonetheless, there now seems to be a united effort to preserve and restore the Meeker Ranch property, including volunteers and private contributions.

As one meanders down the road to the open meadow that is home to the Meeker Ranch, it’s easy to see how Jon Crane, and all of us, could fall in love with this place. Crane has also dedicated a portion of his Meeker Ranch artwork sales to help with restoration.

On this particular cool August evening, Forest Service archaeologist Matt Padilla (left) was our Moon Walk guide, providing not only a good overview of Meeker Ranch history – but sharing a few early photographs of the ranch and its founder, Frank Cunningham Meeker.

Born in Ohio, Meeker made his way west in the late 1870s and worked on cattle drives from Texas to the northern Plains. Padilla says the young Meeker also worked as a Pony Express rider before pursuing a ranch of his own in the Black Hills. After working on a ranch south of Custer, he homesteaded on the current ranch site in 1882. They called it “Willow Creek.”

According to Frank Meeker's granddaughter, Nancy Suzanne Meeker Wolfe, title to the ranch passed from the Meeker family to Dave and Iney Davis in May of 1973. Some 31 years later, in 2004, the property was purchased by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, which subsequently sold it to the U.S. Forest Service. All have seemingly agreed to the Davis’ intent that the land not be developed. Less certain was how to deal with the buildings.

Perhaps the oldest building on the surviving ranch site is the Meeker home, built in 1887. Several additions have been built over the years, but no one has lived in the structure for more than 50 years. There’s a cool cabin about a half mile southwest of the main house, and it’s there that the Davis family – Dave and Ina – chose to live in the 1950s.

Each of the buildings on the Meeker Ranch has its own story – and this Moon Walk stirred up considerable interest in the venerable ranch. The huge turnout for the August event (including U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Craig Bobzien and his wife) is a testament to its popularity.

Our Moon Walk Gallery offers several photos and a bit more information. More importantly, perhaps it’ll stir your curiosity and put you on the road to Custer to explore the remarkable Meeker Ranch.

Fun on a foggy flume trail

Hiking in the Black Hills is always fun – and especially when you’re able to learn something about the rich mining heritage of the region.

With a bit of reluctant anticipation, we bundled up and took off Saturday afternoon (6/6/09) for the Upper Spring Creek trail head about 30 minutes driving time southwest of Rapid City. I say “reluctant,” since the weather page of the Rapid City Journal had earlier predicted high temperatures in the 80s, but Mother Nature was delivering a decidedly cooler reception. I think the folks at the Journal got their forecasts mixed up. As we arrived at the trail head for the second in the 2009 Moon Walk series hosted by the U.S. Forest Service, there was a very light mist and the threat of rain. The temperature was in the low 40s.

After an enjoyable but wet trek last month to Camp Bob Marshall near Custer, we were beginning to think the Moon Walk series is haunted by nasty weather. Not to worry, however, since mere rain won’t cancel a scheduled Moon Walk – only lightning. Nonetheless, we were more than just a bit wary as we wound our way along Sheridan Lake Road and it kept getting foggier and foggier. This seemed to be a bad omen.

Bad omen or not, about 100 people showed up at the trail head. They would not be disappointed.

After a brief introduction by USFS Recreation Forester Amy Ballard, we started our hike across a narrow Spring Creek bridge and began a short but mildly steep climb up toward the old Rockerville Flume Trail.

Our guide was Colorado native Michael Salisbury, an archaeologist and historian based at the Mystic Ranger Station on the Black Hills National Forest. By the time we reached the flume trail, the hillsides were almost surreal, wrapped in a glowing fog that emitted a low-key but even light across the gulches.

Then Ranger Salisbury gave us a breather as he told the story of the Rockerville Flume.

So, just what is a flume? Why was it important to gold miners? And why – more than a century later – was this curious group of people traipsing around in the fog along an old flume trail?

A few answers – along with some “foggy photos” -- are included in our June 2009 Moon Walk Gallery. Our thanks to the Minnilusa Historical Association for allowing us to use some of the few remaining photographs of the flume.

After you browse through the notes and photos in the album, mark your calendar for the next Moon Walk at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11th. It's the Underground Wildnerness at Ice Cave near Custer. You'll get an update about the diseases that are taking a big toll on bats, and you'll learn about the limestone formations that create caves in the Hills.

And maybe you'll see that full moon!

Moon Walks...no lunar landers needed

What’s a Moon Walk?

A fellow ham radio operator asked me that question last Saturday (5/9/09) as Karen and I were on our way to a lake near Custer for just such an event. What I’ve written below is a general summary of my response to that question.

When we arrived in the Black Hills a few years ago, I read about these curious 'Moon Walks" in local newspapers. Sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service and the Black Hills Parks and Forest Association, the walks are organized to allow folks who have an interest in the Hills – and who have the mobility to participate in short hikes – a terrific opportunity to visit many locales throughout the Black Hills.

Want to know more about the rich history of mining in the Hills? Curious about fire lookout towers? Interested in gaining a wealth of knowledge about elk, bald eagles, and mountain lions? How about getting better acquainted with the western lore of the region? These are among the many topics that have been covered – or will be covered – in the Moon Walks. Or, perhaps you’re simply interested in soaking up some of the beauty that lures people to this majestic region. Whatever tickles your fancy, you’ll likely enjoy these short forays into the hills.

Amy Ballard, Recreation Forester with the U.S. Forest Service, seems to be a prime instigator of these hikes – always scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on spring and summer Saturdays adjacent to a full moon. They generally last about 1-2 hours. The Forest Service suggests that participants dress for “unexpected weather and cooler nighttime temperatures,” which seems invariably to occur! They don’t cancel the events due to rain – but they’ll call it off if there’s lightning in the vicinity.

About 90 folks, on average, show up for most Moon Walks, so we’ve learned to go a bit early to get a convenient parking place. Forest Service officials say that more than 10,000 people have partcipated in the walks since they began back in 1996.

For 2009, we hope to participate in most, if not all, of the Moon Walks, and we’ll share a few pictures and notes about each of our outings. We start with the May 9th trek to Camp Bob Marshall, just a few miles east of Custer. Thousands of young South Dakotans have enjoyed this marvelous facility, which was constructed in 1938-1940 by the Civilian Conservation Corps as a youth camp. Our Moon Walk Gallery our “virtual” visit to Camp Bob Marshall and to learn more about the Civilian Conservation Corps.

On June 6th, hikers will walk part of the Rockerville Flume below Sheridan Lake and learn about the 20-mile flume and its role in regional mining. On July 11th, it’s off to the southern Hills to learn about the Underground Wilderness. Then it’s back to the Custer area on August 8th to learn about early homesteaders and continuing efforts to provide elk habitat on the old Meeker Ranch Homestead. The final outing of the season will be September 5th for a walk near Deerfield Reservoir west of Hill City to gain some insight – and perhaps a peek – and Bald Eagles.

You'll find more information at the U.S. Forest Service web site. We hope to see you on the trail!

Prohibition in South Dakota

One long-time Spearfish resident remembered when the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was a big deal in the region, and she – along with lots of other high school students of the 1950s – signed pledges not to consume alcohol.

That was one of many reminiscences shared with the audience last Tuesday (5/7/09) at the May meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society – spurred by another delightful program from Linfred Schuttler, this time on the topic of Prohibition in South Dakota and its lingering legacy.

Some 75 attendees convened in the Spearfish Senior Citizens Center for the session, which was the final regularly scheduled meeting for 2009.

Schuttler noted that the first prohibition (or temperance) law in Dakota Territory was passed in October of 1889, but the law lacked any enforcement provisions. When the first South Dakota legislature met in 1890, they passed an enforcement bill that had enough bite to cause the closing of two saloons in Spearfish – but none in Deadwood!

Eventually, "package stores" gained favor, offering booze by the bottle -- if not by the drink. However, the Attorney-General cited them as "nuisances" and ordered them closed. Some continued to operate under a drugstore license, offering spirits for "medicinal purposes." The Queen City Mail observed that many folks had stocked up on the banned spirits and would likely not feel the impact of prohibition "for several weeks." Soon, municipalities were taxing package stores to generate revenue, causing something of a furor in the community, since such stores were presumably operating illegally in the first place.

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Since Wyoming had no temperance laws, Schuttler said that the border town of Beulah, Wyoming, “came to the aid of suffering South Dakotans...and became a perpetual oasis for thirsty Dakotans.” Its citizens have continued to make similar treks over the ensuing years, seeking everything from Coors beer and colored oleomargarine to gasoline and – most recently – cigarettes.

In the wild 1880s, “Saloons in Deadwood hardly even made a pretense to close saloons after temperance laws were passed,” said Schuttler. It was the kind of unbridled raucous behavior that came to be associated with Deadwood over the years.

Even the legendary Carrie Nation couldn’t quell South Dakota’s appetite for alcohol, despite visits to South Dakota, including two to Spearfish.

You’ll find more information about Schuttler’s talk, along with details about the election of officers for the Spearfish Area Historical Society, by going to our History Photo Gallery.

While the society now takes a few months vacation from regularly-scheduled meetings, there's a special opportunity for members to tour the newly-refurbished railroad roundhouse in Lead later this month. The tours will be conducted at noon, 1:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 16th especially for members of the Spearfish Area Historical Society.

This opportunity is similar to one offered last October by Wayne Paananen to members of the Lawrence County Historical Society. That was a terrific tour, but we understand that much more work has been done to the old Lead Roundhouse, which served the Black Hills and Fort Pierre Railroad for many years. It promises to be a vibrant new historic attraction in the northern Black Hills, so this will be a rare opportunity for SAHS members to get their own sneak preview!

Bullock the businessman

Historian David Wolff says he originally wasn’t much interested in famed Dakota lawman Seth Bullock. But the more he learned about Bullock and his many political and business pursuits, the more enthusiastic he became about finding out more. At different stages of his life, Bullock was a sheriff, a banker, a rancher and a miner.

Wolff, an Associate Professor of History at Black Hills State University, has just completed Seth Bullock: Black Hills Lawman, a book that chronicles the life of the legendary Bullock It was published by the South Dakota State Historical Society Press and should soon be available at most bookstores across the region.

On Tuesday evening (4/7/09) at the Spearfish Area Historical Society meeting, Wolff focused on Bullock’s many business pursuits – almost all of them busts. This was something of an encore presentation for Wolff, since he had already spoken to the group about Seth Bullock in a 2008 program -- but that program concentrated on Bullock’s role as a lawman.

A considerable portion of Wolff’s talk this month further revealed Bullock’s close relationship with his partner Sol Star. They had befriended each other in 1871 while living in Virginia City, Montana, which was the territorial capital. Star was working for the Governor and Bullock served in the legislature.

“They bumped into each other while looking for a room – as were two other guys,” says Wolff, and they all ended up sharing an unfurnished room in Virginia City, where lodging was at a premium.

A few years later, Bullock married his childhood sweetheart from Michigan, Martha Eccles. In 1875, their daughter Madge was born.

“When Bullock decides it’s time to go to Deadwood in 1876, he doesn’t want to take his wife and new daughter…it was too rough of a place. So he sends them back to Michigan.” By 1878, his wife and second daughter, Flo, join him. Ten years later, they would add a son, Stanley, to the family.

In pursuing new opportunities in Deadwood, Bullock teamed up with his old friend Sol Star, who had also come to Dakota Territory. They would collaborate in a number of business ventures for the next couple of decades, despite the fact, says Wolff, that Bullock really didn’t want to be a businessman. He wanted to be in politics – to be a sheriff. Indeed, in 1877 with the creation of Lawrence County, Governor Pennington appointed Bullock sheriff. Most locals weren’t thrilled by the appointment of outsiders by a Governor who was far away in Yankton himself. Eventually, local citizens forced an election, which resulted in the ousting of Bullock and 10 others who were running the county. In a subsequent election, Bullock again ran for sheriff – and again he lost.

“He was aloof. He was an elitist. Even his 1919 obituary said he had no friends,” says Wolff. Out of office and with few resources, Bullock apparently decided to try earning some money.

“He tried everything.”

Among his many ventures: Star and Bullock Hardware on Main Street. Since Star had been appointed Postmaster, that was incorporated into the enterprise. After being implicated in postal corruption in 1881, Star lost his job as postmaster and focused on selling tin and metal “fireproof” materials at their hardware store.

During the 1880s, Bullock and Star expanded their hardware business to Billings, Miles City, Sundance, Sturgis, and Carbonate – as many as eight stores. But by 1890, Bullock was tiring of the business, and Star – who had money and was the majority partner – dissolved the partnership. Wolff speculated that it was probably because Bullock spend too much money without any significant returns.

Then Bullock turned to ranching and banking -- even mining. Read more about those endeavors and more from David Wolff’s presentation on Seth Bullock by visiting the History Photo Gallery section of Black Hills Journal.

The next meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society will be at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at the Senior Citizen’s Center in Spearfish. Linfred Schuttler returns with a program entitled Prohibition in South Dakota.

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Once again, we express our appreciation to Ray and Darlene Telkamp of Spearfish for audio recording this program so that we might share highlights with you. Thanks, Ray and Darlene!

Old Spearfish High School remembered

NOTE: We were unable to attend the March 2009 meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society; fortunately, good friends Ray and Darlene Telkamp agreed to audio record the session, allowing us to later hear the presentation and craft the following posting. Many thanks Ray and Darlene!

The memory machines were in full operation earlier this month (3/09) when members of the Spearfish Area Historical Society – many of them Spearfish High School grads of yesteryear – gathered at the Senior Citizen Center to hear Paul Higbee talk about the history of the old school.

Higbee, himself a Spearfish grad, is well-known across the region as a superb writer, and he gave another solid presentation. But many in the audience offered up their own memories, including several about “Fight Corner” at 8th and Illinois, where kids took their disputes for an early-day version of “conflict resolution.”

Most of the discussion related to the 85-year-old brick building that stands in the shadow of Lookout Mountain on the east side of Spearfish. Known today as “East Elementary,” it was built in 1926 and was the first Spearfish High School -- a function it served for more than 53 years.

Higbee’s presentation recalled those days even before the old high school building, reaching back to 1883, when the state normal school was begun. There was no separate high school building in Spearfish. Back in those days, students received their elementary and secondary education at the old normal school.

That was not an arrangement that gained much favor among the citizens of Deadwood, Lead, Belle Fourche, and elsewhere. They were concerned that their tax dollars were supporting not only their own local school, but also a normal school in Spearfish -- and the education of Spearfish elementary and high school kids!

Of course, many locals were desirous of their own school, and so it was that specific planning for a building up on Illinois Street was begun in 1923. City Supervisor Martin Thompson, who was also a contractor, played a key role in construction of the building. A carpenter on the job was J. Howard Kramer, later educated at the University of Iowa, and who would eventually become superintendent of the school that he had helped build!

Even in those early days, the school mascot was a Spartan, although there was much consternation in earlier the years as to the exact school colors. They ranged from maroon and gray to red and white.

Perhaps someone can offer some photographs of old Spearfish High School that we might add to this posting? We have linked to a few images in our History Gallery – contemporary though they are – that might help to tell the story of this venerable structure that was home to so many memories. There’s additional information, too, from Paul Higbee’s excellent presentation.

Please send us an e-mail at galey@rushmore.com if you can share with us a few historic photos of old Spearfish High School! And thanks again to Darlene and Ray Telkamp for their assistance with this posting.

History through penny postcards

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and when it comes to historical photographs, we believe it really is true. We've long been intrigued by old photographs, and it was a real treat to sit in on the presentation given by Paul Horsted late last year to the Spearfish Area Historical Society. We shared a few photos and comments about his excellent program in an earlier posting in Black Hills Journal. Paul's skill at pairing contemporary photos with historical photos -- many more than 100 years old -- is truly remarkable.

There's another source for old photographs that you should know about.

U.S. GenWeb, a popular site among genealogists, offers a wide range of resources. One that we had seen some months ago -- but haven't used much -- came across our desk again recently, thanks to Dan Contonis of Spearfish.

It focuses upon old picture postcards that have historical value, and it's quite a treasure trove. Shown above is a postcard depicting a view of old Deadwood.
Of course, there are many more of these penny postcards from all across South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, and the entire country. It's a fun site and easy to get lost in it for hours. Shown here is a black and white depiction of the original Latchstring Inn up in Spearfish Canyon.

There are numerous other cards capturing scenes from throughout the Black Hills. You can find many of them by simply searching the web.

...on a Badlands Ranch

Growing up on a ranch in the Badlands near Kadoka was a memorable experience for Claudia Little.

After getting married and raising two children, she went back to school at Northern State in Aberdeen, followed by a long career in the classroom helping children develop a “love of learning.”

Now she’s sharing her childhood experiences through a pair of books and a series of presentations in the northern Hills. Her latest was Tuesday night (2/3/09) at the Spearfish Senior Citizens Center for members of the Spearfish Area Historical Society.

More than a century ago, her grandparents – immigrants from Germany – were living in Kadoka. Having learned both English and Lakota, her grandfather became a trader on the reservation and acquired land. And so it was that the family moved onto a ranch about 30 miles south of Kadoka, choosing a spot near Pass Creek, because "grandpa had learned in Iowa that tornadoes never strike at the fork of two creeks.” They soon moved in to a log house with a thatched roof, and he witched for a well – a well that is still good 100 years later.

A generation later – by the 1940s – Claudia’s father was operating the ranch, and she learned first-hand what it was like “Growing up on a Badlands Ranch,” the topic of her presentation to the historical society. She recounted her mother’s activities on the ranch, where “from sun to sun, the work's never done,” including huge breakfasts and large dinners, too, for some 15 people every day.

“Monday was wash day, Tuesday was ironing, and on Wednesdays we hung the rugs on the line and beat them to death.” Saturdays were reserved for baking, making enough bread to last for a week. Occasionally, she’d get to help her dad in the field, but also learned to help her mom in the kitchen, where at age 8 or 9 she learned to bake a pie.

“I detested having to gather eggs,” said Little, who recounted the displeasure of getting pecked by hens that weren’t happy to have her in the vicinity.

Claudia Little’s early education in a one-room country schoolhouse helped lay the foundation for a life-time of learning. The building not only served as a school, but it was a church and community center, and Saturday nights it was a hotbed of dancing!

Her family still owns the “202 Ranch” and still visits there occasionally. Little says growing up on the ranch was a wonderful experience, and she wanted to share with her experiences with her own children, so she has written two books -- Patches and Mudpies.

Go to our History Gallery for photographs and more information about Claudia Little’s presentation on growing up on a Badlands Ranch.

Author Paul Higbee returns to the Spearfish Area Historical Society on Tuesday, March 3rd for a glimpse of “Spearfish High School from the 1920s to the present.”

Horsted on photos - Then & Now

Photographer Paul Horsted of Custer has unveiled new information about an early-day photographer with the Custer expedition, William Henry Illingworth.

“We owe him (Illingworth) a lot for recording pictures of the Black Hills,” Horsted told members of the Spearfish Area Historical Society during their January meeting (1/6/09).

A near record turnout of history buffs crowded in to the Senior Citizen’s Center to see the work of Horsted and hear about his latest project. His beautiful tome The Black Hills Then & Now has become something of a collector’s item, following his 2002 book, Exploring with Custer, which mapped the 1874 Custer expedition through the Black Hills.

Once a staff photographer for the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader, Horsted later served as Chief Photographer for the South Dakota Tourism Department before becoming an independent photographer and publisher 15 years ago. Samples of his work can be found on his website www.dakotaphoto.com

Horsted’s trademark style juxtapositions contemporary photographs alongside historic photos of the hills region. It’s a technique that has won him great acclaim. But more than that, Horsted has demonstrated great skill as a researcher, adding immensely to his demonstrated photographic skills.

The Black Hills Yesterday & Today includes 150 images from some 50 photographers, including Illingworth. The photos date from mid-1870s into the 1930s. Horsted shared new information about Illingworth, noting that when he and an Illlingworth descendant tracked down the family burial site in St. Paul, Minnesota, they discovered that one of the Illingworth graves had been marked that very day!

During his presentation, Horsted not only paid homage to those photographers who’ve gone before, he gave full acknowledgement to some of those persons instrumental in his latest publication – especially his wife, Camille, who did the design work, and Ernest Grafe, who did the editing. He also expressed gratitude to the many landowners who’ve given access to their property. He noted that photographs came from many collections – and he specifically mentioned the Journey Museum in Rapid City, the Adams Museum in Deadwood, and the old photographs made available by the Spearfish Area Historical Society.

Horsted provided some insight into how he has incorporated new and emerging technologies into helping identify and locate the sites where many of the old photographs were taken. Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) and Google Earth are resources routinely tapped by Horsted. Of course, digital photography – rather than film – has become his dominant method for capturing images.

“If you can find the background, you can usually find your way to the foreground,” said Horsted, whose success at this technique is vividly documented in his books.

Horsted says it takes him about three years to research, photograph, write and publish a book. His next publication is tentatively named Crossing the Plains with Custer, a companion to his 2002 book. It will be published later this year, likely before November 1st. You'll find a few more snapshots of Horsted's January presentation in our Spearfish Area History Gallery.

Another delight in the Black Hills

It may not be the stage at the Metropolitan Opera or the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, but renowned operatic performer Johanna Meier appears to be having a great time giving curtain calls inside the cozy Dolls at Home Museum adjacent to the Black Hills Passion Play in south Spearfish.

The stars of the museum are the hundreds – if not thousands – of dolls and miniatures nestled throughout the museum at 435 Meier Avenue (she’s never counted them all). Members of the Spearfish Area Historical Society were treated to special tours of the museum this week (12/2/08) in conjunction with Johanna’s evening presentation to the society at the Spearfish Senior Citizen’s Center.

Meier noted that in past centuries, collecting dolls and other miniatures was the province of only the wealthy. In the 20th century, it grew rapidly and is now second only to stamp collecting in popularity, according to Meier. And while many dolls and miniatures are of porcelain, metal, and other materials, they can be creatively crafted from everyday items ranging from cardboard boxes to bottle caps.

The daughter of Clare and Josef Meier, founders of the legendary Black Hills Passion Play, Johanna grew up in Spearfish and has been “a lover of dolls all my life.” As she pursued a career in music, travel became a way of life. She made her debut with the New York City Opera and did a 15-year stint with the Metropolitan Opera, earning world-wide acclaim and rising to become a major international star. She was recognized as one of the foremost Wagnerian sopranos of her era, retiring in the mid 1990s and returning home to Spearfish with husband, Guido Della Vecchia, to run the Passion Play.

Her world travel allowed Johanna Meier an opportunity to pursue another passion: doll collecting. So it is not surprising to find a wide array of international miniatures among the colorful displays at the Dolls at Home Museum.

While it’s impossible to capture the magnificence of this collection through just a few photographs, we’ve assembled a small gallery of Dollhouse photos in our History Gallery. There are also a few shots taken during her Johanna’s evening presentation.

For her evening talk, Meier brought along a table-full of dolls and miniatures, which she delighted in describing to the audience. She also shared a favorite poem by Phyllis McGinley entitled “The Doll House.”

You might expect an international opera star to be aloof and cold. Johanna Meier is neither, and she exudes a warm and gracious personality. Of course, this is no surprise the long-time Spearfish residents, many of whom remember her from her early years growing up in the community.

Few of her international admirers probably know of Johanna’s deep fondness for collecting miniatures – but we also expect that many her Black Hills neighbors never had a chance to witness her on-stage performances that earned Johanna Meier world-wide acclaim.

Johanna Meier excerpt from Tristan and Isolde

Ghosts of Rose Hill

Was it a coincidence that Linfred Schuttler’s presentation the “Ghosts of Rose Hill’ was given just a couple of weeks after Halloween? We think not!

Despite mystical occurrences between Halloween and the November 11th meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society (SAHS), a fair-sized group of folks turned out for the ghostly meeting at the Spearfish Senior Citizens Center. And perhaps that interim “mysticism” was just the general election!

No stranger to SAHS – or to Spearfish (he’s been here more than 62 years!) – Linfred Schuttler offered a straightforward, slightly tongue-in-cheek, presentation about many unusual circumstances surrounding burials in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Rose Hill sits atop a hill adjacent to the city campground in south Spearfish. It was platted and opened in 1877, even though there may already have been bodies buried there. Linfred shared a litany of stories about deaths and burials in Spearfish during the late 1800s – and noted that there are no markings for many of those graves, and that “perhaps only their ghosts know” where the bodies are buried.

But we do know where the body of one Levi Blizzard lies, because it is identified by both an old wooden marker and a newer metal marker of the International Order of Odd Fellows. And while we know of Blizzard’s demise in November of 1876 – and we know of no ghosts -- no one seems to be able to explain the bouquet of flowers that mysteriously appear on his gravestone every Memorial Day.

Schuttler recounted the decision made in 1884 that no distinction was ever to be made between Union soldiers and Confederate soldiers buried at the cemetery. That was some seven years after a David Abernathy and Deputy Sheriff David Wilson were killed about 10 miles west of Spearfish, while in pursuit of thieves who had stolen Abernathy’s wagon. Settlers en route to Spearfish found their bodies and brought them back to town. They were buried at Rose Hill. As it turns out, Abernathy – who had fought for the Confederacy during the “war between the states” – was the first Civil War veteran buried in the cemetery. We don't know where their plots are, but we do know that from Rose Hill, their ghosts would have a splendid view, as seen in the photo above left.

There was also the touching story about a two-year-old boy whose family lived in a house just beneath the “Normal School” in Spearfish. The lad was bitten by a rattlesnake, but there was no immediate medical attention available, so he was given a shot of whiskey. Schuttler noted that the boy survived this incident, only to die – along with his two brother – of diphtheria two months later.

Weaving stories of crime, passion, and heartache, Schuttler divulged numerous stories that elicited expressions of surprise and delight from the audience.

Among them, the story of Keating and Davis, two men found hanging from a tree about two miles north of town along Spearfish Creek. The two had operated a rather successful butcher shop in Deadwood…..that is, until an area rancher found them dressing out one of his steers!
“No law. No fuss. No story….just two burials,” quipped Schuttler.

For all the light-hearted talk of ghosts as Rose Hill, a casual November afternoon visit to the cemetery divulged only beautiful panoramas and an opportunity commune with deer that populate the grounds this time of year; witness this fellow near a tombstone in the southeast part of Rose Hill.

To see a few candid photographs from the Rose Hill Cemetery presentation, visit our History Gallery. The next Spearfish Area Historical Society meeting will be Tuesday, December 2, when Johanna Meier will open her famous doll house during the day, followed by a presentation that evening at 7:30 at the Senior Citizens Center.