Spearfish Area Historical Society

Follette dispels "geological misconceptions"

2012-03-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

Geology may seem complicated and irrelevant to many folks, but retired Black Hills State University professor Everett Follette brought the subject to life this week (3/6/12) for the Spearfish Area Historical Society March meeting.

About 75 folks showed up at the Senior Citizen's Center for some excellent information about the geology of the Black Hills, including many misconceptions that seem to linger on -- despite evidence to the contrary.

Follette has more than a passing knowledge of area geology, having been born in Belle Fourche and raised in Lead and Sturgis. In 1955 he earned a Bachelor's degree in Physical Science at what was known as Black Hills Teacher's College in Spearfish, later picking up a Master's degree in Science Education at Iowa State Teacher's College in Cedar Falls before capping that with an Education doctorate in Geology and Science Education. After eight years of teaching in middle and high schools at Custer and Sturgis, he started a 30-year-career teaching Earth Science and Elementary Science at Black Hills State University.

True to the style of a classroom teacher, Follette opened his presentation with a "pop quiz." Fortunately, the exercise was an ungraded event!

One of the questions offered a multiple choice regarding the Bad Lands of South Dakota. Do paleontologists consider the Bad Lands to be a premier site for finding (a) mammals, (b) dinosaurs, or (c) fish and other sea life?

The answer surprises many folks -- "mammals."

In fact, its one of the misconceptions he heard perpetuated by a talk show host on South Dakota Public Radio, who boasted that the South Dakota Bad Lands were better than the North Dakota Bad Lands because "ours had dinosaur fossils in them."

Follette noted that it's true that a sabre toothed cat was found in the Bad Lands -- along with a host of other mammalian fossils -- "but the rock formations that comprise the Bad Lands and contain the mammalian fossils are too young to have any dinosaur fossils."

The Black Hills does contain some of the oldest rocks found in North America -- second only to the rocks found in the Canadian shield.

"These oldest Black Hills rocks are approximately 2.5 billion years old," said Follette, adding that they're part of the crystalline core of the hills, including the granites of Mount Rushmore and the metamorphic rocks that were "changed by the heat and pressure associated with the injection of the molten rock that produced Harney Peak and the other igneous rocks of the hills."

Follette talked a bit about rare minerals and disucssed the Etta mine, located just a mile southwest of Keystone in the vicinity of the Keystone cemetery road. The surface mine contained a spodumene crystal that measure 57 feet long. Spodumene is mined for its lithium content.

He also shared photos of the boulder fields near Piedmont, which many folks -- including a younger Everett Follette -- had thought were evidence of glaciation in the Black Hills. While enrolled in a geology course at the School of Mines, he discovere from one of his professors that the Piedmont rocks had been carried by stream and mud flows associated with floods in earlier times.

Long-time Spearfish residents will recall a massive snowstorm around Mother's Day in 1965 that was followed by a downpour of rain. Follette recalled the storm.

"The subsequent flood and destruction in lower Spearfish Canyon and within Spearfish itself -- along with the great piles of debris and boulders of two and three feet or more in diameter -- helped us to realize the great power that water and its attendant debris has."

With charts and graphs, professor Follette provided an excellent discussion about artesian aquifers, which are confined aquifers containing groundwater that is under positive pressure. In our area, the rock layers that are the primary artesian aquifers are called the Minneslusa and the Paha Sapa (or Madison). And the limestone plateau in the Black Hills provides the major recharge area for these formations. Follette also noted that all of the commercial caves in the Black Hills are found in the Paha Sapa limestone formation, and he highlighted the fact that there are many small caves that can be observed in the walls of Spearfish Canyon and little Spearfish Canyon.

Again resurrecting the not-too-distant past, Everett Follette recalled the flood in the spring of 1964 and noted that had it not been for the efforts of city employees and other heavy equipment operators, "Spearfish Creek would have abandoned its bed near the city park and would have established a new course down Third Street." He recalled watching the flowing water "cut an eight-foot channel" through the cement block walls of a home just below the park as the water proceeded to wash both the blocks and rocks down its new course on Third Street.

Follette capped his talk with references to the white mineral we know as gypsum, citing just how problematic it is for builders, because foundations placed over gypsum tend to collapse when gypsum dissolves, which it does readily in water. One of the more well-known locations where gypsum had a significant impact is the buffalo jump near Beulah, just across the Wyoming state line.

"Geologically, the structure is called a 'sink hole.' It is believed that water from the artesian aquifers moved up through the overlying gypsum layers causing the overlying Spearfish formation to collapse," Follette noted. And that's the same phenomenon that's believed to have created Cox and Mirror Lakes near Spearfish. Both of the lakes is believed to be quite deep, Follette says, "with depths of at least 60 feet."

This was perhaps one of the best-prepared presentations we've enjoyed at the Spearfish Area Historical Society, and we appreciate Everett Follette sharing his notes with us, and we used them in preparing this narrative. A tip of the hat, too, to Rand Williams for providing the screen. Of course, the treats were excellent, thanks to the good work of Catherine Polley and Alyce Schavone. Norma Landsberger has been coordinating snacks for the past several years and will be stepping down from that responsibility. Our deep thanks to Norma for her contribution. Anyone willing to coordinate snacks for programs next year (September through May) is encouraged to contact Larry Miller by phone (722-6018) or e-mail.

On the business side of things, the society unanimously adopted revised bylaws, and a copy of the new document is posted online under the "Bylaws" tab above. Many thanks to committee chairman Leo Orme and members Alyce Schavone, Walter Buccholz, Callie Houghton and Larry Miller for their efforts over the past few months in recrafting this important document.

Mark your calendars now for the April 3rd program, when Dr. David Wolff returns with a new take on Dying in Deadwood - Violent Deaths in the Early Hills.

New signs for historic downtown buildings

2012-02-28T17:01:00.000-08:00

Spearfish Historic Preservation Commission
member Lennis Larson shows the sign for Lown
Mercantile, now the Bum Steer at 5th & Illinois.

The Spearfish Historic Preservation Commission last week showed off some of the new historical markers that will be erected this spring and summer in the downtown business area.

Members of the commission, chaired by Greg Dias, displayed many of the new signs at the Spearfish City Council at their meeting on Tuesday (2/21/12). Each of the 10 signs that were exhibited contains a narrative that talks about the building depicted on the sign. The artwork was done by Spearfish native Kevin Miller.

"He's wonderfully talented artist, and we really appreciate the great work that he's done for us," said Dias. "We still have another six markers that need to be completed."

The markers that are finished will be erected adjacent to the downtown structures they tell about. Included in the signage are:

Lown Mercantile (now the Bum Steer)
Mail Building (now Versatile Carpet)
Odd Fellows Hall (now NAPA Auto Parts)
American National Bank (now the Back Porch)
Old Spearfish City Hill (now an office building)
Spearfish Filling Station (still in operation as a service station)
Queen City Hotel (Bay Leaf Cafe)
Billiard Hall (Across the Pond Interiors)
Seth Bullock Building (Bridal Boutique and Prom Too)
Matthews Block (several businesses along Main Street)

For more information about the Spearfish Historic Preservation Commission, visit their website at: http://spearfishhpc.com/index.htm

Stories about Dr. Lyle Hare -- our own country doctor!

2012-02-08T21:39:00.000-08:00

Mary Selbe and Darleen Young shared
many great stories about Dr. Lyle Hare

Very few folks around Spearfish haven’t heard of LyleHare. Many older folks rememberhim well, and the younger ones recognize his name – which is attached to thefootball stadium at Black Hills State University.

Despite freezing temperatures, a sizable crowd of area folksenjoyed a step back in time Tuesday (2/7/12), when Darleen Young and Mary Selbeshared a collection of stories and photographs about the legendary Dr. Hare forthe February program of the Spearfish Area Historical Society. The meetings are held on the firstTuesday evening of each month from September through May.

And while the two ladies shared some of their personalmemories of the “true country doctor,” as Darleen Young described him, there weremany in the audience who recounted many stories about Dr. Hare, a surgeon whofor many years was the only doctor in town.

Born in the tiny community of Cedar Rapids, Nebraska, in1885 to immigrants from Canada, Hare and his family later were among the firstto settle in the panhandle community of Hemingford. When he was about four years old, the family moved to HillCity, South Dakota, where the elder Hare farmed and worked in the newspaperbusiness.

Lyle came to Spearfish to attend the Normal, where he playedboth football and basketball. Aftergraduating in 1907, he entered the University of South Dakota School ofMedicine and completed his course work in 1909. While there, he played football and made quite a name forhimself.

Army First Lieutenant Lyle Hare - 1918

“He was quite an athlete,” reported Darleen Young.

“Two years in a row, he was a unanimous choice forAll-Conference fullback, and some sportswriters of the time even mentioned himwhen writing about their selections for All-American teams.”

Then it was off to the College of Physicians and Surgeons inChicago, graduating in 1911, and then marrying Edna Stone, a girl fromnorthwest Iowa. After aninternship at the University Hospital in Chicago, they made a big move backwest. And athletics played a rolein that move, too.

Dr. Hare opened an office in Spearfish and also accepted ajob as football coach and school physician at the Normal. He reportedly served as athleticdirector as well.

“The Homestake Mining Company appointed him as theirphysician for employees and their families living in Spearfish,” according toDarleen Young.

During World War I, Dr. Hare was commissioned a FirstLieutenant in the U.S. Army Medical Corps and sent to Europe -- assigned as a doctor at Base Hospital #109 in France.

The war ended in 1918, and Dr. Hare’s wife, Edna, became avictim of the flu epidemic and died. Their daughter, Helen Jane, was about four or five years oldat the time. Hare returned home and continued his practice in Spearfish,gaining a well-deserved reputation as a fine doctor and surgeon. He later married Hazel Beckman of St. Onge.

Walter Buchholz recalled Dr. Hare
giving him quite a scare as a kid!

“He really was a true country doctor,” said Young, notingthat Dr. Hare traveled throughout the area on horseback, by teams, sleighs, andcars. “Sometimes, when roads wereimpassable, his doctor’s calls were made by airplane -- flown by Clyde Ice.”

Dr. Hare was also deeply engaged in civic matters and servedas Mayor Spearfish from 1922 to 1926.

Mary Selbe remembered that Dr. Hare also was a member of theState Department Board of Health and Medicine – and that he also served as Presidentof the Department of Medical Examiners for several years.

During the Depression years of the 1930’s, things got sotough that the Normal School cut back to a two-year program. Many people close to the situationcredit Dr. Hare for a key role in restoring the four-year program to the schoolin 1940.

During WorldWar II, Dr. Hare became a member of the Lawrence County Selective Service Boardand reportedly helped carry on the practices of other doctors who had beencalled in to the military.

Mary Selbe remembered that “Dr. Hare had a cabin over inWyoming near Sand Creek, just down the way from the Annenbergs, and often at 4p.m. on Fridays, he’d close the office and go fishing over there.” It seems that he always managed to comehome with some good catches – perhaps because a friend at the nearby hatcherywould open the gates and improve the fishing for him!

Dr. Lyle Hare (1885-1975)

Selbe also recalled that Dr. Hare’s daughter, Jane, hadtuberculosis and was in a sanitarium near Hill City for a time. However, she recovered and completed her education, becoming a dermatologist in Rapid City for many years.

The football stadium at what is now Black Hills StateUniversity was named for Dr. Lyle Hare in 1947, recognizing his contributionsto the athletic programs at the school and his staunch advocacy on behalf ofthe institution. A new stadium wasbuilt in 1960, and major improvements were made to the facility in 2005.

Hazel Hare died in 1972, and Lyle Hare died in 1975, endinga remarkable career.

The historical society evening was capped with some treatsand wonderful one-on-one conversations among attendees, several of whom weredelivered in to this world by Dr. Hare

Next month, Everett Follette will share some of the perceptions and misconceptions about the geology of the northern BlackHills. Mark you calendar forTuesday, March 6^th at the Spearfish Senior Citizen’s Center. The program starts at 7:30 p.m.

"Buckskin" Johnny and the Spearfish stockade

2012-01-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

Vernon Davis of Beulah, Wyoming, comes from a family of pioneers. His ancestors migrated from Wales to Massachusetts in 1636. Born in Redig and raised in Belle Fourche, Davis says he served with the Navy Seabees from 1968 to 1972 and went on to retire from the Naval Reserve. He operated a plumbing and construction business in California for nearly 20 years before deciding to “come home.”

Vernon Davis outside Buckskin Johnny's cabin

“My grandmother was a real pioneer lady,” Davis told the Spearfish Area Historical Society this week (1/3/12) as a prelude to sharing information he has gathered regarding the old Spearfish stockade – along with a narrative about some of his ancestors. They included his great great Uncle, “Buckskin” Johnny Spaulding, and his grandfather and grandmother Davis.

“She traveled about 6,800 miles before 1886. As a young girl, she went from Massachusetts to Wisconsin, Wisconsin to Illinois, Illinois to Nebraska, then to Minnesela, on to Camp Crook, Portland – and then to Bandon on the Oregon coast.”

That’s when President Roosevelt appointed Davis’ grandfather, T.J. Davis, postmaster of Camp Crook. T. J. and his family returned to Dakota Territory in a covered wagon. Vernon Davis shared an old photograph showing his grandfather in a Corporal’s uniform during the Civil War, but expressed a bit of bewilderment, since he’s found no records indicating that his grandfather was ever a Corporal, even though he served “through every battle in the Civil War.”

Davis focused most of his attention upon the old stockade that once stood in downtown Spearfish – often referring to it as a “fort.”

It was apparently built rapidly – right on the heels of Custer’s defeat at the Little Big Horn in June of 1876.

“The fort was built in July of 1876…and there were a lot of unhappy Indians running around the country.”

Vernon Davis speaks to SAHS members

Davis says the walls of the stockade were constructed of 10-foot long logs, buried two feet in the ground and with a point on the top. A beam was soon placed along the inside of the wall, a few feet off the ground, allowing defenders of the stockade to shoot over the wall.

Davis presented a map he had drawn based upon his research, indicating that the “fort” was situated near the present day Wells Fargo Bank on Hudson Street. It showed Spearfish Creek running through a southern corner of the stockade.”

Citing discrepancies with another map that was drawn with information attributed to author Annie Tallent, Davis stood by his contention and added “that creek bed has moved a long way…since I was a kid here.”

He noted that a diary kept by “Buckskin” Johnny listed only a few cabins inside the stockade, and there was “no way that all those people” listed by Tallent, could have lived inside there.”

Davis said that the stockade was gone by 1880.

“The railroad took it,” he said, indicating the logs from the stockade were moved by the railroad to the steep walls up in the area of what is now the Snapper’s Club in the city campground.

“They were used to catch falling rocks” before they impeded rail traffic that once went through the area. While Spearfish no longer has rail service, in earlier years a spur ran from near the mouth of Spearfish Canyon into town. It ran approximately along what is today Canyon Street.

Davis also told of the Pettigrew party of about 13 wagons that set out from Spearfish heading west. They were attacked by Indians in July of 1877 in the general vicinity of Beulah, Wyoming. However, since they had ample warning, the group was able to dig rifle pits in front of the wagons and a huge “hole” in the center of the circled wagons to protect the women and children. Trapped for a couple of nights, according to Davis, the group was rescued after one of the party returned to Spearfish for help.

Davis also told of an incident that likely contributed to his interest in preserving cemeteries and tombstones. It occurred on September 10, 1876 near St. Onge. A scout by the name of Jimmy Iron was killed by Indians. Davis says his grandfather and Uncle John returned to the site some time later and put down a marker. It can still be seen on a knoll near the fairgrounds at St. Onge.

Area residents have long heard about “Buckskin” Johnny Spaulding. Many have even toured his old cabin, one of the very earliest settlements along the Redwater River southeast of Belle Fourche. It was restored by the Belle Fourche Lions Club and is open to the public on the grounds of the Tri-State Museum.

Inside the Buckskin Johnny Cabin in Belle Fourche

Spaulding earned his nickname by dressing in buckskin from his wolfskin cap to the soles of his feet. Born in Wisconsin, he harvested buffalo hides in Nebraska before striking out for the Black Hills in the mid-1870s. During the ensuing years, he maintained a diary that recounted his many interesting experiences in the Black Hills – including several encounters with Indians.

According to his friend, journalist R. B. Hughes, Johnny “used neither liquor nor tobacco in any form, and an obscene or profane word I never heard pass his lips.” A particularly significant feat, given those rough and tumble times along the frontier.

“He didn’t like riding a horse,” said Davis. “He always said that if you’re going to ride a horse in Indian country, you’re going to get killed, because they’ll follow horses.”

“They don’t leave as big a signature. They step light, and he used them as pack animals . He walked practically all the time.”

Johnny Spaulding eventually migrated to Oregon, Washington and California. On June 14, 1898, he enlisted in the Army during the Spanish-American War and served in the Philippines. Some years later – in 1916 and 1917 – he resided in a California home for disabled volunteer soldiers. When admitted to the facility, he was listed as having chronic rheumatism, artherio sclerosis and defective hearing. He also had some heart problems.

But those heart problems wouldn’t affect romance. Ten years later – at age 78 – “Buckskin” Johnny Spaulding reconnected with his sweetheart from some 56 years earlier, Nettie Dobbs. They were married in October of 1927. Alas, Johnny passed away four years later at the Napa Valley Veterans Hospital. Nettie died a few months later.

Spearfish could well have become "Evansville"

2011-12-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Spearfish Creek rises in South Dakota just north of O’Neill pass, not far from the Wyoming border. It flows a scenic route, winding through Spearfish Canyon and streaming some 40 miles before it empties into the Redwater River.

Paul Higbee

“But measuring the 40-mile length is the wrong way to really measure Spearfish Creek,” said writer Paul Higbee last night (12/6/11) during a presentation to the Spearfish Area Historical Society about the historic irrigation system that permeates the valley beyond the mouth of Spearfish Canyon.

“The more important measurement is the 3,000-foot drop over that 40 miles,” Higbee noted, citing a five-inch drop every 100 feet on its route northward to the Redwater.

Joining Higbee for the presentation was life-long resident Billy Evans, whose grandfather -- Robert Evans -- was the moving force behind the elaborate and valuable irrigation system developed in the valley around Spearfish.

An Irishman, the elder Evans cut his teeth in the irrigation business in Montana. Using that knowledge and experience, he set about to provide the vision and reality of what would become a viable irrigation system for more than a century -- one that remains an important part of the economy.

Billy Evans told about the earlier irrigation exploits of his grandfather in Montana and described in some detail the process by which the Spearfish irrigation system was planned and constructed in the 1870's.

Originally, according to Evans, there were 12 ditches crossing the valley, eventually irrigating some 3,700 acres. He even brought along an irrigation shovel, flat-ended rather than pointed, to allow mud to slide off. It’s a shovel he said he used for some 40 years. He told about the fresno, a larger tool specifically designed to move the earth necessary for creation of the ditches. Too large to haul in for demonstration, the device is shown in this video about the Spearfish irrigation project. And you'll find additional photos and other Spearfish history in our Spearfish Gallery.

Billy Evans with his ditch shovel

Billy Evans provided a bit of background about unique aspects of Spearfish Creek. Beyond the sharp decline in elevation that provides the driving force behind the irrigation system, much of the creek lies over about a 40 to 45-foot bed of gravel.

“The water runs so fast, and the gravel on the bottom become so cold in the winter, that Spearfish Creek freezes from the bottom up.” It’s that same gravel-bottom feature that allows the creek to literally recharge itself along its channel.

Evans shared stories from the turn of the last century when Homestake Mine purchased land across the area and secured water rights to help support their operation. Those were challenging times for the many valley farmers who were struggling to make Spearfish valley an even more productive source of farm products for the region.

Another big challenge came in about 1970 when the interstate highway was constructed across the valley. Original plans for the freeway would have routed it right through the heart of town and would have severed many ditches.

“At first, they were going to route it around Lookout Mountain, but then changed their minds and planned it right through town,” said Evans.

Through the efforts of Walter Dickey, Josef Meier, Ray Runnings and others, I-90 finally was routed up along a hillside to the east and ended up crossing only a couple of ditches.

Robert Evans wasn’t the only Evans family member to have a significant impact upon Spearfish. Paul Higbee noted that Evans’ grandmother, Sarah (Pettigrew) Evans was the first teacher in Spearfish and had a deep commitment to not only education, but to the arts as well.

To be sure, the Evans family contribution to the community was enormous. And according to Higbee, current Spearfish mayor Jerry Krambeck has opined that Spearfish could very well have been named “Evansville.”

Cecil Whitlock with his prize

This is not the first time that the Spearfish irrigation system has been a topic for the historical society, and chances are it won’t be the last. The system continues to be an integral part of the local economy and will likely remain so for years to come.

A bit of additional excitement took place following the program when Cecil Whitlock was presented with a large framed "then and now" photograph of Spearfish. His raffle ticket won him the prized Paul Horsted item, which was among the many rare photos Horseth included in his book "The Black Hills: Yesterday and Today." Horsted donated two framed photographs of Spearfish, for which we are very grateful. And our congratulations to Cecil Whitlock!

The next meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society will feature Vernon Davis reconstructing the history behind the old Spearfish stockade -- including a bit of additional insight into one of Vernon’s ancestors, Johnny Spaulding. That meeting is set for 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012.

Collector's item available!

2011-11-17T23:15:00.001-08:00

FRAMED HORSTED PIECE SHOWN HERE WILL BE RAFFLED ON DECEMBER 6

One of the most popular local history books over the past few years has been THE BLACK HILLS Yesterday and Today, published by photographer Paul Horsted of Custer. A frequent speaker across the region, Horsted was kind enough -- after one of his recents talks to the Spearfish Area Historical Society -- to donate a couple of his framed Spearfish "then and now" pieces to the society.

One of those is now on display at the Spearfish Senior Citizen's Center, thanks to Dorothy Pawlowski, whose winning raffle ticket was chosen during our October meeting. Dorothy turned around and donated the work to the center, allowing society members and senior citizen center folks alike to enjoy it throughout the year.

Now is your chance to win another of these fascinating framed prints! The Spearfish Area Historical Society is raffling off the piece shown above at its next meeting on Tuesday, December 6th. And this one is particularly interesting!

"There is one problem with information written on old photos," wrote Horsted on page 134 of his Yesterday and Today book, "...it isn't necessarily accurate. In this case (photo above), someone has written the apparently authoritative inscription 'Sturgis' on a view of Spearfish. The open avenue at right is present-day Kansas Street, while Jackson Boulevard is the next street to the left."

We think that gaff makes this something of a collector's item.

The framed photo will be on display at the December 6th meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society, and tickets will be sold for $1 each -- or six for $5. All proceeds will benefit the Spearfish Area Historical Society. By the way, while leather-bound Collector's Edition of THE BLACK HILLS Yesterday and Today is sold out, copies of the Standard Edition of this fine publication are still available from Golden Valley Press in Custer and from many area bookstores.

The drawing for the Horsted piece is another good incentive for history lovers to drop in for the December society meeting at the Senior Citizen's Center.

Of course, the number one reason to be on hand for the 7:30 p.m. gathering will be the terrific program that awaits! Paul Higbee and Billy Evans will provide a fresh perspective of the Spearfish Irrigation System. No stranger to society gatherings, Paul Higbee has been with us often. We've lost track of the number of talks he's given by to our group -- but it's no wonder. He does his homework and delights folks with his insight and straightforward presentation on a wide range of topics that he's brought to the club. Earlier this year he gave a splendid program on the late Don Smith of Belle Fourche, one of the famed Doolittle Raiders from World War Two. More recently, Paul researched and wrote a History of the Grace Balloch Memorial Library, published by the Friends of the library.

You can get a bit of a sneak preview of the December meeting topic by clicking on this short video entitled Lifeblood of the Valley, featuring an interview with Billy Evans. Produced by the Spearfish Historic Preservation Commission, it should whet your appetite to learn more about the innovative Spearfish irrigation system.

Meetings of the Spearfish Area Historical Society are held at the Senior Citizen's Center on the first Tuesday of every month September through May at 7:30 p.m. and are open to the public. Individual memberships in the society are only $10. Lifetime memberships are just $50. Treats and fellowship follow each program.

Is the alligator still in the swamp?

2011-11-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

Dr. Jose Alonso, who served as Director of the Sanford Underground Laboratory at Lead from 2007 to 2009, says he believes that the National Science Foundation willeventually return to support scientific research at the underground lab.

Dr. Jose Alonso (center) visits with guests last Tuesday (11/1/11)
following his program about the Sanford Underground Lab

The NSF pulled the plug early this year,refusing to authorize any more funds for the operation. It was just four years ago that NSFannounced that if a Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory isbuilt anywhere, it will be at the old Homestake Mine.

“That was the alligator in the swamp,” Alonso told agathering at the Spearfish Area Historical Society this week (11/1/11) during their November meeting at the Senior Citizen’s Center.

When the NSF ceased funding the project, their governing body -- the National Science Board -- asserted that “theNSF had no business running a large laboratory,” said Alonso. And there were lingering fears that thedeep underground lab might not be built.

“And given the fiscal climate of the time, that made it alot easier for them to cut more than $800 million from their budget,” he said, demonstratingto Congress that they had done their share in paring down government programs.

Fortunately,with some encouragement, the U.S. Department of Energy stepped into the void and expressed considerableinterest in the kinds of large experiments planned at the Sanford Lab. Things like the LUX program, digginginto the world of so-called “dark matter,” and the Majorana neutrino project.

Ray Davis, Jr. won a Nobel Prize in 2002

Unlike NSF, the Department of Energy has experience runninglarge laboratories and hosting large experimental programs. And Alonso said that he believes NSF will one day return to support some activities at the lab, albeit at a more modest level.

Alonso gave the Spearfish group a brief outline of the SanfordLab, dating back to the to 1962 when Homestake Mine built a cavern at the 4,850foot level to allow scientist Ray Davis an opportunity to conduct research onsolar neutrinos – research that led to his receiving a Nobel Prize in 2002. Homestake sold the mine to Barrick Corporation, whicheventually closed the mine in 2001.

By 2006, Barrick elected to donate the mine to the State ofSouth Dakota, which formed the South Dakota Science and Technology Administrationand began pursuit of a new and larger scientific mission. The donations helped jump start a newfuture for the mine, which covers 186 surface acres and more than 370 miles ofunderground drifts in the Lead area. Fourteen shafts and winzes were included.

The state pumped $40 million into the project, andbusinessman T. Denny Sanford of Sioux Falls committed another $70 million.

Alonso’s PowerPoint presentation provided society memberswith a good insight into the myriad of rehabilitative work done during histwo-year period at the Sanford Lab. That included bringing the hoists up to standard and “de-watering” themine, which had become inundated up to the 4,500 foot level. That chore has required anextensive pumping system at four different stations. There are two sets of 700 horsepower motors that can pump1,500 gallons per minute each. In addition to that array of pumps, another submersiblepump is installed at the 7,800 foot level.

Approximately 3 million gallons of water are pumped from themine each day, creating what more than a few tourists have thought is yetanother natural Black Hills waterfall near the old mine!

Alonso acknowledged that there was probably “too muchballyhooing” about the perceived immediate economic impact of the deep underground mineupon the Lead area, but he thinks the long-term impact – providing jobs forgraduates of South Dakota universities – will be a very positive thing.

Following Alonso’s presentation, members and guests enjoyeda tasty table of treats provided by Marcia Darland and Glen Nicholas and servedby Norma Landsberger. Members were advised of the new History of theGrace Balloch Memorial Library booklet published by the Friends of the Library. Authored by Paul Higbee, the histories are available at the checkout counter of the library.

Higbee will team up nextmonth with Billy Evans to give an encore presentation of the SpearfishIrrigation System. That programwill take place at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 6 at the Senior Citizen’sCenter. Guests are welcome andencouraged to become members!

We need a bit of sleuthing help!

2011-11-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

A sorority gathering at Spearfish Normal? A local women's club? We're intrigued by this photograph and would like very much to learn more about these dapper young damsels. This was among several photos donated last month (October 2011) to the Spearfish Area Historical Society. We're trying to identify the ladies in this undated, old photograph, taken by Howell & Shane Photographers of Spearfish. Check out this and other old photos that we want to better identify by visiting our Spearfish Yesteryear gallery. We think you'll enjoy it! And if you think can can help identify these ladies, or when and where the photo was taken, please send us an e-mail.

SAHS joins Chamber of Commerce non-profits

2011-10-14T14:38:00.000-07:00

Rose Hill historical walk very nicely done!

2011-09-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

Kudos to the folks who organized and produced the Rose Hill Cemetery Historical Walk last week (9/24/11) in Spearfish.

It was a blending of drama and history that provided lots of enjoyment for nearly a hundred people who showed up for the event. And there's no more beautiful setting than Rose Hill Cemetery, perched atop a hill overlooking Spearfish and with terrific views of the Black Hills and nearby plains. Lookout Mountain is just to the northeast, while the Black Hills rise to the south and west.

Mother Nature did her part, too, giving us yet another beautiful day in what's turning out to be a gorgeous Indian Summer. A few neighborhood folks enjoyed a short walk to the cemetery, and there were several of us who made the trip by bicycle.

The stars for this gathering were the historical characters depicted during an afternoon stroll around the finely manicured cemetery.

Scott Kennedy as Lyle Hare

Among the legendary folks who were featured (and the actors who portrayed them) were: Mary Kercheval (Kathryn Sosa), Gretta Cocking (Wendy Mendoza), E.C. Woodburn (Tim Moleseed), Fayette Cook (Randy Bender), Lyle Hare (Scott Kennedy), Levi Blizzard (Paul Stillson), Rosa Driskill (Kaija Swisher), Harvey Fellows (Rand Williams), Grace Balloch (Hoodie Smock), Rebecca Evans (Laurie Hayes), and Daniel Toomey (Jim Hood).

Many of those names, of course, are legendary in the community and across the regions. Others were a bit more elusive. All of them, however, were a hit with the crowd, which strolled from place to place across the cemetery, hearing each of these historical figures come back to life -- if only for a few minutes -- to share a bit about themselves and the times in which they lived.

This was an excellent example of how history can truly "come alive" when it's well done. Not only was the gathering educational -- it was great fun!

Wendy Mendoza as Gretta Cocking

We toted our camera along for the afternoon and captured a few candid photos, which you'll find in our Rose Hill Gallery. At the last minute, we decided also to shoot a little video sampler of the event, which you'll find in the right hand column of this page.

Paul Higbee and Jon Steven Wiley were two key people behind the scenes in planning this event. Higbee wrote most of the material for the actors, and Wiley was the director. Wardrobe was handled by Joe Saracco, and Linda Wiley was involved in coordinated much of the production.

The actors, did a great job of "getting in character," and we're already looking forward to another performance next year!

Higbee tells of Doolittle Raider: South Dakota's Don Smith

2011-09-13T15:13:00.000-07:00

1st Lieutenant Don Smith
(Air Force photo)

He was just 24 years old whenhe died in an air crash near London in 1942, butBelle Fourche native Don Smith had alreadymade a big difference in this world.

Smith’s story was recountedlast Tuesday evening (9/6/11) by veteran South Dakota writer Paul Higbee for members of theSpearfish Area Historical Society at their first meeting of a new season. The group gathers on the first Tuesday ofeach month from September through May at the Spearfish Senior Citizen’s Center.

Army Lieutenant Don Smithpiloted one of the 16 American bombers that struck the Japanese homeland inApril of 1942, dealing a big setback to the Japanese. It also gave the United States a much-needed boost in morale following thedisaster at Pearl Harbor.

Perhaps it was because Smithdied so young that his story is little known to South Dakotans. Many other pilotsand crew of the famous “Doolittle Raiders” lived long lives and were able toshare their stories. Fortunately, Paul Higbee has taken steps to help keep alive and expand upon the remarkable story of Don Smith.

Paul Higbee

And it was obvious that Paul had done his homework. No stranger to the Spearfish Area Historical Society, Paul Higbee has provided us with numerous excellent programs over the years. He has authored several books, and his writings are routinely featured in South Dakota magazine.

Don Smith's story had humble beginnings. Born in the littleeastern Dakota community of Oldham in Januaryof 1918, his father was Don Gregory, a reluctant farmer. When young Don’s mother died just a fewmonths after his birth, young Don and his older brother were whisked off bytheir father, who apparently told others that he was no farmer and couldn’tstay in that vicinity – it just held too many bad memories.

It was fortuitous, that acouple of years later, some of his cousins found little Don in an orphanagewhile they were touring the facility as part of their education at South DakotaState College. The youngster was soontaken from the orphanage and adopted by an area veterinarian, A.W. Smith, andhis wife, Laura.

“The Smith’s,” said Higbee,“were the only parents Don Smith would ever really know.”

Don Smith grew up in Belle Fourche and – according to Higbee – enjoyed goingon vet calls with his father and seemingly developed a real fascination withchickens. He also loved and participatedin the Black Hills Roundup.

He was a football player,too, and became a standout center at South Dakota Statein Brookings, where he won small college All-American honors in 1939.

Don Smith also becameacquainted with Clyde Ice in Spearfish, and it was Ice who taught young smithto fly.

Higbee said he’s not yetlearned what type of aircraft young Smith may have learned to fly with Ice, buthe obviously learned well.

After graduating fromBrookings in 1940, Smith joined the Army.

“He didn’t want to be asoldier,” said Higbee, so young Smith pursued aviation and ended up training inPendleton, Oregon.

“In the Army, he was appalledby the drinking and womanizing that he saw. He really was a straight arrow,” Higbee told the group.

While in Texas, Smith met a girl and they married. They became parents of a daughter.

B-25 aircraft aboard the USS Hornet - April 1942
(Air Force photo)

But Don Smith soon foundhimself in Florida training for a secretmission, which began when they later embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) in San Francisco bound for Japan. The mission was revealed only after they’dbeen at sea for two days.

Led by famous aviator andbusinessman Jimmy Doolittle, sixteen B-25 aircraft would take off from the deckof the Hornet to bomb key industrial sites in Japan. Then they would fly on to China andregroup. At least, that was the plan.

The mission was fraught withproblems. First, the B-25 normallyneeded up to one thousand feet to get airborne. They would have to cut that distance in half aboard the carrier. Then the question was – would they be able tomake it to their targets in Tokyoand surrounding cities? And beyond that,would they be able to make it to safety in China?

Higbee shared that there wasmuch speculation that they mission couldn’t be done.

“In fact, some of the pilotssaid ‘we didn’t think very much about where we’d land in China, becausewe didn’t think we’d get there.’ So itwas not a suicide mission, but close.”

Hoping to lift off from theHornet some 400 miles from their targets, the carrier was spotted by a Japanesefishing trawler about 600 miles from Japan. The Americans rightly suspected that thetrawler had radio contact with Japanese forces. This necessitated that Doolittle’s raiders get airborneimmediately. Not only would they have totravel a much greater distance, they would also likely lose the element ofsurprise.

USS Hornet after Doolittle's Raid
(Air Force photo)

“Instead of an overnightsneak attack and bombing first thing in the morning, they had to fly in broaddaylight and attack in the middle of the afternoon.”

Remarkably, all 16 aircraftmade successful take-offs from the carrier and reached their targets in Japan. Don Smith and his crew of four had a greaterchallenge. After the first aircraftbombed Tokyo, they would have to fly well overanother 100 miles to the southwest of Tokyo,where they were to bomb a large aircraft factory and shipyards in Kobe.

They successfully completedthat task and headed for Chinawith benefit of a tail wind, evading enemy anti-aircraft fire and fighteraircraft – but they ran out of fuel. Smith ditched his aircraft near a small island near the city of Sangchow.

Higbee told how Smith and hiscrew – with the help of Chinese villagers -- managed to evade Japanese troopsand eventually hook up with other of the “raiders.”

In the final analysis, 77 ofthe 80 members of the “Doolittle Raiders” survived the April 18, 1942 surpriseattack on Japan– a surprising success for what some considered a suicide mission.

The route of Doolittle's Raiders

Ed Saylor, one of Smith’screw members recounted for Higbee that it was basketball that really helped getthem through China. A few of the men were good basketballplayers, and the game was brand new to the Chinese villagers, who were eager tohave the Americans linger for a few days, get rested and eat, and teach themmore about the game of basketball.

After hiking through aboutone-quarter of Chinain the Spring of 1941, Smith and his crew hooked up with the surviving raidersand were rescued.

By the summer of 1942, Don Smithwas back in the United States for the birth of his daughter, DonnaMarie. Awarded the Distinguished FlyingCross and promoted to Captain, he was given a hero's welcome back on hiscollege campus in Brookings and was also a special guest at the 1942 BlackHills Roundup in Belle Fourche, which Smith considered the highlight of all thecelebrations for his role with the Doolittle Raiders.

But after a brief respitefrom wartime duty, Smith was sent to Englandto fly daylight bombing raids against Germany. On November 12, 1942, he died in a weather-relatedcrash near London.

Surely, had Don Smith lived,his story would be more widely known. Higbee concluded his presentation about Smith with a quotation fromfellow Doolittle Raider Ed Saylor, who said about Don Smith: “He was one of the best people I evermet. I never met a better pilot, and Inever met a more generous man.”

Don Smith is buried in Pine Slope Cemetery in Belle Fourche.

You'll find a few supplemental photographs of Don Smith and the Doolittle Raiders in our Spearfish Area Historical Society 2011-2012 Photo Gallery. We hope you'll also take time to check out the two videos (right hand column) that provide additional insight into this fascinating chapter of American history.

Season ends with great visit to Frawley Ranch

2011-05-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

Entrance to Upper Frawley Ranch

With threatening clouds to the north, Mother Nature smiled on Centennial Valley last night (5/3/11) as the Spearfish Area Historical Society wrapped up its 2010-11 season with a splendid outing to the historic Frawley Ranch.

Located about six miles south of Spearfish astride U.S. Highway 85, the Frawley Ranch is perhaps the best-known ranch in the region, and its historical importance was acknowledged in September 1977 when it was designated a National Historic Landmark.

Hank Frawley, Jr. hosted the event and provided an overview of Frawley Ranch history and a glimpse of recent development on and around the ranch.

Hank Frawley, Jr. is the grandson of Henry Frawley, the Deadwood attorney who represented the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad. According to a story in Some History of Lawrence County, published in 1981 by the Lawrence County Historical Society, “…he was considered a good lawyer in criminal cases throughout western South Dakota, Wyoming, and northwestern Nebraska.

In that book, Molly Frawley wrote, “gradually, as business allowed, Mr. Frawley invested in land throughout Lawrence County. His greatest concentration of real estate was the Centennial Home Farm, a livestock ranch located on the road between Deadwood and Spearfish, where he raised horses and cattle."

Frawley and his wife, Christina, lived in Deadwood and raised three children: Henry James, William C., and Honora. The elder Frawley had many successes, but he also – according to Molly Frawley’s account – “made some speculative investments. One of these in the 1920’s was with a group of men in a ‘sure thing’ gold mine and required a large investment. The investment was lost in the failure of the mine to produce gold, and Henry Frawley was fored to borrow from a former associate, JohnLaffey. The shock of this failure and loss seemed to have unsettled Mr. Frawley, who was in his seventies. He suffered a breakdown and left the area for treatment in Nebraska. He died in 1927 and was buried at the Frawley family cemetery plot in Black Earth, Wisconsin. The sad irony of fate is that the mine did eventually produce much gold years later.”

After the death of Frawley’s wife, Christina, in 1942, the Frawley Ranch was jointly owned by Henry James Frawley, Sr. and the families of William Frawley and Honora Frawley. By 1960, a settlement was reached and Henry, Sr. purchased the interests held by his in-laws. Two years later, “after college and graduate work,” Henry James Frawley, Jr. joined his parents in running the ranch.

Hank Frawley, Jr. (right) chats with visitor.

Back in 1968, when the State of South Dakota used the right of eminent domain to obtain northern pastures of the Frawley Ranch for the Interstate 90 Highway, cattle on the ranch had to use tunnels under the road and “a lot of encouragement” to get from one pasture to another.

Even with excellent narratives from Hank Frawley, Jr., writings in Some History of Lawrence County, and other tales about this remarkable ranch, it’s a formidable job comprehending the long and rich history that encompasses Frawley Ranch.

A tip of the hat to Hank Frawley, Jr. for opening up the ranch for this special, final meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society for 2010-11. We've added a few photographs of the buildings, equipment, and other memorabilia that has been preserved at Frawley Ranch. You'll find them in our History Gallery.

Thanks, too, to the folks who provided treats for this gathering – and to Lorrie Williams and others for assembling a top-flight program schedule for the society. We’re looking forward to next year!

The Grace Balloch legacy

2011-04-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

Grace Frantz Balloch

For more than 70 years, the "Queen City" of Spearfish struggled with no real public library in the community -- but that all began to change after a lady named Grace Balloch came to town.

The fascinating story about the formative years of a Spearfish library was compiled by writer/historian Paul Higbee and presented Tuesday (3/5/11) by veteran historian Linfred Schuttler.

Despite a change in program plans for the April meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society, several dozen folks showed up at the Spearfish Senior Citizen's Center to hear about the history of the library. The scheduled program about Don Smith, "Dolittle Raider" from Belle Fourche, had to be postponed and will have to wait for a later date. That change didn't seem to concern attendees too much, and they enjoyed another hour with Spearfish's "grand old man of history."

Retired businessman and long-time postal worker Linfred Schuttler told the story of how books were aggregated in the community in the late 1800's -- largely at the Spearfish Normal School by Fayette Cook, an early president of the school.

By the 1920's, Grace Frantz Balloch and her husband Archibald had arrived in the Black Hills. Grace Frantz was a Pennsylvanian who had grown up in Waynesboro and gained an education at Millersville State Normal School in the Keystone State. She married Archibald -- a cattle buyer and geologist. With the outbreak of World War One, Grace volunteered with the YMCA in France, developing a keen fondness for everything French.

Following the war, the couple moved west to Chicago for a while, but by the 1920's were in the Black Hills.

The lived on a ranch in the Custer area, but by 1923 they were in Spearfish, where Grace taught English at the Normal. She was part of the institution and community that struggled through the devastating fire of 1925, which destroyed the library, among other things.

Makeshift public libraries provided increasingly valuable services to the community from a variety of locations in subsequent years. The old hotel on Main Street, the railroad building that was once located where the Spearfish Fire Hall is today were were among locations where children and citizens could go to check out books.

By the early 1940's, the 63-year-old Grace Balloch was terminally ill, but she was thinking about the increased need for a first-class library. In her will, she gave all of her books -- more than 1,500 volumes -- to the City of Spearfish. She died in 1944.

Grace Balloch Memorial Library

The following year, the citizens of Spearfish voted 240-94 to establish a city library. Grace Balloch's homesite, which was bequeathed to the city by Grace's sister Anna, became the site of the new public library. The Grace Balloch Memorial Library was dedicated on June 27, 1971. That building, which is now occupied by the Spearfish Area Chamber of Commerce, served as the library until it was relocated to its present site as part of the new Municipal Services Building in 1995.

The Grace Balloch Memorial Library continues to be a vital resource for area residents, offering a wide range of services. You'll find a few more photos on this topic in our Spearfish History Gallery.

D.C. Booth history recounted for society

2011-03-01T23:28:00.000-08:00

Perhaps one of most overlooked historic sites in the beautiful Black Hills is nestled in a small canyon on the south side of Spearfish.

The D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery has been a city landmark for more than 110 years. Created in 1896, the facility was a very successful fish production sites – one of the earliest in the west.

It started hatching fish in 1899 and remained true to its mission “to propagate, stock, and establish trout populations in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming." For many years, the old Spearfish National Fish Hatchery was headquarters for federal hatchery operations across much of the western United States.

Members of the Spearfish Area Historical Society learned all about the historic hatchery last night (2/1/11) at the March meeting of the society at the Spearfish Senior Citizen’s Center.

Despite bitter cold temperatures, a good crowd was on hand to hear hatchery curator Randi Smith (at left) talk about the early days of the hatchery, as well as a few tips about preserving documents and photogrphs.

Smith, who has been at the fish facility since 1992, nearly missed her career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She was a math major at the University of California-Davis when she became involved with the Antique Mechanics Club. She ended up with a degree in history and a job as an interpretive historian in California State Parks. That was followed by a 15-year-stint as curator at the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site in Montana, which she says is “one of the most intact historic sites around.” At D.C. Booth, she takes care of the museum, house, exhibits, research, and the museum collection and archives.

Smith traced the origin of U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service (USF&WS) back to 1871, when it was known as the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries – or simply the “Fish Commission.” Its first leader was Spencer Fullerton Baird, who also served simultaneously as Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.

The first superintendent of the Spearfish hatchery was DeWitt Clinton (D.C.) Booth. A large, two-story house was built for the Booth family in 1905, and it remains an inviting landmark on the hatchery grounds.

“By the late 1970’s, the Fish and Wildlife Service started putting the first museum collections at Spearfish,” said Smith. “They recognized that they were accumulating historical items across the country – books, equipment, pictures, including a time capsule and other artifacts from the Hotchkiss National Fish Hatchery at Leadville, Colorado.”

In 1982, the Museum and Visitor Center opened, and the historical collections “really took off,” according to Smith. The following year, the McNenny National Fish Hatchery just northwest of Spearfish was turned over to the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. While D.C. Booth Historic National Fish hatchery continued to rear fish that were hatched at McNenny, the Booth facility began to focus more on history. It became a center for the collection of historic fisheries material from across the country, as well as the history of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In addition to the many exhibits and historical items open to the public, Smith estimated that there are “about 175,000” items in storage that have come from across the region and the country.

“In the 1990’s, funding was received to construct an archive building, formally named the Collection Management Facility,” says Smith. The collection includes materials from both public and private entities, including items from tribal governments. While the original collection focused on hatchery items, it has been expanded to include anything related to fisheries. Hatchery offices are also in the building.

Smith expressed the desire that many of the records and photographs at D.C. Booth be scanned and be made available to the public via the internet.

Touching a bit upon archival methods, Smith shared a number of hints that people can use to avoid damaging old photographs and documents. Using acid-free paper and folders is important, as is shying away from products that contain adhesives – including rubber bands.

Pointing out that volunteers play a critical role in the operation of the historic hatchery, Smith took a moment to recognize several hatchery volunteers who were in the audience. You can learn more about the D. C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery by visiting this link at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

On the trail....again!

2011-02-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

It was 18 days on the trail – capturing a bit of yesteryear, when the “Lifeline for the Black Hills” was the 220-mile trail through Indian country from Fort Pierre to Deadwood.

Fort Pierre-Deadwood wagon train in late 1890's.
Courtesy of SD State Museum

Jerry Miles of Spearfish was among the 400 or so folks who re-created that journey in the summer of 2008, commemorating the closure of the historic trail some 100 years ago. It was in 1908 that rail service finally dealt a death knell to the trail that had served as a major transportation route for the northern hills for more than three decades after the discovery of gold in the Black Hills.

Miles shared some of his experiences on the trail last night (2/1/11) at the February gathering of the Spearfish Area Historical Society. The group meets on the first Tuesday of every month from September through May at the Spearfish Senior Citizen’s Center. Bitter cold temperatures didn’t keep some 40 members from showing up for the program, which included a high quality video that was recorded by Bernie Duffy of Sioux Falls during the commemorative trail ride.

The 2008 event was sponsored by the Verendrye Museum of Fort Pierre, and the trek started July 29th at the Stanley County Fairgrounds and ended in historic Deadwood 17 days later. Rancher Gerald Kessler of Fort Pierre, who’d been on more than 70 previous wagon trains, was the Wagon Master for this one. Organizers started planning the route about two years before the event, making arrangements for rights-of-way, and other logistical considerations ranging from porta-potties to drinking water and medical assistance.

The 50 wagons used along the trail also included a couple of old stage coaches, and there were about 300 horse riders. In all, some 400 people from 27 states came to South Dakota to participate in the historic ride.

Commemorative Fort Pierre-Deadwood Trail Ride
August 2008

“We made the journey in three 5-day sessions,” said Miles, who was born and raised in central Perkins County and has been around ranches and horses for much of his life. After each 5-day segment, they’d take a one-day break, and some folks would wander to nearby communities to do laundry and take showers or baths.

“On average, we made somewhere between 18 and 22 miles every day,” said Miles, “and we stayed as close to the original trail as possible.”

He told the story of an elderly woman – in her 90’s – who carried an oxygen bottle for the duration of the trail ride. The youngest person, according to Miles, was a little 8-year-old girl who celebrated her 9th birthday on the trail. And then there was the man who walked the route – all 220 miles – never leaning on a wagon or accepting a lift. His only assistance was a cane!

Participants paid $150 each, which helped pay for the porta-potties, insurance and other services along the way. While riders were responsible for their own food, a tanker truck brought nearly 5,000 gallons of fresh water to the group every day. Miles said he brought along 15 bales of hay to help feed his own horses, which developed a pretty healthy appetite along the way. And Governor Mike Rounds authorized the use of state prisoners to collect garbage from each of the encampments.

Jerry Miles (left) shares trail information with
members Rand Williams and Martin Jones.

Miles conceded that there were a few problems along the route, but it was a journey of a lifetime.

“The most serious problems were with horses without shoes – or horses not in condition,” he said. One runaway horse suffered a leg injury and had to be put down. Miles said he prepared his own horses by working them up to seven or eight miles each day several times each week during the weeks leading up to the drive.

“There was entertainment just about every night for a couple of hours -- historians, cowboy poets, and the like.” Lots of visitors joined the group in the evenings. According to Miles, “one night, we had 1,200 to 1,300 people for supper.” A huge throng of folks showed up as the wagon train stopped at Fort Meade.

The prettiest part of the journey, according to Miles, was the segment from Sturgis through Boulder Canyon into Deadwood.

A frequent participant in trail rides, Miles says he’s already gearing up to participate in a ride from Philip to Fort Pierre next July.

VIDEO VERSION OF THIS REPORT.

Gaining a place at the table: Early Spearfish Women's Clubs

2011-01-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

Long before feminists were burning their bras – and before Title IX became law across the country – there was another kind of “Women’s Lib” movement, even though that label had not yet become fashionable.

Dr. Laura Colmenero-Chilberg

Black Hills State University sociology professor Laura Colmenero-Chilberg recounted the history of “Early Spearfish Women’s Clubs” last night (1/4/11) at the January meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society, giving members a glimpse of the diverse activities and the impact that such clubs had across the country.

Women’s clubs originated rather sedately in urban areas of the eastern United States, often as “tea groups” or “book clubs.” They would spread across the country under the aegis of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, which was founded in 1889.

If the more cosmopolitan clubs of the urban east were important to women, the president of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) deemed such clubs “essential” for rural women, who were somewhat disenfranchised. Lack of ready access to newspapers and magazines along with a dearth of cultural activities may well have helped marshal the call for women to organize in rural areas, share information, and eventually mobilize for those causes they considered important. And they probably had tea, too.

Women marching for the vote

By the turn of the century, some 5,000 known women’s groups had organized across the United States, but the figure was likely much higher.

The first women’s group in the northern Black Hills pre-dated the GFWC. Organized in Deadwood in 1887, it was known as the “Roundtable Club.” The Black Hills Federated Women’s Clubs was created in 1897. It would be a decade later, in 1907, that the first Spearfish women’s club was organized.

For her presentation, Laura Colmenero-Chilberg focused upon the period from 1915-1920. She scoured the many reports, minutes, and other documents filed away at the Case Library at BHSU, where she has been a faculty member since 2005. Her interest in women’s clubs emerged after she’d researched and written on the topic while taking a history course from Dr. David Wolff.

“There’s a wealth of information at Case,” she said.

Records reflect that the Spearfish Club met weekly on Wednesday afternoons in private homes from September through May. As their numbers expanded, they sought approval from the State Normal School to meet on campus.

“Dues were 25 cents, attendance was taken, and the women would become a strong advocacy group, operating under the motto that ‘Nothing is Difficult to the brave and faithful.’”

“Early Spearfish family names were recognizable among their members,” said Colmenero-Chilberg, citing “Toomey, Driskell, Edgerton, and Matthews.”

Eventually, it was not just the elites who filled the ranks of the club. Women from the college were welcomed into the group, as were “middle class” women from the community.

And they were active.

“Their goals were entertainment, self-improvement, community improvement, and social justice.”

That included an aggressive campaign of advocacy for children in an effort to decrease the deaths of babies under one year of age. It was part of a U.S. Department of Labor “Baby Week” campaign to improve the lives of babies.

Colmenero-Chilberg told of one women’s club member in Iowa who declared, “if a hog is worth saving, why not a baby?” Her view was clear: if pig farmers could give tender loving care to pigs, how can they ignore infant children?

And while the ladies examined ways to hone their “domestic science” skills around the house, they also strategized how to gain more equity in the “distribution of household duties.” There was a clear mission to enlighten women and improve their status in society.

Not at all shy about their community involvement, Spearfish club members sought and received $50 every year for a book lending library even before the public library was formed. Every summer they volunteered to clean up the cemetery and rolled up their sleeves two Saturdays a month for the Red Cross. They wanted a public restroom, and they got it. They donated money to support a YWCA, and they provided assistance to families in need.

Delinquency among young boys was another issue that the women’s club took seriously. They had concerns about truancy, pool hall activities, and youth smoking.

“The women complained a lot about derelict property and condemned property, too," said Colmenero-Chilberg. "If there was something wrong with property and the women didn’t like the way it made Spearfish look, they would go to the city council and ask that something be done. The interesting thing was, something was done! The women had some measure of power here.”

Their increasing visibility in the community was reflected in civic and political engagement, when a woman – for the first time – ran for the school board in 1916.

At the state level, women’s clubs pushed the legislature to register nurses across the state, ensuring a certain level of education and certification for nurses.

Society member Darlene Telkamp learns
about early Spearfish Women's Clubs

Their political clout, however, was subject to changing times. For example, minutes of a 1915 Spearfish club meeting reflects considerable discussion about social justice and promoting the peace movement in this country. One member was quoted as saying, “Women’s work in this world is to educate children in the upward plane, until the idea of the glory of war is left behind.” By 1917 and U.S. involvement in World War I, the subject of peace was left behind in favor of joining the war effort. The club focused on the conservation of food and planting peace gardens in order to support American soldiers in Europe.

With the end of World War I and passage of a constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote, women’s clubs seemed to fall into decline. Perhaps it was because many of the things they had striven for had been achieved. In any event, clubs lost their vogue and many went by the wayside.

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs remains intact, although it seems to be a significantly altered and perhaps less potent organization than it was at the dawn of the 20^th century. The last known Spearfish women’s club disbanded in the 1990’s.

The next gathering of the Spearfish Area Historical Society will be at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 1st. Jerry Miles is slated to give a presentation entitled, "Wagon Train Tales from Ft. Pierre to Deadwood."

Wolff tells story of gold and railroads in the Black Hills

2010-12-16T23:32:00.000-08:00

The life and death of Wild Bill Hickok added a bit of flair to the history of Deadwood and the Black Hills.

Facts and embellishments regarding Wild Bill, Calamity Jane, and other 19^th century characters helped give rise to a burgeoning tourism industry that continues into the 21^st century.

But the growth and durability of old Deadwood links back directly to two things: gold and railroads.

In his latest presentation to the Spearfish Area Historical Society (12/7/10), Black Hills State University professor David Wolff recounted the discovery of gold and the development of railroads in the Black Hills. A pharmacist-turned-historian, Dr. Wolff is a Past President of the Lawrence County Historical Society and continues to serve on that board. He is also a Vice-President of the South Dakota State Historical Society and is Chairman of the Adams Museum and House Board of Directors in Deadwood.

There were rumors of gold in the hills in the early 1800’s, Wolff told the audience.

“But who knows?” he asked somewhat rhetorically.

“If the Thoen Stone is to be believed, the Ezra Kind party was here in 1833 and 1834. If Ezra and his buddies really got all the gold they could carry, why wasn’t there a gold rush afterwards? Well, nobody knew about it until Louis Thoen dug the stone up. Of course, Thoen may have made the stone, but then that’s another story.”

Wolff proffered that both discovery and a rush are required, if such an event is to be considered a true gold rush. While there were numerous reported “discoveries” earlier in the 1800’s, there certainly was no “rush” of prospectors to the region until 1874. That’s when the Custer expedition – replete with 110 wagons and a thousand men – entered the western Black Hills near Buckhorn. It was near present day Custer that year that Horatio Ross and William McKay reportedly found gold in July of that year.

Word spread rapidly, and the rush to the hills was on. Wolff noted that early prospectors found some gold at Spring Creek, more near Sheridan, and along Rapid Creek. But it wasn’t much, and for most it wasn’t enough to even pay a day’s wages.

“If that’s all the gold that would’ve been found in the Black Hills, the gold rush would’ve died. The men would have lost interest, packed up and left. It would’ve been like the Big Horns in Wyoming, where there were repeated gold rushes, but they never found any real gold.

But that didn’t happen in the Black Hills, where several “paying locations” blossomed in Deadwood Gulch, along Deadwood Creek and Whitewood Creek.

By the spring of 1876, Fred and Moses Manuel found a large outcropping of ore that became the “Homestead Claim,” measuring 600 by about 1,500 feet. It became a focal point for hardrock mining. In the coming months, California entrepreneur George Hearst (at left) arrived on the scene and offered the Manuels and their partners $70,000 for their claims.

It was the beginning of the industrial mining that gave wealth to the region for more than a century. Hearst and his partners developed the infrastructure necessary to process the ore, and many former prospectors went to work for the Homestake. With the growth of the Homestake Mine, Lead became a true “company town,” while nearby Deadwood became a service center.

Even in those early days, railroads were an essential part of gold mining. At first, it was mules and horses pulling ore out of the mines in wagons on rails. By 1879, Homestake ordered a five-ton locomotive that had to be pulled by oxen from Bismarck, North Dakota to the Black Hills. That engine – dubbed the J. B. Haggin – was a workhorse for the mine, which used rail to haul timbers needed for the mining operation. Some 130 years later, the J. B. Haggin remains on display at the Adams Museum in Deadwood.

Wolff traced the expansion of rail service by the Fremont Elkhorn & Missouri Valley from Nebraska along the eastern edge of the hills, basically following the old Sidney to Deadwood stage route. First to Buffalo Gap in 1885, on to Fairburn, Hermosa, and eventually Rapid City. In 1887, the railroad started building again, creating excitement in places like Deadwood, Sturgis, and Crook City. Instead, FE&MV built north 10 miles and created the town of Whitewood. From 1887 to 1890, all rail business in the area came out of Whitewood.

Then came news that the Burlington line was building north out of Nebraska toward the coal field of Wyoming. After creating their own company town in Edgemont, Burlington announced plans to build track to Deadwood, which was eager to see the local Black Hills & Fort Pierre line connect with main lines outside the hills. Despite its name, said Wolff, the Black Hills and Fort Pierre Railroad ran from Lead to Sugar Loaf, Brownsville, then Nemo, and just to the edge of the Black Hills. There was no service to Pierre.

“1890 was an exciting time in the Black Hills as the Elkhorn began building from Whitewood to Deadwood, and the Burlington started building up through the center of the Black Hills in a classic railroad race.”

The Fremont Elkhorn & Missouri Valley railroad, a subsidiary of the Chicago and North Western Railway, arrived first in Deadwood -- December of 1890. But the Burlington wasn't far behind -- January 1891. Both companies established depots in close proximity. C&NW signage for the old FE&MV depot is still displayed on the side of the old depot building in Deadwood. It is now a tourist information center.

Wolff quoted Sol Star, then Mayor of Deadwood, as saying that with the arrival of outside railroads, “Deadwood is finally a city of permanence.”

Wolff briefly recounted the role of Seth Bullock in helping the railroad develop Belle Fourche, much to the chagrin of nearby Minnesela residents, who had enlisted Bullock’s help to ensure that the line would pass through their community – which is no more. More details about this event can be found in Wolff’s book Seth Bullock – Black Hills Lawman.

Wolff slated for December program

2010-11-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

Historian David Wolff returns to the Spearfish Area Historical Society in December.

Wolff has offered up a variety of topics of the past several years -- most recently a program on legendary lawman Seth Bullock.

This time, he'll provide some insight to Understanding the Gold Rush: From Prospectors to Railroads. Given the timeless interest in gold -- and our October program on railroads -- this should give members of the society a chance to piece it all together in a meaningful way. His presentation will be at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 7th, 2010 at the Spearfish Senior Citizens Center.

An Associate Professor of History at Black Hills State University, Wolff is the "Black Hills, South Dakota, and Western History specialist" at the school. He is widely published in both academic and popular publications. His most recent book, "Seth Bullock: Black Hills Lawman," was released in April of last year. Wolff is vice-president of the Board of Trustees of the South Dakota State Historical Society and president-elect of the Mining History Association.

All meetings of the Spearfish Area Historical Society are open to the public, and refreshments are always available -- provided by a group of stalwart volunteers!

Not a member? You're invited, too, but we hope you'll consider joining our ranks.

Get it right

2010-11-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

In case you missed his "Letter to the Editor" in the Black Hills Pioneer last Saturday (10/30/10), this piece penned by long-time Spearfish resident and historian Linfred Schuttler is well worth a read.

GET IT RIGHT

The City Council and interested citizens are planning a historical video of Spearfish to be ready for the “125^th anniversary in 2013.”

The idea is great, but good heavens, let’s get the dates right.

Spearfish was established in 1876 by a town site declaration and survey made May 29, 1876, with occupancy effective May 30, 1876. The legality of town site organization was effected under provisions of a law of the United States which authorized the location of town sites on government un-surveyed lands, which also set aside portions of such lands for school purposes. The Spearfish town site document was signed by 32 founding stockholders, with at least three having descendants still living here.

Subsequent surveys confirmed the location and the town site plats which still exist as part of the present city records and maps.

On Feb. 28, 1877, President Grant signed the order abrogating the Sioux Treaty, which put all lands under territorial and county control and jurisdiction.

The town site came under county control, but few services were offered by the county.

On March 12, 1885, a charter of incorporation, under a board of trustees, was granted to the “city of Spearfish.” Three years later, under a new territorial law permitting the adoption of a mayoral and aldermanic organization of local government, Spearfish voted, in a somewhat tainted election process, to adopt a new charter which still exists today.

If the last charter date of 1888 is accepted as the establishment of a city, then Rapid City, Sturgis and Hot Springs would be less than 60 years old.

If the last charter date is accepted, then what happened to history in the years previous?

Judge W. W. Bradley proclaimed Spearfish as the “Queen City” on July 4, 1877, because it was to be the best and leader of the rest.

Linfred L. Schuttler

Spearfish

By the way, Linfred Schuttler will present his program "Old Newspapers -- The Rest of the Story" at the SAHS meeting on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. The session will take place at the Spearfish Senior Citizen's Center and is open to the public.

Behind the local headlines -- hear the "rest of the story"

2010-10-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

As the late broadcaster Paul Harvey would often say, "You've heard the news, now...here's the rest of the story."

That could well be the title of the program coming up in November at the Spearfish Area Historical Society.

Long-time resident -- and frequent program presenter -- Linfred Schuttler will return to the Spearfish Senior Citizens Center on November 9th for a program he calls "Old Newspapers: The Rest of the Story ."

Certainly no stranger to our society or the community, Schuttler has given numerous delightful programs over the years. We've highlighted a few of them in our SAHS Archives.

Make plans now to join us at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 9th at the Spearfish Senior Citizens Center for this engaging program.

As always, we'll have treats, provided by some of our great members who go the extra mile to make our meetings special. Have some fun -- learn a bit of history -- and join us for the November meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society!

Railroads of the Black Hills

2010-10-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

There’s almost a mysticism that surrounds railroading. And much of America’s love affair with the rails dates back to the 19^th century and the steam engine.

It’s a bit hard to figure out just why railroads capture our hearts – but they do.

Steel screetching against steel as the engine trudges along the track. Dusty coal thrust into the firebox to keep the iron horse moving. And soot bursting into the atmosphere from the stack. But still, there’s a sort of glamour that’s unmistakable.

That may explain why additional chairs were needed to accommodate the large throng of folks who showed up last night (10/5/10) to hear Rick Mills talk to the Spearfish Area Historical Society about trains. Mills, who in January became Executive Director of the new South Dakota State Railroad Museum in Hill City, didn’t disappoint. He gave an excellent overview of railroading in South Dakota – from those days when the transcontinental line came through Cheyenne (then a part of Dakota Territory) – right up through today. Still to be determined is the fate of plans for the old Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern (DM&E), now owned by Canadian Pacific, to haul coal through Edgemont and eastward across central South Dakota.

It would be hard to find anyone more immersed in his topic than Rick Mills.

A native of Hermosa, he recounted his experiences as a youngster – accompanying his father on his rural mail delivery route – when he would get excited at the mere appearance of a train. It was often a Chicago & North Western train charging northward from Dakota Junction west of Chadron, Nebraska, en route to Belle Fourche. For young Rick, was to become a lifelong fascination with all things railroad.

Mills was inspired to write his first of several books on railroads while a freshman at the School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City. Building upon a paper he had written at school, he authored “Making the Grade – A Century of Black Hills Railroading” in 1985. That was followed by eight books that he either authored or co-authored. The latest, in 2004, is entitled “125 Years of Black Hills Railroading.”

After attending the School of Mines, Mills worked for the postal service for seven years, followed by a 10-year stint with Simpson Printing in Rapid City. In 2001 he joined Visitor magazine and was involved in sales and production work.

All the while, Mills’ enthusiasm for railroads has abided.

That enthusiasm was readily apparent as he provided a succinct history of railroading in the Black Hills, reaching back to 1880 when Californian George Hearst – who had purchased what would become Homestake Gold Mine – arranged for the first steam engine to be brought to the hills. It was hauled across the prairie from Bismarck to Lead. Hearst’s mining operation then built the first narrow-gauge railroad in the Black Hills in 1881. In Nebraska, the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley (FE&MV) railroad extended west from Valentine to Chadron and Dakota Junction. By 1885, the line had built to the north reaching Rapid City and Belle Fourche.

Although early rail development came rather swiftly across the hills, it would be several years before service came in to Deadwood.

“The first North Western train arrived in Deadwood on December 29, 1890. And that morning, a steam locomotive came whistling into Deadwood, and the town was celebrating. About 150 miles down to the southeast, it was the morning of the massacre at Wounded Knee. The timing of that was so ironic,” observed Mills.

He said 1890 marked the beginning of the “Golden Age” of railroading in the northern Black Hills. The Burlington line at Englewood made what Mills called a “torturous little trip” up to Trojan and Portland, then down Spearfish Canyon, winding its way along the east side of the canyon and onto the canyon floor into Spearfish.

Rail service was also flourishing in Belle Fourche, where shipments of livestock began moving east by rail as early as 1890. Within just a few years, Belle Fourche became the busiest livestock shipping point in the

United States

By 1906, a branch of the Burlington’s Edgemont to Deadwood “High Line” route went east from Mystic to join up with the Dakota & Wyoming route out of Rapid City. That link – along with other services in and out of Rapid City – fueled immense commercial development for Rapid City. Within a few years, activity surpassed Lead and Deadwood, and “they never regained it,” said Mills.

But by the early 1900s, the internal combustion engine and the proliferation of “horseless carriages” started gaining popularity across the country – including the Black Hills. Within a decade or two, as automobiles and trucks emerged prominently on the scene, and railroads began to flounder.

1921 marked the end of narrow gauge lines in the hills. By 1930, all of the track around Terry Peak and adjacent areas were gone. Tourism was gaining favor across the hills, and families began to enjoy the convenience and mobility of automobiles.

During World War II, tonnage hauled by rail exceeded all records, but it quickly subsided after the war. Development of interstate highways under the Eisenhower administration – along with growth of the airlines – inflicted a massive toll on passenger rail service.

The last Chicago and North Western passenger train out of Rapid City departed 50 years ago – in October 1960 – and all passenger rail service was gone by the end of the decade. The ‘60s and ‘70s were tough times for the railroads. The languishing Chicago and North Western, for example, found economic woes and deferred maintenance giving rise to hazardous conditions. There was an abundance of derailments.

One former C&NW worker in the audience recalled that during those gloomy years, C&NW was sometimes tagged “Can’t & Never Will.” Those were very tough times for railroads.

But the 1970 merger of the Burlington line with the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and the Spokane, Portland & Seattle railroads seemed to mark a new era. In the plains, with expanded coal mining operations in Wyoming, railroading seemed to come back to life. In 1992, the Burlington Northern merged with the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad, becoming Burlington Northern–Santa Fe (BNSF).

Mills noted both BNSF and Union Pacific have “benefitted mightily” hauling coal out of Wyoming. “In the past month alone, 1,007 UP coal trains came out of Wyoming. That’s more than 30 each day.”

Even the old C&NW line out of Belle Fourche, which was sold to Dakota, Minnesota, and Eastern and later acquired by Canadian Pacific, is keeping busy.

“Sixty trains a day go through Edgemont,” he added.

It was a delightful presentation for attendees, many of whom cornered Mills after the session for a myriad of other questions and comments. Others hovered over the 1916 rail line map of South Dakota.

For more pictures and additional information about this program, visit our Spearfish History Gallery. To learn more about the South Dakota State Railroad Museum, visit their SDSRM web site or take a look at the video displayed in the upper right hand column.

Society members and others are reminded that, because of the general election next month, the Spearfish Area Historical Society will meet on the second Tuesday in November rather than the first. Linfred Scuttler will expound upon “Old Newspaper Clippings” and offer us “the rest of the story!” It’s sure to be a pleaser – so make plans now to join us at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 9^th.

Jorgensen barn program a big hit!

2010-09-12T00:36:00.000-07:00

When Joe Jorgensen bought property along Spearfish Creek in north Spearfish back in 1984, he knew it was a good deal – but he may not have fully appreciated the history that came with the purchase.

The Homestake Gold Mine had owned the acreage – along with a lot of other property in Lawrence County – since before World War II. But the buildings on Jorgensen’s property – including the huge barn that looms over the back of the property – dated back to the 1800’s.

A former teacher-turned realtor, Jorgensen soon learned more about the property and over the years has gathered considerable information about it. He shared much of that information last Tuesday (9/7/10) with a standing-room only audience that gathered in the spacious barn adjacent to Jorgensen Park just off Hillsview Drive in Spearfish. Extremely pleasant weather helped lure well over 100 people to the event.

It was a rare off-site meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society, which launched a new season of programs for history buffs from Spearfish and the surrounding area. And they certainly weren’t disappointed. The program was a “Barn and Saddle Tour.”

There was an impressive display of more than 100 saddles collected by Arnold Jorgensen, and many were real collector’s items – including one acquired by Melvin Stewart of Burke, South Dakota at Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest” near Berchtesgaden, Germany There were land documents, historical photographs, household items, and farm equipment – including a branding chute crafted by Jorgensen’s grandfather. But perhaps the biggest hit of the evening was the barn itself.

“I went up to the courthouse 10 or 15 years ago to do some research on the buildings here, and I didn’t get very far,” said Jorgensen. “I spent five or six hours there. You can just go on forever trying to trace things back. Then this last week, I was a little more successful.”

Jorgensen expanded his search into adjacent sections and quarter sections. “All of a sudden, I found some mortgages to Tom Matthews that related to this piece of property.”

The sleuthing paid off, and Jorgesen found documents that showed the initial transfer of the property in November 1883 from the

United States of America

to one John Aikman.

“The original 160 acres were 40 acres deep. It ran up to the property where Ray Runnings raises his corn today, and then headed east up along Hillsview Drive for four ‘40’s.”

In May of 1887, the property was deeded to Ed Cashelin for $6,000. That transaction carried with it all water rights to the Spearfish irrigation ditch from Aikman, George Mann, Samuel Beck and William Seip.

“The first thing Mr. Cashelin began to do was sub-divide the property, so all the property along Lower Valley Road (Evans Lane) was part of this property, and those lots sold for about a hundred dollars apiece.”

Cashelin and his wife, Columbia, apparently acquired another 160 acres, because when they sold their property in October 1898 to Thomas W. Matthews for $10,000, the deal was for 320 acres total.

Cashelin’s great-great-granddaughter, Marcia Darland of Spearfish, was on hand for the presentation and provided a clue to the age of the barn. It was contained in an old photograph

of the Cashelin house, which once sat where Jorgensen’s home is located. That confirmed that the structure was likely built in the 1883 to 1898 period.

Jorgensen also introduced Tom Matthews of Spearfish, whose namesake, T.N. Matthews, once owned the property – as well as the popular block of downtown Spearfish known as the Matthews Opera House.

Matthews said he had always thought that his ancestors might have built the house and barn now owned by Jorgensen. “What I have learned is the ownership and evolution of the ownership of this property. This has been great fun.” said Matthews, who also brought along a fistful of old documents and photographs to share with Jorgensen and the gathering.

Jorgensen once served as Mayor of Spearfish and has been active in a wide range of community activities. He, his sister Kay and brother Spike grew up in Witten. Joe graduated from Black Hills State University in 1967 with a double major in Social Studies and Speech and Theatre. He later picked up a Masters in School Administration. His four year of teaching school in Spearfish was punctuated by a two-year tour with the Army in

Germany

The low-key Jorgensen shared several memories of his parents, Arnold and Twyla Jorgensen. They owned and operated a small grocery store in Witten for many years, and Arnold became quite a horse trader. A plaque erected in the nearby park by the Jorgensen children identifies their dad as “the last of the great old horse traders.”

“They were very special people. They wanted us to have every opportunity that was available. We took a trip every year, whether it was to the World’s Fair in Seattle, to Montreal, or Washington, D.C. If we couldn’t make it to one of those places, we at least made it to Hot Springs to go swimming in Evans Plunge!”

Kay Jorgensen, a former state legislator who – like her brother Joe – is also engaged in a variety of civic activities, echoed admiration and love for their parents.

“They wanted life to be better for everyone, and they thought education was the primary way up and out. They put us in every possible circumstance they could so that we wouldn’t be afraid – so that anything was possible.”

Arnold and Twyla Jorgensen embraced Spearfish after moving here in 1983. He fell in love with the old barn, and he was determined that when he died, his funeral should be conducted in the old barn, which it was. Twyla’s memorial service was also conducted there. Both of the Jorgensens are buried in Rose Hill Cemetery.

So, this venerable old barn, survivor of blizzards, tornadoes and man-made hazards for well over a century, continues to amaze young and old alike with its beauty, durability, and history. It was featured among the Barns of Lawrence County program presented last year by Leo Orme of Spearfish. And the stately barn was a fitting topic for opening the new season of Spearfish Area Historical Society programs.

Several ladies joined forces to offer some delightful snacks and a variety of desserts – a nice touch to a delightful evening! Among those ladies was Darlene Telkamp and Callie Houghton – but we know there were others, too. Thanks!

You’ll find more pictures and information about society programs in our Spearfish History Gallery.

“Railroads of the Black Hills” is the subject of the next SAHS gathering on Tuesday, October 5. Rick Mills of Hermosa, Executive Director of the South Dakota State Railroad Museum in Hill City will share his insight into the important role of the railroads during the development of the Black Hills. Check out the other planned programs for 2010-11.

First meeting set for Tuesday, September 7th

2010-09-02T01:47:00.000-07:00

Jorgensen Barn

The first meeting of the 2010-11 program season has sneaked up on us, and it'll be at a different location!

Our opening program this season will feature a Barn and Saddle Tour at the Jorgensen barn, 1905 Stagebarn Circle, along Spearfish Creek in north Spearfish. This unique program will begin at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 7, 2010. There'll be limited parking near the barn and additional parking at Jorgensen Park, which is adjacent to the site.

Speaker Joe Jorgensen will provide attendees with an opportunity to see one of the finest old barns in the region, including an outstanding collection of more than 100 saddles that were among those collected by Joe's dad.

The presentation is free and open to the public, and -- as always -- there'll be some refreshments for folks in attendance. Of course, it's also an opportunity for non-members to join the Spearfish Area Historical Society, which meets each month September through May. Since this first meeting of the year is off site (sessions are normally conducted at the Spearfish Senior Citizen's Center), attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chair.

We'll soon be posting the full schedule of program for 2010-11, so bookmark our site and check back soon!

The Jorgensen barn in winter, viewed from Jorgensen Park.

Raiding the brothels of Deadwood

2010-05-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

Attorney Michael Trump of Belle Fourche delighted a crowd of more than 100 persons last night (5/4/10) in Spearfish with his perspective on how legalized prostitution remained entrenched in Deadwood for so long.

Many of the folks in the audience for the May meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society could well remember when brothels in the "bad lands" district of Deadwood were finally closed down in 1980, following a century of notoriety. They were curious to hear what young Trump had to say.

In fact, when Deadwood was chosen as the only city in the United States to be designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1964, prostitution was still legal -- and would remain so for another 16 years.

Trump opined that Deadwood was one of the last gold rush mining towns established in the Black Hills, and that by 1876 many other communities were already getting organized, families were moving in and law and order was being implemented. So the purveyors of prostitution and gambling found new opportunities in the emerging settlement along Deadwood Gulch.

"You had people coming in to Deadwood that literally had made a career out of running a vice of some sort, and by the time they got to Deadwood, they were very experienced," said Trump.

Trump passed around a copy of his new 157-page book, Raiding Deadwood's Bad Lands: Its Illegal History of Prostitution and Gambling, which chronicles the long history of the red light district before and after prohibition. It's an Adams Museum & House publication.

Author Trump's father was a president at Black Hills State University, where Trump earned a bachelor's degree in history. During his time here, he visited Deadwood and was startled to see a building placard denoting the existence of legalized prostitution until 1980.

As he pursued a master's degree at the University of Wyoming, he was not enamored by thesis topics suggested by his major professor. That's when he presented his idea of the 1980 brothel raids in Deadwood.

“I’ll never forget how his eyes lit up; he loved contemporary history stories, and he was completely sold on that idea.”

If Trump's professor was smitten by the topic, so was the audience gathered for this final society meeting for 2009-10. They heard Trump segment the legal battles of the brothels into three time periods: local government efforts in 1952; state government initiatives in 1959; and federal raids that finally saw the demise of legalized prostitution in Deadwood.

Within his presentation, Trump dropped the name of Woody Harrelson, well-known television and movie actor. Harrelson's father, Charles, had been charged in the 1979 killing of a federal judge in San Antonio, Texas. Although a link was apparently never fully documented, a Deadwood brothel was believed to be a site where investigators were seeking evidence related to that case. The elder Harrelson was later convicted of the crime and sent to prison. He died in a Colorado prison in 2007.

Trump entertained questions from the audience -- and also had some interesting responses from a couple of attendees who had more than just a passing knowledge of Deadwood's brothels. In coming days, we'll be adding those stories -- along with more pictures -- to our Spearfish History Gallery.

Stay tuned!

Vices of old Deadwood

2010-04-22T07:17:00.001-07:00

Belle Fourche attorney Michael Trump offers a glimpse of Deadwood’s “Bad Lands” for the May program of the Spearfish Area Historical Society.

Trump will discuss his book “Raiding Deadwood’s Bad Lands: Its Illegal History of Prostitution and Gambling." It provides an incisive look at the colorful role that prostitution and gambling played in the historic gold-mining community that lured thousands of miners to the northern Black Hills in the 1870s.

Amazingly, the brothels of Deadwood have been closed only since 1980, but gambling has been revived with considerable flair.

Trump provides a superb factual chronology of Deadwood's brothel history – told in a fashion that’s sure to pique your curiosity even more.

The May meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society will take place – as always – at the Spearfish Senior Citizen’s Center on Tuesday, May 4, 2010 beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Society meetings are open to the public free of charge, but all are encouraged to consider membership in our group. Sign up for SAHS MEMBERSHIP and enjoy the many fascinating programs offered every year!.

Spearfish "Yesteryear" photographs

2010-04-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

Several members of the Spearfish Area Historical Society have made available their old photographs of early-day Spearfish.

In coming days, we'll be posting many of these gems in our Spearfish Yesteryear gallery.

This arrangement will also necessitate a few changes in the appearance of this website, as we configure the photo gallery to which this site will be linked.

Simply put, you'll be seeing many more old photographs like the one shown here.

This is a scene of downtown Spearfish taken on "Decoration Day" in 1885.

Paying tribute to the cowboy

2010-04-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

Hollywood doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to telling the real story of the American cowboy.

We’d put greater trust in a more unusual form of documenting the American west: poetry.

Cowboy Poetry Week is slated for April 18-24 across the country, and there are a variety of activities slated in the northern Black Hills region to help commemorate the cowboy tradition.

Ranging from a “Brown Bag Poetry Reading” at the Matthews Opera House at noon on Wednesday, April 14th to an evening of “Cowboy Culture” at the High Plains Western Heritage Center on Thursday, April 22nd as part of the Heritage of the American West series, there’s a variety of events that are bound to tickle your fancy. Poetry reading events are scheduled at the Grace Balloch Memorial Library in Spearfish, as well as public libraries in Rapid City, Whitewood, Sturgis and Belle Fourche. Click on the poster shown here for an overview of the many events that are planned.

Details on the Heritage of the American West performance are contained in this news release about “Cowboy Culture.”

Proclamations have been adopted at the state and national level in an effort to give recognition to the Great American Cowboy.

Spearfish had CAVES!

2010-04-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Few people know the history of Spearfish, South Dakota as well as Linfred Schuttler.

That’s probably why the Spearfish Senior Citizen’s Center was filled last night (4/6/10) with history buffs eager to learn more about the “Queen City.”

Schuttler, who’s been a regular presenter for the Spearfish Area Historical Society over the years, shared the story of Spearfish – punctuated with his droll humor and lively anecdotes.

The 85-year-old Schuttler grew up around Farmer in Hanson County, South Dakota. During World War II, he was assigned to a mortar unit of the 103rd Division, which was involved in liberating German “Work Camps.” After the war, he moved to Spearfish and farmed for nine years before going to work for 25 years at the U.S. Post Office as a mail carrier.

“And that was before vehicle delivery -- when mail carriers actually carried the mail,” noted society president Rand Williams in his introduction of Schuttler. After a career at the postal service, Schuttler owned and operated the Bell, Book, and Candle Shoppe for 13 years. In this latest retirement, he has become an indefatigable researcher of Spearfish history, but he also enjoys travel and has visited 45 states and 18 foreign countries.

With a twinkle in his eye, he concedes that one thing he’s not retired from is his continuing effort “to find the Ezra Kind gold treasure” described by the infamous Thoen Stone.

Although the city of Spearfish, South Dakota was incorporated in 1888, Schuttler contends that the community was really “born” in 1876, when the first settlers moved into the valley area along the creek where “fish were speared” by natives and settlers alike.

Schuttler cited historian/writer Annie Tallent regarding the very early days of the Spearfish vicinity, noting that fur traders were likely among the first white men into the region in the early 1800s.

Despite the niceties of the Laramie Treaty, a host of laws, and the prohibition against settlers occupying this area – which was clearly Indian land – all went out the window when gold was discovered in 1876.

The first survey and plat of the Spearfish town site was May 29, 1876. After subsequent surveys and platting, the dissolution of the town site company, and assumption of jurisdiction by the county government, Spearfish was “re-born” several times.

Linfred described one of the significant challenges facing the community was CAVES. This piqued the curiosity of the audience until he described the obstacles as “citizens against virtually everything.”

Addition tidbits from Linfred’s presentation about Spearfish history – along with a few photographs – can be found in our Spearfish Gallery.

Spearfish resiliency

2010-03-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, April 6, 2010.

That's when Linfred Schuttler returns for another of his fascinating presentations, and this time he digs in to the resilient history of Spearfish: The Town of Spearfish, Born 1876, and Born Again, and Again....

Linfred Schuttler has made many presentations before this group. We've had the pleasure of attending two in the past couple of years.

Last May (5/7/09) he took us on a trip down memory lane to re-visit prohibition in this region. Our favorite, though, was his presentation called The Ghosts of Rose Hill, during which he shared some most unusual stories about the city cemetery atop Rose Hill in south Spearfish.

Linfred's program about the resilient history of Spearfish is scheduled for April 6th, and begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Spearfish Senior Citizen's Center. If previous Schuttler programs are any indication -- there'll be a full house and lots of fun.

Come learn more about Spearfish history and enjoy good fellowship.

This old house

2010-03-03T00:58:00.000-08:00

Joel Darling looks nothing like Bob Vila, but his handiwork is every bit as impressive as anything we ever saw on PBS’s This Old House television series.

Darling, who’s lived in Spearfish for about 10 years, is the general contractor who helped homeowners Zana and Arnie Hartman realize their dream of giving new life to an old house at 717 East Grant Street in Spearfish. The Hartmans lived in Alaska for 28 years, and that’s where Zana worked as an interior decorating and design consultant – valuable experience for their “Vintage House Reborn” project.

Zana Hartman joined Darling last night (3/2/10) at the March meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society to share details – and a few surprises – about the five-year renovation of the old house on Grant Street.

And when we say “old house,” we mean “old.” No one is certain of just how old the two-story frame home really is, but its vintage is probably in the 1880 to 1900 time frame. Many folks in the audience remembered when the old house sat at a location that now serves as a funeral home parking lot. It was moved up the hill onto East Grant Street in the 1970s.

It wasn’t until about five years ago that Zana and Arnie began the ambitious job of renovating and adding on to the old house.

“We’ve done remodeling projects before, but nothing like this,” Zana told the historical society.

Darling, who works for West River Masonry, has extensive contracting experience and teamed up with the Hartmans to tackle the massive project.

It involved jacking up the house and strengthening the foundation, adding a basement, a garage, and numerous other features to the 19th century structure. Sky lights and glass blocks were installed. Windows were replaced, and a new garden shed arose from the dilapidated out building behind the house. The stairwell was widened and fortified, and a stairwell to the new basement was added. Wiring and plumbing were all re-done, and everything was brought up to code.

“It was not an easy task,” said Darling.

At left, Zana Hartman and contractor Joel Darling pause for a moment in the back yard of the Hartman house. There have been more than a few surprises along the way -- what Zana calls "curiosities."

While it wasn’t a daily occurrence, Darling said they began to routinely discover artifacts behind walls and under floors. Items ranging from an1863 sewing needle to medicine bottles and old magazines were found tucked away, as if in a time capsule. There was even a collection of hair found – and one can only speculate for what purpose it was saved!

Although it was not yet finished, the Hartmans were able to occupy the house in September of 2008. The past 18 months have found them putting the finishing touches on everything from interior décor to built-in electronics. Visit our Spearfish history Photo Gallery for some photos and additional information about Vintage House Reborn.

“It’s a 5 Star Energy Home, and our utility bills are a lot less than they used to be,” said Zana Hartman, noting that their energy bills were nearly four times as much in the old Homestake house where they previously lived.

The video presentation and artifact display spurred lots of questions, and discussion about the project continued while attendees bellied up to the snack tables for treats and drinks.

The concept of giving new life to an old house served as a good prelude to the upcoming April program at the Spearfish Area Historical Society. Veteran presenter Linfred Schuttler returns on Tuesday, April 6th, with a topic entitled, “The Town of Spearfish, Born 1876, and Born Again….and Again…” The 7:30 p.m. program will be staged at the Spearfish Senior Citizen’s Center and is open to the public.

Tales of Lookout Mountain

2010-02-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-06T01:55:00.000-08:00

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.

Tretheway Pavilion...quite a history!

2009-12-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

“The Pavilion has always been a popular gathering site for weddings, dances, auctions, and other community events.”

So reads the City of Spearfish description of the Wilbur S. Tretheway Pavilion, located in the main city park in Spearfish, South Dakota. And while that short sentence suggests the array of social events that have taken place in the park building, there is much more to the story.

And it’s a story that will unfold Tuesday evening, January 5, 2010, when writer Paul Higbee presents a fresh perspective of the historic Tretheway Pavilion for the January program of the Spearfish Area Historical Society. His presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Senior Citizens Center at 1306 Tenth Street in Spearfish.

Last year, the pavilion – named for one-time Mayor Wilbur Tretheway – was named to the South Dakota Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.

Built in the early 20th century, the pavilion was the site for big band dances, roller skating, boxing, scouting activities, weddings, bingo, and a wide variety of school functions.

“Lots of people know about the big dances that drew thousands of young people to Spearfish in the early 1960s,” says Higbee, “but not everyone knows how major the performers were: the Everly Brothers, the Crickets, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Ronettes, Seals and Croft, Chubby Checker, and before they went country-western, Conway Twitty and Waylon Jennings.”

By the 1980s, the pavilion was nearly torn down, but Mayor Wilbur Tretheway led a successful campaign to refurbish it. According to Higbee, Tretheway had been a big band era musician who had played there.

“I always thought that was an interesting twist,” says Higbee, who says he hopes his January presentation will help people understand just how central the pavilion has been in the life of the community for some 90 years.

A Spearfish writer whose work frequently appears in South Dakota Magazine, Higbee has written for several national magazines, too. In 2000, he published a book about Spearfish history, which he says spurred his interest in researching the pavilion. Most recently, Higbee teamed up with photographer Les Voorhis in publishing “Bear Butte – Sentinel of the Plains,” just released this month.

Barns of Lawrence County

2009-12-01T22:05:00.000-08:00

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 the December meeting -- and other programs -- 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.

Partners saving Meeker Ranch

2009-08-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

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.”

Ownership passed from the Meeker family to the Davis family in 1952. Some 52 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.

Prohibition in South Dakota

2009-05-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

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.

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!

Historical society elects officers

2009-05-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

During their final regular meeting of the season (5/5/09), the Spearfish Area Historical Society elected officers for 2009-10. The group meets monthly at the Senior Citizen's Center, but takes a break during the summer months.

Click on the image at right in order to see a larger version. These are the familiar faces of some dedicated members who were elected by acclamation.

Seated in front is Mary Selbe, Secretary; others (left-to-right) are: Dorothy Honadel, Treasurer; Cheryl Miller; Paul Dingeman, Vice-President; Callie Houghton; and Rand Williams, President. Not pictured is Laurie Hayes, Programs.

Linfred Schuttler drew another full house for his program on Prohibition in South Dakota. We'll post information and photos in the next few days.

For those of you who've not visited this site before, simply click on Spearfish Area History Postings in the left-hand column to read past postings about meetings of the Spearfish Area Historical Society and related topics.

Photographs, along with additional information about past society programs, can be found by clicking on Spearfish Area History Gallery.

Bullock the businessman

2009-04-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2009-03-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

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.

Provine returned to the "wild west"

2009-03-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

This really isn’t so much South Dakota history as it is South Dakota trivia.

While doing a bit of research on the now-defunct print version of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper, I happened across an old photo of a damsel cheering for the University of Washington in a 1954 football game against the Oregon State “Ducks.” She was identified only as “Dotty” Provine.

Provine is not your everyday surname in Seattle – or in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where one-time actress “Dorothy” Provine was born. After checking further, I became convinced that the cheering Miss Provine at UW was the same attractive blonde as the gal from Deadwood who went on to have a fairly successful career in motion pictures and television. Her TV credits included a lead in the 1960 series “The Roaring ‘20s.”

For me, her most memorable performance was in the Blake Edwards film “The Great Race,” a segment of which is offered below. It not only refreshed my memory about Dorothy Provine, it was a reminder of what a fun movie this was. The 1965 musical (Henry Mancini) comedy starred – among others – Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, Keenan Wynn, Denver Pyle, Peter Falk, Larry Storch, and – my favorite – Jack Lemmon as the irrepressible Dr. Fate. Dorothy Provine is featured here as Lily Olay.

Somehow, I can imagine Dorothy Provine singing in a Deadwood dance hall similar to what's seen here (without the smoking, of course!)

History through penny postcards

2009-02-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

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 check them out on this page of U.S. GenWeb penny postcards. Give it a try!

Jay Gorham, 91, a Silent Key

2009-02-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

In the world of amateur radio so loved by our friend Jay Gorham, a “Silent Key” is the term used to recognize those ham operators who have passed away. It hearkens back to a day when telegrapher keys were on the cutting edge of technology, almost magically filling telegraph lines and the ether with Morse Code -- a mode still used by many hamy operators.

Jay Ellis Gorham of Spearfish joined the ranks of Silent Keys on Thursday, February 12, 2009. He was 91 years old.

Born in Dunlap, Iowa, Jay’s family moved to Spearfish in 1922, when he was four years old. Except for a few years in Washington state and Navy service during World War II, Jay called Spearfish home. Here’s a full obituary for Jay as it appeared in the Black Hills Pioneer, recounting some of his many accomplishments and affiliations. A standout football player at Black Hills Normal School in the 1930s, Jay was later a radar operator in the Navy, returning to Spearfish after the war to begin a 30-year career as a partner and then owner of Gorham Brothers Welding and Machine Shop.

As seems to be the case with so many good people, Jay’s diverse interests were transcended by his love and affection for his wife, children, and grandchildren. He enjoyed following his children’s activities, and found joy himself in activities randing from gardening and bowling to hunting and golf.

He loved history and was a frequent attendee at meetings of the Spearfish Area Historical Society.

Jay was heavily involved in the community – everything from being a long-time volunteer fireman to membership in the American Legion and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. We knew Jay only for the past few years through our shared interest in amateur radio. He was one of the first people I met when retiring to Spearfish in 2005, and he quickly became one of my favorites. Thanks to fellow ham Bob Weaver for sharing the picture at right of Jay in his "ham shack." Last year, when I decided to erect an antenna mast, Jay volunteered some pipe and tools to help me accomplish the job – in addition to offering some sage advice on how to best accomplish the task. As I mount a new HF antenna on the mast this spring, I’ll be saying a special “thank you” to Jay Gorham.

To Jay’s wife, Agnes, and their entire family, we extend our deep condolences. He is gone but will not be forgotten by the many people whose lives he touched in a most wonderful way.

73 to our good friend Jay.

...on a Badlands Ranch

2009-02-04T10:53:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-02T15:51:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-15T22:08:00.000-08:00

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.

Glints of Galena

2008-10-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

Silver was the stuff of fortunes – and it lured many a miner to the hills and valleys south of Deadwood late in the 19th century. Dozens of silver mines and claims dotted the area around Galena, one of many small communities that thrived and then died.

But Galena has never really allowed last rites to be given, and the community has taken pride in its historic past and its wilderness beauty.

Jeri Fahrni and Marilyn Schwaner are among Galena locals who are members of the Galena Historical Society. They shared dozens of pictures and intriguing stories about Galena during “Glints of Galena,” the October program of the Spearfish Area Historical Society. The society gathers monthly at the Spearfish Senior Citizens Center.

Marilyn and Jeri were kind enough to allow us to display several of the photographs in our History Gallery.

Three miners, Frank Cochrane, William Stillwell and Pat Donegan are cited as starting the Sitting Bull Mine a ways down stream from what is now Galena. The community virtually exploded with prospectors; mills and smelters popped up around the area, which still contains remnants of structures and artifacts from the boom era.

Galena once sported two churches, several saloons, a mercantile, restaurants, boarding houses, a newspaper, and a drugstore. Of course, the local school – built in 1882 – was the center of the community for many years, and the structure still stands.

The Galena Historical Society sponsors an annual walk through the historic village. The next one is slated for June 2009.

The next SAHS program will be Ghosts of Rose Hill Cemetery with Linfred Schuttler on November 11th.

Yesteryear in Tinton

2008-09-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Jessie Schultz Williams, Chuck Schultz, and Joann Follette spent considerable time growing up in the small mining town of Tinton, nestled near Cement Ridge along the Wyoming-South Dakota border. And "Potato Creek Johnny" Perrett, shown in the photograph here, was one of the memorable characters they recalled as they told about growing up in Tinton. Johnny had a particularly colorful career, laying claim--albeit dubiously--to the largest piece of gold found in the Black Hills. But Johnny was only one of many storied folks imbedded in the lore and history of Tinton -- an all-but-abandoned village west of Spearfish Canyon.

Tales about “Life in Tinton” were showcased during a meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society at the Senior Citizen’s Center in Spearfish last Tuesday, September 2nd.

A variety of ores were mined in Tinton over the years – reportedly, gold, tin, and tantalum, among others. It’s also interesting, according to Chuck Schultz, that some of the early settlers wanted to lure tourists to Tinton – a formidable task for a community so isolated in the northern Black Hills.

Nonetheless, at its peak, Tinton boasted a community hall, filling station, post office, a big mill, and a two-room school, along with several dwellings. Schultz remembers that Tinton’s population was nominally about 300 persons, but there may have been as many as 500. Electricity was unreliable, and refrigeration was dependent upon ice collected in the winter and stored in sawdust cellars throughout the year.

Jessie Williams shared much about her school years, which were enjoyable and productive despite the lack of technology and many of the resources enjoyed by city schools and most schools today. Several old pictures of school activities – including a basketball team – were displayed on a large video screen for the audience.

“I think most everyone who went to school in Tinton came out all right,” she said.

Our thanks to the presenters for allowing us to share a few of their many pictures of Tinton. We’re including other information about Tinton as we’re able to assemble it.

The next meeting of the Spearfish Area Historical Society will focus on another old northern Hills town – Galena. It’s scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, October 7th, at the Spearfish Senior Citizens Center. Guests are invited.

Western Heritage Center is a gem

2008-05-07T22:42:00.000-07:00

For history buffs visiting the Black Hills region, the High Plains Western Heritage Center is a “must see” on their itineraries.

This gem, nestled on a hill overlooking Spearfish in the beautiful northern Black Hills, is a 40-acre site boasting a marvelous building that captures the spirit of the old west in so many ways!

It was very fitting for the Spearfish Area Historical Society to round out its 2007-08 year with a visit to the Western Heritage Center and enjoy the hospitality offered by center director Peggy Ables and her small but able staff. After a short society business meeting in the 200-seat auditorium, Peggy made introductory remarks and then – assisted by volunteer Bill Fuller – provided an excellent tour through the 17,000 square feet facility.

As one who has visited the Western Heritage Center many times, I find something new each time I walk through the door. It’s a wonderful resource that is emerging as a major historical center across a 5-state region. We’ve assembled a few photos to help whet your appetite about the marvelous facility. For more information, we encourage you to take the virtual tour offered on their web site.

Better yet, hop in your car and head for Spearfish, taking Exit 14 toward the southwest. You’ll find the High Plains Western Heritage Center about a mile up – what else? – Heritage Drive. And prepare to have a terrific time!

Some people just "Vanished"!

2008-04-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to believe that innocent citizens could be swept from their homes in the middle of the night and tossed in jail…..then transferred to a “detention camp” and held for months – even years – as “prisoners of war.” But it happened during World War II all across the United States.

The Alien and Sedition Act of 1798 had been enacted 140 years earlier, at the end of the American Revolution. It was later modified and only its “Alien Enemies” provision remained. But after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, heightened fear broke out across the United States, and there was great suspicion that aliens – even people who just “looked” to be an aliens – might be enemy spies or even saboteurs.

Because of their obvious difference in physical appearance, oriental persons were easy targets. It’s estimated that more than 120,000 Japanese-Americans were interned under the Alien Enemies Act during World War II. Most of the internees, probably about 80 percent, were U.S. citizens.

Less well known is the fact that between 11,000 to 15,000 German-Americans were whisked off to detention camps during World War II. Their story has been little known, but thanks to an exhibit aboard a reconditioned bus called the BUS-eum, we’re finally getting a glimpse of this frightening era in American history. Entitled Vanished, the exhibit uses posters, photographs, and old films to help tell the story. German-Americans were interned in camps all across the country. The nearest to our part of the world was Camp Lincoln, located near Bismarck, North Dakota.

I first learned of the exhibit earlier this week, while it was traversing the state. Alas, before the bus could make it to Spearfish, a cracked engine cylinder put the vehicle out of business. Fortunately, the exhibit was shipped on to Black Hills State University, where it was exhibited for a few hours today in the Student Center.

The Director of the exhibit (and bus driver) is Iowan Michael Luick-Thrams, whose passion for the subject is obvious. He told our small assemblage at BHSU, that the Bus-eum has visited 1,015 communities across the country and has been seen by more than 100,000 people.

Vanished tells another sad but important story in the history of our country. While tens of thousands of internees of World War II thought it couldn’t happen to them, we are left wondering: could such a thing happen today?

A good question….and this exhibit helps us better understand this chapter of U. S. history. If you’re interested in learning more, I’d recommend visiting the Vanished web site. An even better site, in my opinion, is that of the German-American Internee Coalition. To get to that web site, just click on GAIC.

As a grandchild of German-Russian immigrants, I appreciate the passion brought to this project, and I support efforts to learn more and better understand the circumstances surrounding these internments. Knowing our history will always stand us in good stead.

And while it is appropriate for the GAIC to try to get the U.S. government to “review and acknowledge” the violation of civil rights perpetrated on Japanese-Americans, German-Americans, and others, let’s hope it stops there. Document this experience. Understand it. Never forget it. But avoid the pervasive victimization mentality that cloaks much of our country and stop short of seeking reparations.

Better that we focus our vigilance upon open government and fight to ensure that civil rights of all citizens are doggedly protected. We should learn from the past, act in the present, and focus on the future.

Free "Vanished" Exhibit at BHSU

2008-04-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

We’re a bit late in posting this item, but it appears to be well worth pursuing for people who live in the northern Black Hills.

Most of us are aware that many Japanese-Americans were interned in camps across the country during World War II.

Less well known is that fact that the U.S. Government interned some 15,000 German-American civilians, including citizens and 4,058 Latin-American Germans brought here and later exchanged for Nazi-held American citizens. Perhaps the least known chapter of American WWII history, its legacy has implications for today. Housed in a school bus converted into a mobile museum with its own 21-seat theater, VANISHED illustrates this unknown story through narrative texts, artifacts and multi-media.

The exhibit will be in Spearfish – near the Black Hills State University Student Center, I believe – from 10 a.m. to 1p.m., tomorrow (Thursday, April 24th). It’s open to the public free of charge.

Our April Snowfall

2008-04-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

Life in the Black Hills of South Dakota provides a wonderful variety of weather and scenery. It seems we've been blessed with April storms for each of the past three winters -- and 2008 was no expection. Pictured here is a holding pond on Spearfish Creek just southeast of Savoy. The April 5-6 snowfall left several inches throughout the northern hills, and a Sunday morning drive up Spearfish Canyon provided some delightful sights and a few good photos.

Higbee tells about Fayette Cook

2008-04-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

Fayette Cook was pretty remarkable fellow. He’s often thought of as the first President of Black Hills State University, but the fact it is – he wasn’t.

Hired in 1885 as a “Principal” for the Spearfish normal college – a teacher training institution – Cook rescued the school from the wretched state of affairs left by his predecessor, M. Van Buren Baker.

You thought Deadwood had some rough characters – how about this Van Buren Baker guy.

He came from back east and lasted less than a year on the job. Generally regarded as a gambler, a womanizer, and probably an embezzler, Baker went back East to Pennsylvania, where he headed another normal school, but was soon convicted of murdering his wife and mother-in-law in a bloody axe crime.

So starts the story of Fayette Cook and the early years of what we know as Black Hills State University. It’s a spellbinding story that was told colorfully by Spearfish historian Paul Higbee during the April meeting (4/1/08) of the Spearfish Area Historical Society.

Higbee told how the 34-year-old Cook had never even heard of Spearfish when he received a letter in 1885 offering him the position of “Principal” at the new normal school. Although he at first declined, Cook later accepted the job and took a train from his home near Rochester, Minnesota to Chadron, Nebraska – then taking a stage to Spearfish.

Higbee noted that Cook’s arrival in Spearfish was surely disappointing to him. The single normal school building was, Cook said, “the poorest excuse for a schoolhouse.” Nonetheless, he went to work in an effort to create a “model school” where students could practice their teaching. The laboratory school became an integral part of the college and the community.

Cook was fond of agriculture and had a passion for education. He was plain-speaking and straightforward, and he didn’t think all students could be teachers. Some simply didn’t have the charisma, the moral fiber, or the personality for it.

In demonstrating the sharp contrast between modern education and the early days of the normal school, Higbee shared the story of how a disgruntled student went to Cook’s office, challenged him to a fistfight, and Cook – who readily obliged the student – was thoroughly “thrashed” in the altercation.

Through the years, the school strengthened its academic credentials and enjoyed a growing enrollment. Cook had rightly surmised that the beautiful environment of the northern Black Hills would be an attraction for many students. The school also enjoyed something of a building boom. Cook Hall and Winona Cook Hall (named for his wife) were among the structures built with funds obtained during Cook’s tenure as President.

Perhaps the toughest times for President Cook were the years of 1918-19, when the horrible flu pandemic hit the United States and numerous countries around the globe. Higbee expressed the belief that President Cooks decision to temporarily close the school likely contained the disease and saved many lives.

Higbee's audience at the historical society meeting was full of folks with remembrances of their years -- or their parents years -- at the old normal school in Spearfish.

Fayette Cook stepped down as President in 1919. Higbee’s presentation observed that Cook was very concerned about who his successor would be, and went so far as inviting the newly selected president, Dr. Woodburn from Northern State, to spend his first days in Spearfish at the Cook home. Out of this close-up inspection of his successor, Cook became an ardent supporter of President Woodburn.

Just a few years later, in 1922, Fayette Cook died in Spearfish at the age of 72.

Our thanks to Corrine Hansen and the folks at Black Hills State University for providing the photograph of Fayette Cook (above right). If you'd like to see more pictures and information, click on this link to historical society photos.

No April Fool's Joke!

2008-04-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of living in the Black Hills region is the amazing scenery and the friendly people. Having deer wander into the neighborhood -- hopefully not too often -- makes it seem like we're almost living in the woods!

This morning (4/1/8), however, we had a new experience, when we spotted some very big animal prints out in the back yard. We seldom have dogs running loose in this area, although we do have lots of deer. Upon closer examination, it was apparent that these prints, which measured six inches across and eight inches in length, belonged either to a big dog or a mountain lion. The photograph on the left is shown with my ballpoint pen included to illustrate the relative size of the animal track. Click on the photo to see larger images.

I shared my photographs with a biologist at the U.S. Forest Service office. He indicated that the tracks could very well have been from a mountain lion -- but the pictures were inconclusive. Upon returning to our Yellowstone Place neighborhood in north Spearfish, I spotted two police officers walking into the street from the yards behind our house. I asked if they'd been investigating the tracks -- and what they thought.

There was no doubt in their minds that the prints were made by mountain lions.

We enjoy our environment. And this bit of news provided the neighborhood with a bit of excitement; however, we've decided it's an excitement that we'd just as soon not experience very often.

Seth Bullock - Myths Debunked

2008-03-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

The late pioneer lawman Seth Bullock came alive for an hour or so the other night (3/4/08) – resuscitated in the graphic narratives of historian David Wolff. It was the latest in an outstanding series of speakers lined up by the Spearfish Area Historical Society.

Wolff, an Associate Professor of History at Black Hills State University, spoke to a full house of society members gathered at the Spearfish Senior Citizen’s Center.

Using a wide range of little-known facts about Bullock, Wolff focused on just the first year or two after Seth arrived in Deadwood from Montana in 1876. Bullock had a diversified and colorful career as a miner, politician, merchant, rancher, lawman, and forest supervisor. He was an interesting character, but his story has often been needlessly embellished and exaggerated over the years. Wolff debunked several myths, including Bullock’s role as a lawman (he never killed anyone) and his role in creating Belle Fourche (he never lived there). Read more about Seth Bullock as assembled by the Adams Museum and House in Deadwood, a marvelous resource for old west history.

Wolff was asked about the Seth Bullock ghost that supposedly haunts the Bullock Hotel in Deadwood.

“The real story of the hotel,” said Wolff, “is that Bullock had very little to do with it…he started building a hotel and got his name on the building, and he was done. So if there’s a ghost in there, he’s haunting from his hardware days or his sheriff days. Bullock never ran a hotel.”

Wolff is writing a book about Bullock, whom he described as “a man nobody really liked.” He pointed out that Bullock was appointed to his 9 ½ months as Sheriff and was never elected to anything. In fact, he was defeated twice in back-to-back elections for Sheriff of Deadwood.

After his talk, Wolff visited with many of the folks who had attended the meeting and discussed other aspects of Bullock’s life. We have a few photographs. He expressed a willingness to return next year to talk about other facets of the legendary lawman's life.

Next month, writer Paul Higbee will share some of his research into the creation of Black Hills State University and one of its early presidents, Lafayette Cook. That presentation will be in the Senior Citizen’s Center at 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 1st – no fooling!