Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live during a gold rush? The rush started in 1875 and exploded in 1876. It was illegal for white men to go into Sioux territory but the lure of gold caused people to look past that. Prospectors first found gold during winter of 1874. By 1875 there were over 5,000 miners on borders of the region. Development of Deadwood began during the spring of 1876. The illegal entry was overlooked by the government’s troops. In September the Sioux treaty of 1876 moved to the Black Hills so the U.S. government could legally open region to whites. This happened in February 1877.  The Camps sprang up in Deadwood Gulch were like mining camps down river in areas. Miners washed gold from creek beds and riverbanks.

In 1877 mining camps in lead city had about 10,000 People but Deadwood did ten times the business and citizens had made over 200 buildings and working as many as 173 businesses by the end of September 1876.

    Deadwoods businesses consisted of seven hotels, nine clothiers, six breweries, five bakeries, two newspapers, and forty lawyers. Deadwood’s early population had represenitives from many nationalities. There were groups of Chinese, English, Italians, Scots, Irish, French, Norwegians, Finns, Swedes, Germans, Jews, and African-Americans.

Deadwood provided communities with service such as restaurants, hotels, saloons, clothing stores, law offices, and several extraction mills. Despite its success, Deadwood was ravaged by flood and fire like most other nineteenth century cities.    Buy the end of 1880s supplies of gold were lower-grade milling were exhausted. Business moved on but the town served as a supplier to surrounding areas.

    In 1890 two events coincided to create another boom by the Dea surrounding the Black Hills. First, a newly discovered cyani allowed extraction of gold from ores. This process consequently provided the investment potential for low financiers. Second, the Fremont, Elkhorn, and valley railroad reached Deadwood in the late 1890s. Until this Deadwood obtained supplies by stagecoaches and Freig from distant railheads. The railroads arrival consequently initial building and mining boom to become a culture and industry.

    The region was the homeland of the Sioux Indians who traveled the Great Plains before the advent of Europeans. In 1803 the Louisiana Purchase initiated the United States to ownership.    The uncovering of gold in the Black hills in 1874 accelerated and largely motivated the coming of white men.

    While the hills had been closed to white entry, under treaty terms with the Sioux and the intervention of the united states military failed to discourage prospectors from taking their chances. The Black Hills was considered sacred grounds.

The gold rush gave birth to deadwood. The town has retained some of its former flavors including gambling and drinking houses even though convert prostitution has disappeared. The mythical and famous people such and “Wild Bill” Hickok still linger around.

    The first transcontinental railroad was established in 1869, through combined efforts of government and companies, although subsidiary lines proved to be more important for settlers.
    Settlers spurred settlement, which was encouraged by railroad companies themselves.    Between 1870 and 1890, Dakota population increased six times over.

    In 1875 the battle of little bighorn was decisive for the region’s future, despite the defeat of general Gorge A. Custer. American Indians were forced to ceced the Black hills and accept reduction in their reservations area.
    The conflict cleared the way for further development. The last serious Indians –white conflict occurred in 1890; afterwards, barriers to settlement attenuated.

    The population swelled in the 1880s, leading to calls for statehood, the division of the territory, and independence for the southern half. This request met with northern and congressional opposition, although during 1883-1885 the south had constitutional conventions.

    Agreements with the Sioux facilitated grazing and mining, and cattlemen reigned until the 1900s. The cowboy of “long Drive” himself domesticated by the bad winter of 1886-1887 captured the nations immigration as the nation of life popularized by Teddy Roosevelt an owner of a cattle ranch in the bad lands. Ranching was risky and competitive, hearty homesteaders challenged cattlemen’s dominance, eventually, although the cession Indians land mitigated the rivalry.

    The economic tide, however, has significantly shifted. Mining, once the bread and butter backbone has dwindled to roughly 2% of the current economy. In some ways, perhaps the west was “plundered” and the people “held themselves cheap.” The region unusually dependent on outside areas, especially the east, upon weather, and so forth. Farming country was generally a horse-centered economy.

    Over 80 amendments to the state’s constitution bear witness to regional political vibrancy. Early culture often centered around the schoolhouse. Much current culture centers upon its early years, and retains a religious or patriotic cast.

    For example, the Black Hills passion play, a narrative of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, has become an institution. Recent developments in theater and music-there are at least Eight regional orchestras-bode well for the cultural and spiritual life on the hills. Wonders such as Gutzon Borglum’s titanic Mount Rushmore national Memorial, a mountain carving of for American presidents, continue to draw international recognition.   

Brandon Krause Rossville Grade School

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