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Let's Chat About...The Black Hills

I am inspired to write this blog about the Black Hills after spending the last 4 days in Sturgis. Wow, what a beautiful area...I recommend everyone visit the Black Hills! We took the kids here on a family vacation in 2011 and it was one of the best we ever had!

The Black Hills are a mountain range spanning from South Dakota to Wyoming. They were named for their dark appearance from a distance due to the landscape being covered with evergreen trees.

During the 18th Century the Lakota Indians (also known as Sioux), arrived from Minnesota and overtook the land from the other Indian Tribes that were settled there.

Gold was first discovered in this region by General George Armstrong Custer who led an expedition in 1874. During the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1875-1878 thousands of miners came to settle in the Hills.

The Black Hills War of 1876 was also known as the Great Sioux War. In the end, the US Government overtook the Indian Tribe and claimed the land. The Lakota never accepted the validity of the overture and have continued to try and reclaim the property.

On July 23, 1980, the US Supreme Court ruled that the Black Hills were illegally seized and offered remuneration of nearly 106 million dollars, but the Lakota refused, maintaining that they wanted the land returned to them. The money remains in an interest gaining account because accepting the money would terminate their demands for the return of the Black Hills. As of 2023, the amount plus interest was about 1.76 billion dollars.

In 1880 3 major cities were developed, Deadwood, Central City and Lead. Next to come about were Hill City and Custer City.

This 1880 locomotive was originally built by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) to serve mining and timber interests in the Black Hills. It reached Keystone on January 20, 1900 and was later used to haul equipment for carving nearby Mount Rushmore.

The Black Hills Central Railroad restores early 20th century era locomotives and train cars. The South Dakota State Railroad Musuem is located adjacent to the Hill City depot, on BHCR land.

Today the 1880 train offers a 2-hour, 20-mile scenic ride on a historic train that runs between Hill City and Keystone, S.D. Narrated for all ages providing entertaining and informational information of its history. This train runs from early May through mid-October.

Black Hills Gold is a type of jewelry manufactured in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It was first created in the 1870s during the gold rush by a French goldsmith named Henri LeBeau, who is said to have dreamed about the design after passing out from thirst and starvation.

The design uses grapes, grape leaves and grape stems and are easily recognizable for their distinctive colors. Silver is alloyed with the yellow gold to produce the green hue, and Copper is alloyed with the yellow gold to make the red or pink gold.

The jewelry was originally made with South Dakota-mined gold but in more recent years, since the closure of the Homestake Mine, the gold is sourced elsewhere. However, it is still manufactured in South Dakota and in 1988 it was designated the official state jewelry.

One of the greatest attractions to the Black Hills of South Dakota is the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The carving of this massive sculpture began in 1927 and completed in 1941.

It stands 5,725 feet above sea level and cost $989,992.32 to build. Each head is 60 feet tall, and the actual carving was done by a team of over 400 men. Over 2 million tourists visit this monument each year.

Each president was chosen for their significant contribution to the founding, expansion, preservation and unification of our country.

1. George Washington (1789-1797) - Our Nation's Founding Father

2. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) - Represents expansion by signing the Louisiana Purchase and the author of the Declaration of Independance.

3. Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) - Represents conservation and industrial growth of our nation.

4. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) - Led our country through the Civil War and believed in preserving the nation at any cost.

Crazy Horse was a Lakota Indian Warrior in the 19th Century. He took up arms against the US Government to fight against encroachment by White American settles on Native American territory.

In 1876 he led his war party to victory at the Battle of the Little Bighorn earning him great respect from both his enemies and his own people.

The Crazy Horse Memorial is a sculpture carved into the mountain located in Custer County, South Dakota. It depicts Crazy Horse riding a horse and pointing to his tribal land.

This memorial was commissioned by Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, and is operated by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization.

The monument has been in Progress since 1948 and is far from completion.

Custer State Park is a wildlife reserve in Custer County, South Dakota. It's the first and largest State Park in the United States. It was named after Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer.

The Park covers an area of 71,000 + acres of varied terrain including rolling prairie, grasslands and rugged mountains.

The park is home to a herd of 1,500 bison. Other animals that inhabit the territory are elk, coyotes, mule deer, white tailed deer, mountain goats, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, river otters, pronghorn, cougars and feral burros.

It was pretty cool to see these mountain goats cross our path a few days ago while on our trip in Sturgis!

The park is also known for its scenic drives such as the Wildlife Loop and Needles Highway. Needles Hwy is one of our favorite roads to take on the motorcycle. This route is 14 miles long and includes granite spires, narrow tunnels, sharp turns and beautiful views.

Lastly, I want to touch on some really fun things to do in Rapid City on a family vacation. We took in a few of these and it's worth the trip!

1. Storybook Island (Quaint park with playground attractions based on characters & locations found in children's books)

2. Dinosaur Park (Kitschy 1930's cement dinosaurs star at this 20-acre park on a hill with city & prairie views)

3. Chapel in the Hills (Replica of Borgund Stave Church in Norway, a 12th century church of wooden boards & steep gables)

4. Reptile Gardens (Long running zoo with many reptile exhibits, plus bird shows, giant tortoises & a greenhouse)

5. Badlands National Park (244,000 rugged acres of geological formations, prairie gras & wildlife like bison & bighorn sheep)

6. Museum of Geology (Free campus geology museum features mounted skeletons, rare fossils & exhibits, plus a gift shop)

7. The Journey Museum (Exhibits on geology, archaeology, Sioux Indian culture & early Black Hill history fill this museum)

8. WaTiki Indoor Waterpark (30,000 sq ft indoor water park with slides & pools plus an arcade, a restaurant & hotel rooms)

9. Bear Country USA (Seasonal drive through wildlife park with wolves, bears, elk & other Northern American animals)

10. Old MacDonald's Farm (Enjoy over 100 popular farm animals in a clean, relaxed hands-on environment)

11. Cosmos Mystery Area (You'll wonder how it all works at this mysterious attraction where you can stand on the walls & balls roll uphill)

12. Wonderland Cave (The Midwest's largest cavern and 60 million years old. You'll see numerous formations including stalactites, stalagmites, columns, crystals & helictites)

    
    

So, if you have any experiences or thoughts to share about the Black Hills, please comment below!

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