South Dakota

Name: Spink County
Brand: PhD Evans Alan L.
SKU: 9780738593524
Price: 17.49 USD
Availability: InStock

Hang out with the most fascinating characters in South Dakota history, a state where profiles get set in stone. Accompany fossil hunters through the Badlands and retreat with Calvin Coolidge to the Black Hills. Wild Bill talks shop in Deadwood, W.L. Dow gives shape to Sioux Falls and a cowboy governor finds a way through the Dust Bowl. Pick up a South Dakota history book to saunter through a passenger car packed with unforgettable personalities.

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Spink County

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Remembering Rapid City

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Sturgis, South Dakota 1878-1960

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Pierre and Fort Pierre

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Black Elk Peak

$21.99 $15.39 Save 30%

Jewish Pioneers of the Black Hills Gold Rush

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Belle Fourche

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Ziebach County

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Custer County

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Black Hills Passion Play

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Around Chamberlain

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South Dakota in Vintage Postcards:

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Fall River County and Hot Springs

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Spink County

9780738593524

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The area that now encompasses Spink County was virgin prairie grassland 140 years ago, inhabited by Native American Sioux who survived by hunting the millions of roaming buffalo. The land was surveyed a few years after the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876 in accordance with the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Homestead Act of 1862. Within 25 years, the land was completely covered with farms, ranches, and towns and connected to the rest of the United States by a grid of railroads. Thanks to the then new science of photography, the amazing transformation of vast, treeless, sparsely populated prairie into a completely settled agricultural community is recorded here in wonderful and fascinating detail. Spink County is the pictorial record of an amazing historical movement.

Remembering Rapid City

9780738520094

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Rapid City-"The Summer Playground of America"-was founded in 1876 by gold seekers, fueled by a rush to the Black Hills following the Custer Expedition of 1874. Merchants supplying the miners and military units patrolling the region were the ones who ultimately prospered, however. When the railroad arrived a decade later, cattlemen replaced the prospectors, and Rapid City remained a hub of activity. By the end of World War I, the popularity of the automobile and newly constructed roads helped to shape area tourism. Mount Rushmore, 23 miles distant, was under construction in 1927, and the new Alex Johnson Hotel was completed in 1928. Together, they were natural draws to complement the pine-scented beauty surrounding Rapid City, making it the center of Western hospitality. On June 9, 1972, a flood roared through the heart of the community, taking 238 lives. By the end of the decade, many new civic improvements began to change the face of Rapid City again. With this growth, Rapid City retains its early charm as the "gate city" of the Black Hills.

Sturgis, South Dakota 1878-1960

9780738531717

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Sturgis, named for Col. Samuel Sturgis of the U.S. Seventh Calvary, was established in 1878 as a "no holds barred" supply center for Fort Meade. Laid out by Jeremiah Wilcox, an in-law of Colonel Sturgis, Sturgis had an ample representation of saloons and gambling dens. In fact, Sturgis became known as "Scooptown," because of the regularity with which these establishments "scooped" the pay from Fort Meade soldiers' pockets. Now home to a thriving and active community, Sturgis has changed over the years but remains a colorful and fascinating area rich in history and character.

In 1938, motorcycle enthusiast J.C. "Pappy" Hoel got a few friends together for a weekend of friendly competition, picnicking, and a tour of the Black Hills. Today, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is known worldwide.

Pierre and Fort Pierre

9780738539690

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From prairie to river's edge, the Pierre and Fort Pierre area resounds with historical adventure. Visited in 1743 by French explorers-the Verendrye brothers-and by Lewis and Clark in 1804, Fort Pierre was established as a significant fur trading post in 1817 and served briefly as a military fort in 1855. The decaying port settlement was revived during the Black Hills gold rush of 1875, outfitting bull trains. For over a decade, it bustled with freighting activity and stagecoach travel on the Fort Pierre-Deadwood gold trail. When the Chicago, Northwestern Railroad reached the Missouri River in 1880, Fort Pierre's sister city, Pierre, emerged as an important river town. During the days of the open range, Fort Pierre served as a holding place for the millions of cattle to be ferried across the Missouri to the trains at Pierre. In 1889, Pierre was named capital of the state and became the political heart of South Dakota. When nearby reservations opened for settlement, the cattle range began to fill with settlers, changing the scene once again. In these pages, a pictorial history unfolds, the drama of men and women who lived out their dreams near the Missouri.

Black Elk Peak

9781625858702

$21.99 $15.39 Save 30%

The history of Black Elk Peak--previously known as Hinhan Kaga and, more recently, as Harney Peak--remained segmented and scattered throughout the shadows of antiquity, until now. The natural landmark's namesake, Black Elk, experienced his great vision here, solidifying his status as a Sioux holy man. Obstructed by the insurmountable granite, General Custer and his horse nearly summited during the 1874 expedition. On that granite, sculptor Gutzon Borglum made the decision to carve a grand monument into the face of nearby Mount Rushmore. Prior to serving as the first Pine Ridge Reservation Indian agent and then mayor of Rapid City, Valentine McGillycuddy documented his ascent to the peak in 1875, where his ashes would come to rest. Author Bradley Saum chronicles the unique and untold stories that are intrinsically linked to the highest point in the Black Hills.

Jewish Pioneers of the Black Hills Gold Rush

9780738577814

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The very name Deadwood conjures up vivid Wild West images: saloons with swinging doors, brazen dance-hall girls, buckskin-clad Calamity Jane roaming the streets with her erstwhile paramour, Wild Bill Hickok. The setting is the lawless Dakota Territory of 1876 at the start of the Black Hills gold rush, a stampede for the golden pay dirt. One would hardly expect to find a Jewish pioneer grocer named Jacob Goldberg in this scene, yet Deadwood's story is incomplete without Goldberg. And Goldberg's story is incomplete without either Calamity Jane or Wild Bill. Not just Goldberg, but Finkelstein (also known as Franklin), Stern (also known as Star), Jacobs, Schwarzwald, Colman, Hattenbach, and many other Jews joined the throngs. The Jews provided much more than overalls, chamberpots, and the chambers in which to put them. They also became the mayors, legislators, and civic leaders who helped bring sense and stability to this unruly expanse.

Belle Fourche

9780738561523

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Belle Fourche is located on the northern edge of the Black Hills in western South Dakota. It is a small town that serves as a hub for ranchers over a three-state area. Belle Fourche was founded in the late 1800s by Seth Bullock, famous from his days as sheriff in Deadwood. Bullock offered free right-of-way to the railroad when nearby Minnesela was demanding too much money. Early Belle Fourche was very much a cowboy town, even becoming the largest shipping point for cattle. Today Belle Fourche sits at the intersection of three major highways and, since 1959, is the geographic center of the nation.

Ziebach County

9780738577838

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South Dakota's north-central Ziebach County, established in 1911, is named for Frank M. Ziebach. The majority of the county lies within the boundaries of the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation; small areas also lie within the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. As the railroad penetrated the area, small towns sprang up. Dupree, the largest town in Ziebach County, was selected as the county seat. Founded in 1910, the town of Dupree celebrates its 100-year centennial with the publication of this history. The Ziebach County Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the history of the area's people, places, and events. A collection of nearly 200 photographs provides a glimpse into the past, along with modern development. Ziebach communities included Armstrong, Bridger, Chase, Cherry Creek, Dupree, Glad Valley, Iron Lightning, Redelm, Red Scaffold, Takini, and Thunder Butte.

Custer County

9780738534381

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Custer County, South Dakota, is trees and prairies, Black Hills and buffalo, small towns and friendly people, mining and logging, farming and ranching, history and memories. It is the home of the Crazy Horse Monument. Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park, where the Civilian Conservation Corps left many legacies, are here as well. But the individuals who did the everyday work are the ones who truly made a difference. These are the people who are celebrated within these pages, which contain over 220 vintage photographs, mostly from private collections. The only thing missing is the aroma of sawmills in operation that used to permeate Custer City. As the Custer Chamber of Commerce says, "You should see the Hills from here."

Black Hills Passion Play

9780738552354

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In 1932, Josef Meier, a native of Luenen, Germany, brought a small company of actors to the United States to tour with a passion play. It was performed in German, destined for a limited engagement in German theaters, churches, and German-speaking communities. Political and economic conditions in Germany were already deteriorating during this time, and Meier determined to remain in America, to found a permanent home for the play. He translated the play into English, hiring American actors to replace the German-speaking cast. As he booked tours across the United States, Meier continued to seek a suitable permanent outdoor location for his production, mentioning his quest to the public in interviews across the nation. En route to the West Coast, Meier presented the Passion Play in Sioux Falls, the only town of size within South Dakota at that time. A group of businessmen from the Black Hills attended and asked Meier to examine possible sites in their area. He chose a spectacular natural location in Spearfish, and in 1939, an amphitheater was constructed and became the home of the renamed Black Hills Passion Play of America.

Around Chamberlain

9780738593852

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Tucked among the hills on the banks of the Missouri River, Chamberlain has long been a stopping-off point for travelers. The Sioux found rich hunting, and Lewis and Clark discovered a comfortable place to rest on American Island. Chamberlain became a landing for steamboats, which carried cargo and provided transportation to the new western lands. The railroad reached the town in 1880, and by 1890 the settlement offered 200 businesses. The Chamberlain area evolved from the rough and wooly days of cowboy cattle drives across the pontoon bridge to the leisurely ferry excursions to American Island for picnics and ball games. Even today, as travelers from the east come over the rise and descend toward the Missouri River on Interstate 90, they must be thinking the same as travelers of long ago--this is where the West begins.

South Dakota in Vintage Postcards:

9780738518770

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Postcards provide an easy way to go back in time to the early days of South Dakota, to see what the place looked like, to catch a glimpse of how people saw themselves, to begin to understand what has changed and what remains constant. This is the first book to focus entirely on historical postcards from South Dakota, including images from more than 50 counties and 100 different communities.

The book also explores how postcard images helped create and perpetuate myths about the "Wild West," and how South Dakotans accepted and adapted those myths. Included are scenes of farming, ranching, industry, and small-town life from the early-1900s. While postcards pictured busy streets, town festivals, and new civic improvements, they also captured periodic disasters-natural and man made. Postcards show the development of important tourist sites from their earliest years, including the Black Hills, Badlands, Corn Palace and Mount Rushmore. Residents and tourists alike will enjoy seeing South Dakota before interstates and billboards took over.

Fall River County and Hot Springs

9780738551876

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Fall River County has a history built around water. Early industries, such as the Refinite Mineral Processing Plant at Ardmore, were built to enhance the water; other businesses--bathhouses in Hot Springs and Edgemont, the Michael J. Fitzmaurice Veterans Home (originally named the Soldiers Home), and the VA Black Hills Medical Center (known by longtime residents as the Battle Mountain Sanitarium) in Hot Springs--were established here because naturally warm water and the moderate climate enhanced their missions. Back in the day, small towns had flour mills, creameries, and ice companies, and the towns flourished with each industrial boom. Out in the county, on the government-run experimental farm, crops were tested and people attended agricultural classes and meetings. Oil wells were drilled, sandstone was quarried, and farmers and ranchers worked the land and the cattle. Through the years, county residents have been warm and welcoming, much like the water.