Books about South Dakota history All Roads Lead to Deadwood, by Irma H. Klock, 1979 A history of the trails that wound up in Deadwood
Dahl was a banker in Rapid City, after starting out in small towns in eastern South Dakota. He was a banker for 48 years.
Horsted gathered historical photos of the Black Hills and took current photos of the same locations.
Informative short stories revealing under-reported history
Black Hills Ghost Towns, by Watson Parker, 1974 A heavily illustrated listing of towns no longer existing or just shells of their former selves
An overview of mining and life in the Black Hills at the time of writing
Buffalo Gap: A French Ranch in Dakota, 1887, by Baron E. Mandat-Grancey,originally published in Paris, France, 1889 the Baron stayed at Fleur de Lis horse ranch in Buffalo Gap in 1877 for several weeks, and wrote this account of his 2nd visit to the Black Hills area.
Chasing the Glitter: Black Hills Milling, 1874-1959, by Richmond L. Clow, 2002 A history of mining mills in the Black Hills, and how they work
Cow-boys and Colonels, by Edmond Baron de Mandat-Grancey, 1887 A French aristocrat decides to visit the Wild West in 1883, so he spends a month in the Black Hills, providing colorful commentary and complaints about the food. He visited Galena.
Curley's Guide to the Black Hills, by Edwin A. Curley, 1877 Curley was British but chose to visit the wild west and write several books about the situation there. This book is a primer for those who might consider moving to the Black Hills.
A nice overview of Deadwood's history
An illustrated booklet of short snippets of Deadwood history, especially Chinatown
Father Struck it Rich, by Evalyn Walsh McClean, 1936 Evalyn's father, Thomas Walsh, lived in Galena, SD and worked as a miner and carpenter. He later moved to Colorado and struck it rich there. Evalyn's story is otherwise about her spoiled life.
A heavily illustrated history of the major mining towns of Deadwood and its neighbors
A nice overview of 24 Black Hills mines
Young traveled around the wild west, arriving in Deadwood in 1876.
Hiking Trails in the Black Hills, by Mildred Fielder, 1973 Probably an outdated collection of hiking trails and interesting sites in the Black Hills
Ho! For the Black Hills: Captain Jack Crawford reports the Black Hills gold rush and Great Sioux War, edited by Paul L. Hedren, 2012 Captain Jack Crawford came to the Black Hills in 1875. He was a scout, poet, actor, and reporter. He lived in several areas in the Black Hills.
In Search of Secret South Dakota, by Edith-Maria Redlin, 2015 Interesting, but not secret, places to visit in South Dakota, including Galena
The Lakotas and the Black Hills, by Jeffrey Ostler, 2010 A history of the Lakota Indians from the 1700s to today
Land of the Burnt Thigh, by Edith Eudora Kohl, 1938 An autobiography of a woman and her sister who homesteaded in South Dakota in the early 1900s
The Mines Around and Beyond, by Joel Waterland, 1991 The book suffers from a lack of good editing, but if you want facts and figures of Black Hills mines, this is your book
Mount Moriah: Kill a Man, Start a Cemetery, by Helen Rezatto, 1980 A look at the 2 Deadwood cemeteries and some of the people who wound up there
My Black Hills Story, by Dean Arthur Esling, 1969 Dean was born in 1908 in Lead, SD, and tells his autobiography living in the Black Hills until 1939.
Ninety-six Years in the Black Hills, by Frank Thomson, 1974 The story starts with Franks father and 3 uncles living in the Black Hills, and Frank's autobiography from there. Written as a sort of diary.
Old Deadwood Days, by Estelline Bennett, 1928 Estelline was the daughter of Deadwood's first judge, and grew up seeing both side of the town
The Oglala Sioux, by Robert H. Ruby, 1955 Ruby was the doctor on the Pine Ridge Reservation. This is from his own interaction with and collecting stories from the Sioux tribe members.
A thick informative work on the general geology and geological sites in South Dakota
Sheep, by Archer B. Gilfillan, 1929 Archer was a sheepherder working north of Belle Fourche for several years. He gives a fun and interesting account of life there.
Silver is the Fortune, by Mildred Fielder, 1978 Hard to find book that covers the few silver mining areas of the Black Hills, including Galena
Storied Stone, by Linea Sundstrom, 2004 A review of petroglyphs throughout the Black Hills and surrounding areas
Tales of the Black Hills, by Helen Rezatto, 1983 both Indian and settler legends, and stories of the early Black Hills
Them Was the Days, by Martha Ferguson McKeown, 1950 Martha's uncle, Mont Hawthorne, started in a plantation in Pennsylvania, and wound up in Oregon. He lived and worked in the Black Hills for a time.
Yesterday's Gold Camps and Mines in the Northern Black Hills, by Irma H. Klock, 1975 A thorough look at many of the mining areas of the Northern Black Hills, with illustrations |