Wednesday, September 29, 2010

New Discovery: 1893 the First Year of Deadwood High School Graduates ~ Contributor Jerry Bryant

Select Image for Larger View

DHS Records 1896-1971


DHS1893 Graduates & DHS1893 Commencement Program





Jerry Bryant, an Archeologist, found and shared these scanned copies of the 1893 Deadwood High School (DHS) commencement list and program. The orginials are in the Homestake Mining Museum in Lead SD. The Deadwood School was established in 1886. Jerry's discovery is unknown information that shows the first DHS senior class graduated in 1893. The current school records show the first graduating class as 1886 and the last class in 1971.


Clair Collins, Charlotte Cushman, Mary Edna Ford, Harriet M. Gilman, Alice McCoy, and Olive W Trisler graduated as the DHS1893 Class. The graduation ceremony was held in the old Deadwood City Hall on Friday evening June 23, 1893. These are interesting surnames! The 1898 City of Deadwood Directory lists the violin soloist Professor Peter Eixenberger as a Deadwood Music Director. The graduation address was by M.L. McLaughlin, a Deadwood Attorney. {The picture and information about Charlotte Cushman Clark is from the Lead-Deadwood '76 Centennial Inc. 1976 book "Gold Gals Guns Guts" as edited by Bob Lee in 1976. Select image for larger view.}


With Jerry’s approval, I contacted the Lead Deadwood School District Business Office. I talked with Lynn Whitelock Larsen DHS64. She asked me to send Jerry’s scanned copies of the graduation and the 1898 Deadwood Directory. The directory clearly shows all but one of the graduate surnames were families living in Deadwood in 1898.

After review of the scans and directory, Lynn Larsen informed me the Lead Deadwood School District will update the school records to show the unknown DHS class of 1893!

The official DHS Graduate List, 1898 Deadwood Directory and other directories are publicly available in the Deadwood Archive. Michael Runge, Deadwood Archivist, was especially helpful in the resolution of DHS1893.


A special thanks goes to Jerry Bryant for this exciting historical DHS1893 find. I feel that it is very good news and is reassuring to have an active archeologist interested in Deadwood and its potential history yet to be found.

Stay tuned as there will more web articles featuring more of Jerry’s shared information.

See Homestake Mining Museum Information

See Homestake Picture Gallery

Neat Old Deadwood Pictures on Facebook

New York Store 1908
Henry Korneman Saloon 1905

Monday, September 20, 2010

John McEuen Founder of the Deadwood Jam Returns - Black Hills Pioneer Report

John McEuen, a founder of the Deadwood Jam, returned for the 2010 Jam to perform at the Interpretative Center in Deadwood. This is the 20th Anniversary!

In 1966, he founded the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. On the left, John is shown on top of the Empire State building. In his successful portfolio of distinctive style of music, John has experimented with different music genres, and this year picked up a 2010 Grammy.

After a five year absence, musician John McEuen performed last Friday night 9/17/2010

DEADWOOD -- Rarely does a gambling town like Deadwood name a holiday after a string-picking vagabond.

But then again, acoustic musicians like John McEuen are rare.

The string-picker helped the Deadwood Jam music festival get started 20 years ago, and on Monday 9/13/2010, Mayor Francis Toscana named today as “John McEuen Day” to commemorate the man “who set the tone for the festival's future … and helped to make it the premier music festival in the Black Hills of South Dakota.”

Play Only One Video at a Time

Saturday, September 18, 2010

DHS55 Celebrates 55th Anniversary with a Dinner/Reception ~ by Bill Beshara

Picture Link at End Of Article
Bill writes:
"Dear Classmates, we had a five star event at The Lodge in Deadwood where the food and service was outstanding. We had a great time. And the entertainment was first class. In case you forgot already, the Class of ’55, had a reunion dinner Saturday evening (9-11-2010). Following is a rundown for those not able to attend.

Those in attendance in were: MaryJane Drake/Ed Nelson, Elaine Fish/Perry Casteel, Hankand Molly Frawley, Bill and Sandy Beshara, Janet Chyba Thoresen, Bill Auer, Helen Brandt, Jim Veitl, John and Ann Filmore, Karl Bentz, Jerry Sternad, Marcia Moore Darland, Georgia Lubisher(Pat was unable to attend), Flossie Lauer/Ken Wictor, Mickey and Barb Larson, Annette Kittelman/Roger Pryor, and last but not least was Kurt Machler (this was a pleasant surprise).

Those not in attendance: Dale Allen, Kay Buckmaster, George Clark. Larry DiSanto, Sherill Person Dunwiddie, Verlin Fox, Geraldine Page, Betty Sargent, Dick Schlax, Don Sonne, Luke Sky Walker, Monte Widdoss, Sherwin Artus, Floyd Iwan, Mary Lou Lanphear and Larry Anfinson.

Deceased members of the class of 55: Betty Cooper, Sylvia Berry, Pauline Neavell, Tom Perrett, Mary Rotter, Rich Sears, Gene Whitelock, Darrell Stoneberger, Frances Kunsman, Phylis Gordon, Jim Hutcherson. Hank compiled these lists because he knew you would want to know. Thanks Hank.

For our dinner at the Lodge we opted for a nice sit down served to the table meal. Choices were steak, salmon or chicken, all of which were superb. Dessert was strawberry cupcakes from the Colonial House and Caramels from Railroad Bill. I know you must be wondering about the entertainment. If you remember from high school, Kurt Machler was quite a singer. So naturally he was encouraged to treat us with some beautiful songs. Kurt just happened to be in the Colonial House the day before the reunion and I convinced him to stay one more day. I’m glad he did and I think he is too.

I took about 75 pictures and you will be able to see some of them if you tune in to Dick Dunwiddie’s DHS Classmate site.

The one thing that always amazes me at any of our functions is that everyone just picks up where we left off from the time before. We all seem to fit together so well. We had a great time and wish you could have made it. Maybe next time.

I want to thank Janet for all her “hard” work. She got a little testy towards the end, but she hung in there. In case you didn’t know, Janet received the “volunteer of the year” award at a ceremony during the Days of ’76. And thanks to all of you who made this reunion dinner a success.
Thanks to everyone!

Bill, Hank and Janet"

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Prospectors find largest Black Hills Gold Nugget in 120 years!

Rapid City Journal report Holly Meyer Journal staff | Posted: Monday, September 13, 2010 8:00 pm.


Holly Meyer writes:

"A bright yellow glimmer caught Charlie "Digger Chuck" Ward's eye as he panned. His eyes had fooled him in the past, so he reached in the pan to feel the weight of the clump. Ward handed it to his prospecting partner, Byron Janis, and asked "Is this what I think it is?"

The 2-¼ inch by 1-1/2 inch by 1 inch rock was exactly what Ward thought it was: GOLD!

It turned out to be the largest undisputed gold nugget found in the Black Hills in the past 120 years. (A larger nugget has been found, but its authenticity has been called into question).

"We were really excited," Ward said. "We could hardly stay in our skin."

On Thursday, the public will have a chance to see the nugget up close during its unveiling at the popular attraction The Journey Museum in Rapid City.

Ward and his partner, who call themselves the "Ice Box Mining Company," sold the precious nugget for an undisclosed amount to Chris Johnson, owner of the Clock Shop in downtown Rapid City, which often buys gold from prospectors.

The prospectors would not reveal where they found it but said it is within 20 miles of Rapid City on a dry site Ward and Janis have worked at for about eight months. The two take their diggings from the dry site and then take it to a stream to separate any gold."

Select on the following for Holly's complete article : Rapid City Journal


Comments:

September 17, 2010

Hi Dick,

I just wanted to say how interesting your site continues to be!

Great article about the gold nugget!..... Makes me want to move back to the
Black Hills and start panning for gold!!

Also the
Journey Museum......I did not know about it. When I go back, one of these days, that is definitely one of the places I will visit.

The article about the flash flood in Deadwood was really something to watch....hard to imagine that happening...but being able to see it happening in the video you posted....it was really incredible!!

I also enjoy listening to Eric Clapton's
San Francisco Bay Blues. Great job, Dick, thanks again!!

Peggy

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Deadwood Flashback - KDSJ

This is a visual example (no TV in Deadwood at the time) what you might have viewed at the Main Street- Deadwood City Hall and KDSJ. The top floor was open to the public. KDSJ had a windowed booth and they featured many county performers, especially in the evenings.

The top floor had a very high ceiling and it was a mostly open area for Deadwood city government meetings. There were many portraits and paintings of famous Deadwood leaders, hung high around the ceiling. At the far Main Street end, KDSJ had their walled in studios. As a kid I and many others spent hours watching this type of radio show. We grew up with a love of Classic Country and heard many non-famous performers.

Sadly, in the mid 1950s the whole building burned down. A lot of Deadwood's historical items where lost.