Wednesday, September 29, 2010

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

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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

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