Monday, December 27, 2010

South Dakota - Terry Cemetery May Be Moved by Wharf Mine Expansion in Black Hills

Comments at end of article:


See dhsclassmates article how the Wharf Mine has consumed all the buildings in Trojan SD.  Nothing remains except the name of the town.  The price of gold is at an all time high and currently edging towards $1400 and ounce.  Wharf is now planning to extend its operation which may include digging and moving the approximately 244 bodies buried in the Terry Cemetery.  Local historical preservation groups are concerned about total loss of Trojan and now Terry:


Higher gold prices prompt Wharf surface mine expansion

Kevin Woster, Rapid City Journal staff | Posted: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 9:00 am

Wharf Resources (USA) wants to expand its surface-mining operations near Terry Peak in Lawrence County, a proposal that worries some nearby landowners.  The expansion could force the relocation of about 240 graves in the Terry Cemetery.

If the expansion plan were approved -- a probability that is still months away -- it would mine an area just north of the Barefoot Condominiums, close to Terry Peak. It would affect Green Mountain and Bald Mountain to the east. The existing mine operation at Foley Ridge, north of Terry Peak, went “right up to the ridge line. This expansion will go a little farther south, over the ridge line.

Wharf is the last large-scale gold mine continuing to operate in the Black Hills. Last year, it handled 10.4 million tons of waste rock, processed 2.9 million tons of ore and produced 67,700 ounces of gold. It also produced 242,000 ounces of silver.  The price of gold has to be at $600 to $700 per ounce for a mining company to “even consider” a mining expansion in the area with production costs these days. The proposed project could extend the life of the Wharf mining operations to about 2020. Operations were otherwise expected to cease in 2012 or 2013.

If Wharf is permitted to expand, it will need to put up bonds for reclamation, post-closure needs and cyanide spills. Those new bonds could be in addition to Wharf’s existing bond on existing operations -- $15.5 million for reclamation, $9.9 million post closure and spill bond of $537,000.  The bonds are intended to provide resources to pay for cleanup, reclamation and other needs if something goes wrong and the company doesn’t handle it.   The expansion could start late next fall if the application process proceeds and is approved without serious complications.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster at rapidcityjournal.com


COMMENTS:


12-27-2010  Larry Miller "What price history? Well, at $1,300+ per ounce for gold, you can obliterate the remains of historic Trojan and set your sights on Terry. The Terry Cemetery can and should be preserved. Thanks for helping call attention to this issue."


2010 Deadwood Wall of Fame Inductees

The City of Deadwood and the Deadwood Historical Preservation Commission inducted Carlton Gorder and Harry Burger into the 2010 Deadwood Wall of Fame:


CARLTON O. GORDER
FEBRUARY 13, 1898
DECEMBER 17, 1981
Carlton Olaf Gorder, born and raised in Deadwood, was 19 years old when he took a job as a teller at the Deadwood Office of First National Bank of the Black Hills. By the time he retired, on his 65th birthday, he had advanced to the position of Vice President and Manager of the Deadwood Office.
Carlton O. GorderHis father, Carl Olaf Gaarder, was born in Norway and immigrated to the United States. The name was changed to Gorder in about 1885. Carlton's mother was born in Chicago. The couple came to Dakota Territory in 1887, and Carl worked as a quartermaster at the Fort Meade Commissary.
Carlton was born in Deadwood in 1898. He attended schools in Deadwood, graduating from Deadwood High School in 1915. In 1928, he married Rose Augusta Degner. They had three children, Carol Ann, Carlton Thomas and Robert Kirk.
Mr. Gorder was one of the most active banking leaders in the Northern Black Hills. He was President of the South Dakota Bankers Association and a member of the American Banking Association. He was a Director and President of the Franklin Hotel Company. In 1956, he was named “Boss of the Year” by the Deadwood Jaycees. For several years after retirement, he remained active on the First National Bank Board of Directors.
He was especially active in the Deadwood community. For more than 25 years, he served as Treasurer of the Deadwood Independent School District. From 1926 through World War II, he was Chairman of the Black Hills Chapter of the American Red Cross. From 1966 to 1977, Mr. Gorder was on the Lawrence County Commission.
Mr. Gorder also served as President or Chairman of several organizations, including the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce, the Deadwood Rotary Club, the Lawrence County Savings Bond Committee, the County Airport Committee, the Deadwood Recreation Board, the Lawrence County Centennial Committee and the Days of '76 Calf Catching Committee. He was also active in groups such as the Elks Club, the Masonic Lodge, the Oriental Band and the advisory council for the Order of Demolay.
When he had time, Mr. Gorder enjoyed hunting, fishing and riding. During his lifetime, he had three horses, Rusty, Captain and Silver. His favorite was Captain. He especially loved to ride Captain in the Days of '76 Parade. During his tenure on the county commission, Mr. Gorder used to take Rose on long rides around the county to inspect the roads and see which ones needed repairs. He loved the beauty of the Black Hills, and enjoyed those rides a great deal.
Mr. Gorder was also an avid sports enthusiast. He loved football, baseball, basketball, boxing and golf. He was a big supporter of Deadwood High School teams and could often be found watching softball games in the summer.
HARRY STONE BERGER
AUGUST 29, 1894
AUGUST 17, 1980
During his 36 years as Superintendent of the Deadwood School District, Harry Stone Berger shaped countless lives and sent thousands of young people out into the real world with a solid head-start on life. Many students, after they graduated, realized belatedly what a positive impact he had on their young lives. Over the years he received numerous thank-you notes from former students.
Harry Stone BergerTheir Deadwood educations made it easier for them to get into colleges and universities, and the alumnae arrived on campus instilled with respect, compassion and a work ethic that served them well throughout their lives.
Berger was born Aug. 29, 1894, in Middletown, Missouri. He studied at the University of Northern Missouri, the University of Missouri, and the University of Colorado. He was a teacher and administrator in several Missouri school districts before arriving in Deadwood in 1928 to become the town's Superintendent of schools.
That same year, he married Lucille Walter. They had two children, son James Mark Berger and daughter Marilyn Jean Jordan.
Under Mr. Berger's leadership, Deadwood Schools were rated among the top schools in South Dakota. He achieved this through careful selection of faculty – he traveled to universities in five states to personally interview teaching candidates – high academic standards and a sincere concern for each student made the Deadwood Schools stand out.
In addition, he served as a role model for the entire community. He was a 50-year member of the Rotary Club, and served a term as President. He also belonged to the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce, served as a board member of the United Methodist Church, was active in Masonic lodges and was a lifetime member of the Tomahawk Country Club. He served as the Western Division President of the South Dakota Education Association and was active in a number of professional organizations.
Those who knew him say that Mr. Berger's job was much more than a job. “Mr. Berger did not know what the term 'work day' meant," said one person. "To him, his job was his life, and he worked countless hours to create the quality learning environment that he was so successful in achieving."
Mr. Berger also worked behind the scenes to help Deadwood students and their families. He helped find jobs for out-of-work parents, provided Christmas surprises for children in need, left bags of groceries on doorsteps and figured out ways for needy students to get eyeglasses and dental care.
He loved animals, particularly his cocker spaniels Freckles and Bobby. A small statue of a cocker spaniel sits atop his grave in Oakridge cemetery.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Connie McCarroll's Memorial Service by Marge Bell DHS58

Yesterday was Connie McCarroll Austin’s memorial service.  She would have liked it – lots of good friends, tasteful decorations, beautiful flowers, good food, magnificent music.  Pastor Todd Hillard, Carole Rypkema’s son, provided a heartfelt eulogy that was both touching and entertaining, pointing out that some of the most important words in her obituary were “born and raised in Deadwood, South Dakota.”  Her daughter, Joy, read the poem “Christmas in Heaven.”  Soloist Wil Brown’s beautiful rendition of the Lord’s Prayer brought back memories of attending Christmas Eve Midnight Mass with Patty Williamson. 

I was in fifth grade when my mother and I moved to Deadwood.  Connie was the first person to make me feel welcome.  In the years that followed, we shared many an adventure – band, basketball tournaments, Jobs Daughters, Junior Clodhoppers, driving back and forth between Deadwood and the University of Arizona, moving to New York City, and moving down to Florida – but I think my overriding memory will be her gift of friendship to a bashful newcomer in the fifth grade.  She was like that.

Sarah Ban Breathnach wrote “…our friends are the continuous threads that hold our lives together.”  Rest in peace, friend.

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Connie died on Wednesday December 8, 2010.  Marge Bell contacted me with the sad news.  We agreed that it would be best to wait on Connie's obituary and have Marge write about the Memorial Service as a tribute to their life long friendship.  Marge is a fellow blog site author of the sea animal preservation site  http://www.spacecoastbeachbuzz.com/.

The December 12th issue Rapid City Journal printed the following obituary:

LAKE MARY, Fla. - Connie (McCarroll) Austin of Lake Mary passed away Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010. 

She was the daughter of Hugh and Emily McCarroll and was raised in Deadwood, S.D., where her father owned the Ben Franklin Store. She graduated from Deadwood High School and the University of Arizona. Following graduation she taught in Great Neck, N.Y., followed by teaching in Orlando. 

In 1965 she married William Fredrick "Bill" Austin and they had two children. Bill was killed in a plane crash in 1978. 

Connie was very involved in a multitude of community and civic 

activities and was also active in the Republican Party. 

In 1994 she married Don Rogers who survives. She is also survived by daughter, Joy, her husband, Alan, and granddaughter, Sydney; son, Rick; sister, Carol McCarroll Perry; and several nieces and nephews. Also surviving are cousins, Joan Myhren Hughes, Rapid City, S.D., Bob Myhren, Monument, Colo., Jeanne Myhren , San Clemente, Calif., and Kathy Myhren Henningsen, Las Vegas. 

Memorial services will be held Tuesday, Dec. 14, at First Presbyterian Church in Orlando.

Deadwood Ben Franklin in the 1950's

The Florida Orlando Sentinel also added that Connie was chosen by President Reagan as one of 100 women to the National Women's Coalition to promote programs for women.  Carole Rypkema Hillard championed the same cause Internationally, until her accidental death a few years ago.  It is fitting that her son Pastor Todd Hillard presided at Connie's Memorial Service.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Deadwood's KDSJ Was Great! But After Sun Down You Could Dial In the Likes of Clint Texas Radio

Remember the good old days of radio listening in Deadwood? After sun down, those great Southern radio stations could raise their power to 50,000 watts and we could listen all night to stations like Clint Texas. Select and listen to the following classic radio recording. It sure brings back memories of some our core music of those golden times!

Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959) known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriterand a pioneer of rock and roll. Although his success lasted only a year and a half before his death in an airplane crash, Holly is described by critic Bruce Elder as "the single most influential creative force in early rock and roll." His works and innovations inspired and influenced contemporary and later musicians, notably The Beatles,The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan, and exerted a profound influence on popular music Holly was amongst the first group of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Holly #13 among "The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Time".

Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937-February 13, 2002) was an American country music singer,songwriter, and musician. He rose to prominence as a bassist for Buddy Holly following the break-up of The Crickets. Jennings escaped death in the February 3, 1959, plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, when he gave up his seat to Richardson who had been sick with the flu. He continued to be active in the recording industry, forming the group The Highwaymen with Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson. In 2001 Waylon was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Curtis Ousley (February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), who performed under the stage name King Curtis, was an American saxophone virtuoso known for rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, funk and soul jazz. Variously a band leader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer. Adept at tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, he was best known for his distinctive riffs and solos such as on "Yakety Yak", which later became the inspiration for Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax" and his own "Memphis Soul Stew". King Curtis enjoyed playing jazz and rock but decided he would make more money as a rock musician. From the 1950s until the mid 1960s, he worked as a session player, recording under his own name and with others such as the Coasters, with whom he recorded "Yakety Yak." Buddy Holly hired him for session work, during which they recorded "Reminiscing.

George Manley Atwood (1924 – 2005) has packed a lifetime into the music profession in every style & also in the business sense. He received a Purple Heart during his service in the Navy during World War II, and was also well known in Lubbock for his work at KLLL Radio and appearing on television as Go-Ee The Clown. Having worked with Gene Krupa, The Dorsey Brothers, Roy Orbison, Eddy Arnold, and Buddy Knox, he was for years a session musician at Norman Petty Studios. In late 1958, he played bass on Buddy Holly's recordings. George was inducted into the Norman Petty Studios Hall Of Fame June '99 and received
the award at his home, as well as the Mayor declaring it George Atwood Day in Jerome, ID.


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