Thursday, December 22, 2011

1883 Deadwood Christmas Lights - Deadwood Newspaper Notation

Edison patented a system for electricity distribution in 1880, which was essential to capitalize on the invention of the electric lamp. On December 17, 1880, Edison founded the Edison Illuminating Company. Deadwood lead the nation in use of electricity and telephone which is amazing for a rough and tumble mining camp in the Western Wilderness of the United States. Deadwood also had the Telegraph in 1876.

1911 John Treber Cane, SD 12th Legislative Session by Jerry Locker

Jerry Locker sent the following information and pictures for a dhsclassmates article.  I don’t know Jerry but the it all looks authentic and positively historically important.  Thank you Jerry for your submittal.

1911 SD 12th Legislative Session - House Chamber - P1381






John Treber complimentary match case

Jerry Locker wrote  “The cane of john treber from 1911 thought you would like to add it to your site..The picture is from 1911 at the time he got the cane awarded to him ..Great job!!! aww and a matchbook ad from john treber..thanks

Inscribed on top [HON John Treber we express out appreciation for hard work 12th session of legislature 1911 E.C Issenhuth chn Redfield S.D.]” 

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Who Is Present at Potato Creek Johnny's 1943 Burial at Mt. Moriah Cemetry?



Reid Riner at the Journey Museum in Rapid City shared this picture on Facebook.  It shows Potato Creek Johnny’s casket being interned next to Wild Bill grave at Mt. Moriah Cemetery in 1943.

This is an excellent picture with attendees clearly shown.

It will be interesting to identify those present.  My guess is that the second from left is Sheriff Twiford.  Fourth from left is Elmer Pontius.  Mary Kopco at Adams Museum has identified D. M. McGahey (first curator at Adams Museum) in center with bow tie, bushy eye brows, and fur coat.  To right of McGahey might be Leo Derosier.  Standing at foot of the casket is Cleo Wells (mortician and funeral director).  The women to the left of Cleo sure looks like Elsie Krug.

I remember that Mr. McGahey drove a 1930’s black coupe (Chevrolet?).  He never mastered the clutch very well.  The engine would be running at high speed with the clutch slipping.  He would then pop the clutch and the car would jerk into motion.  He parked in the Post Office parking lot and was a  terror when he jumped backwards out of his parking spot.  He was a  fond memory to me from those  grand days growing up in Deadwood.

If you can help identify these attendees please contact me or comment to the article.






Select on image to link to the Journey Museum:  

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

View of Deadwood November 02, 2011

Picture courtesy of Black Hills Travel - Facebook  Page

Nice view of Deadwood this morning with their light snow yesterday.  Notice the Deadwood Mountain Grand (old Slime Plant) Hotel that is nearing completion.

!!!!!  Birthday = South Dakota is 122 years old today  !!!!!

Monday, October 31, 2011

Uhhhh …. Mr. Adams, is that you? From Black Hills Pioneer

Photo Courtesy: Adams Museum and House
Posted: Monday, October 31, 2011 9:21 am
By Jaci Conrad Pearson Black Hills Pioneer


DEADWOOD — Footsteps, a door closing, children talking and plenty of electronic voice phenomena (EVP) are evidence of paranormal activity in two of Deadwood's most storied and stately historic structures.

It may have been Mary, it might've been Alice and it most certainly could have been Nathan or W.E.

Whatever or whoever presented themselves during the Black Hills Paranormal Investigations of the Adams Museum & House are proof positive that there is paranormal activity in the decades-old Deadwood mainstays.

“The evidence collected, along with personal witnesses, indicates that there is a level of paranormal activity taking place within the Adams House,” read a statement slide contained in a video presentation by Black Hills Paranormal Investigations to a group of nearly 100 packed into the Mary Adams Lecture Hall at the Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center Saturday afternoon. “We can't say with any certainty that we captured an Adams or a Franklin, but we can say we captured something.”

>>Complete Black Hills Pioneer Article<<

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Mick Harrison's Limited Edition Release of "The 1902 Roundup"

Mick Harrison & "The 1902 Roundup"

In May of 1902 western South Dakota ranchers were ordered by the U. S. government to remove their livestock from reservation land. Up to that time it was still open range on the northern prairies and herds drifted with the weather, in this case to the Rosebud Reservation including the confluence of the Big & Little White Rivers south of Murdo, SD.

Ranchers from all over western South Dakota took part in one of the largest, and some say, last big roundup. Approximately 400-500 cowboys, each with up to 10 head of horses and 16 throwback wagons, rounded up and removed, by varying estimates, from 45,000 to 60,000 head in a three month period. The Rosebud agent, D.L. McLane, collected a $1 per head from each owner before they trailed their herds home. This spelled the end of the open range era in South Dakota.

In the summer of 2011, artist Mick B. Harrison, SD historian and Rapid City author Dave Strain, director Peggy Ables of the High Plains Western Heritage Center in Spearfish, SD and Rapid City writer Steve Miller, visited the White River location.

This painting is the result of that research and pays honor to those who took part in this historical event.


Enjoy Mick’s WEB SITE LINK.  Select “Limited Editions” for details of “The 1902 Roundup”

Monday, October 24, 2011

Classmate Peggy Huhta-Frank Web Site Comments and Link to Black Hills Sheet Music


Dick, thank you for your dedication and work you have put into the DHS website.  I have been meaning to write you long before this but this past year has been challenging as my husband is having a lot of health problems.   My time on the internet has been very limited but I always enjoy going to the DHS website to check and see what you and others have posted for all of us classmates and interested viewers.  Thanks again, for creating the site and all of the hours of work you put into it.

I especially enjoyed seeing Stacy Nickelson’s photography article.  When I saw the beautiful pictures, it brought back a lot of great memories and a song from years ago about the Black Hills.

It went something like this:

“The Black Hills of South Dakota
Ever, they're calling me

I sit and dream, and then I seem,
Once more all her beauty to see

The wind whispers through the pine trees
The birds sing a sweet refrain

Out there friends are true,
and heartaches are few

Take me back to the Black Hills again.”

That was all I remembered of the song.   I was curious who had written this and decided to, see if I could find anything on the Internet.  I found the following related article in a recent Rapid City Journal:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sheet-music collection pays tribute to Black Hills



The Black Hills have awakened many a composer’s muse.

Grace Mickelson sheet music from the 1920s-1950s
that is inspired by Black Hills
Grace Mickelson has the notes to prove it.  The 84-year-old Rapid City woman has inadvertently amassed a collection of sheet music over the years. All of it pays homage to the Hills.  The retired teacher and her late husband, John, never set out to collect sheet music inspired by local landscapes. In their quest to gather rare books on South Dakota history, the couple stumbled upon several songs that celebrate the land they call home.

The Mickelsons acquired their collection from auctions. They bid on books, newspapers and magazines that recorded events in South Dakota or chronicled the history of Mount Rushmore.

Sometimes sheet music came with their purchase.  Mickelson initially didn’t think much of the notes and lyrics that occasionally found their way into boxes of books she purchased at auction.  “I was bidding on books,” she said. “I wasn’t into bidding on music. That was not a special interest of mine.”  But then she began to notice where and when the sheet music originated. From what she can tell, much of it was published in western South Dakota during the first half of the 20th century.

Such local ties made those unintentional treasures too good to part with.  “I save anything that has to do with the Black Hills,” Mickelson said . . .

Thursday, October 20, 2011

An Excellent Aerial Video Tour of South Dakota by SkyworksHD

Friday, September 30, 2011

DHS53 Yvonne Hendrickson's book is now available in Amazon Kindle Version

Select on image for Amazon.com link

Yvonne Hendrickson's 2007 Book "Seeds of Sin" has been available in hard cover and paper back.  Now it is available for Kindle edition format delivery!

Her book review shows that Seed of Sin produce bad fruit filled with secrets. Secrets have a way of finding their way to the surface.


Post World War II finds a farming family in the Yakima Valley of Washington State becoming aware secrets cannot be held in check. Walter Mason has never-ending problems of weather, Mexican migrant workers, the impending death of his wife, and after 18 years, long held secrets have risen to the surface. Secrets he thought would always be just that, secrets.


Like ripples of a wheat field in the wind, one secret opens another. Secrets of adultery and adoption, lead to suicide, murder and more. The ripple spreads wide, becoming a wave that rocks residents of the peaceful farming valley

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Stacey Nickelson's 2011 Spearfish Canyon Fall Colors



Stacey Nickelson is a local artist and photographer.  She is just starting her photography venture.  She visited Spearfish  Canyon on 9-21-2011 when lighting and colors was perfect for her creative photo capture.  I really like her composition and color renditions.  I will add some more of her pictures from this photo session. 




Spearfish Creek


Spearfish Creek 9-28-2011
Romance by the Falls

2011 Deadwood High School Reunion Report and Pictures

The reunion was held on September 9th - 10th 2011.
Report and pictures will be added soon, so keep checking . . .

Monday, August 29, 2011

1920's Deadwood School Cannon Picture & 2011 Refurbishment


Courtesy Beshara Photos
The above 1920’s Chalk Wagner Collection photo shows an unidentified man and the Deadwood School Cannon.  In the background are the Masonic Temple, Wagner Garage, and the Deadwood City Hall Building.  Chalk Wagner sold Hudson automobiles in Deadwood for a number of years.  Then the cannon was aimed down Pine Street at a lower angle.  Also interesting is a sign board just below Brown Rocks/Mt. Moriah.  The sign appears to spell out M?????? Coal and may have been lighted by possible power pole to the right.

Select on image for large view


1912 Deadwood Hudson Automobile Show
Courtesy Beshara Photos
Another amazing picture above is the 1912 Hudson Automobile Show in the original Deadwood Auditorum (now the Rec Center) on Sherman Street.  Chalk Wagner is shown on the right and the other men are unnamed.  Wow look at the price of the Hudson 37s/54s and also the US Flags!


After over 100 years, the Deadwood School Cannon is being refurbished by City of Deadwood and the Deadwood Historical Preservation Commission.  Following are new pictures submitted by Beshara Photos.  They show the refurbished mount, base, and new cannon aim angle.  I understand there will also be an added interpretive plaque.  More pictures are expected in the near future.

Friday, August 26, 2011

A 1966 Oldie for the 2011 DHS Reunion ~ Slim Whitman - I Remember You


Whitman (87) is a self-taught left-handed guitarist, is right-handed, but he had lost almost all of the second finger on his left hand in an accident. He worked at a Tampa shipyard while developing a musical career, eventually performing with a band known as the Variety Rhythm Boys. Whitman's first big break came when talent manager "Colonel" Thomas Parker heard him singing on the radio and offered to represent him. Signed with RCA Records, he was billed as "the cowboy singer Slim Whitman" and released his first single in 1948. He toured and sang at a variety of venues, including on the radio show Louisiana Hayride.

At first, he was not able to make a living from music and kept a part-time job. That changed in the early 1950s after he recorded a version of the Bob Nolan hit "Love Song of the Waterfall," which made it into the country music top 10. His next single, "Indian Love Call," was even more successful, reaching number 2.

A yodeler, Whitman avoided the "down on yer luck buried in booze" songs, preferring instead to sing laid-back romantic melodies about simple life and love. Critics dubbed his style "countrypolitan," owing to its fusion of country music and a more sophisticated crooning vocal style. Although he has recorded many a western tune, love and romance songs figure prominently in his repertoire.

Whitman had a string of hits from the mid 1950s and into the 1970s and became known to a new generation of fans through TV marketing in the 1980s. Throughout the '90s and into the 21st century, he has continued to tour extensively around the world and release new material. In 2010 a new album, called Twilight on the Trail, was released, produced by his son Byron and featuring the single "Back in the Saddle Again" plus many traditional western favorites that have become standards.

Whitman still lives at his home, Woodpecker Paradise, in Middleburg, Florida.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

~~~~UPDATE~~~~ 2011 DHS Runion September 9-10 2011



DMG Deck View
Bill Beshara Photo
Update:  Because we are now expecting over 52 DHS Grads to the dinner the Deadwood Mountain Grand Casino has had to make some changes due to the impact of so many on the kitchen and staff (see memo below).  Actually this change is in our favor, we get a much better area in which to get together for this dinner.  They are giving us a very good deal bottom line.  We have the best of the Casino that evening for this event.

We still will meet at 6PM at the Slime Plant Bar and Grill on the first level for "Happy Hour".  Then we will move to the deck area for the social dinner.  We look forward to a great evening together.  Your response to this event has been just awesome!  Thanks to everyone who is coming.


I will continue to keep all of you updated to those who have an email address.  If any of you can contact this change in the menu and dinner site to those who are not computer friendly I would appreciate it.

See you on the 9th and 10th.

Go Bears!

Morris "Top" Toppila

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Hello Morris,

The increase in the number of people changes things a bit for us.  What we
 
can do, though, is offer a limited menu, so your guests can still have options.  With that, we would have to move the group as well.  We would be able to move you to the deck, and if there is inclement weather, we would host the party upstairs in the event center.


The following would be the menu options, and prices for the party: 


Marsala         $18
 
Lightly breaded and sautéed breast of chicken medallions topped with our homemade wild mushroom marsala sauce, and served with 

garlic roasted smashed potatoes

PRIME RIB       $19
 When we say Prime Rib we mean PRIME rib, slow roasted USDA Prime Rib
served with roasted garlic smashed potatoes Queen Cut 12 oz

Baked Cod       $16
Flakey Cod topped with parmesan bread crumbs and lemon dill. Baked to perfection and served with roasted baby potatoes

Everyone would still order their own, and pay for their own.