FIRST Gold Seekers in Sheridan - Pennington County, SD
N 43° 58.052 W 103° 29.100
13T E 621530 N 4869382
A 1958 South Dakota historical marker whose subject is the ghost town of Sheridan -- now under the waters in front of you -- notes the nine men who were the first gold seekers in the area, back in 1875.
Waymark Code: WM12G9P
Location: South Dakota, United States
Date Posted: 05/22/2020
Views: 2
Placed by William and Clara Williamson and the State Highway Commission, this historical marker stands in a parking lot off of US 385 in a fishing area at the southeastern end of Sheridian Lake. It has identical text on both sides, and its history explains what attracted these men to the area, which became "Sheridan" only after gold was truly found in them thar hills:
Sheridan, located 1/2 mile NE, now 30 feet under water, was named for General Philip Sheridan and founded in 1875 on Cheyenne-Deadwood Trail, as Golden, in the belief that fabulous placer gold existed here. Still Indian Country and everybody a trespasser until 1877 Sheridan was named county seat of Pennington County on April 19 and in October of that year Judge Granville G. Bennett held first term of Court in Black Hills there. The first gold seekers here came in early July 1875 and were Andre J. Williams, Ernest Barthold, John W. Allen, J. Carlin, Ed Flaherty, Frank Bethune, William Nasten, Ezekiel Brown and Deacon Dillard. Williams got $2.00 in gold in first pan on July 18 and hastened to Custer to apprize his partners and on return found his own claim jumped.
Up the creek a short distance was the intake of a 17 mile flume, built of lumber milled on the job from the adjacent forest. It went down Spring Creek and took water to the Rockerville placer, operations 10 miles away, from 1881 to 1884, where over half a million in gold was recovered. James Redpath was first postmaster on October 22, 1877 and Ernest Barthold, the last, on June 13, 1913.
The dam creating Sheridan Lake submerged its remains in 1942.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Person or Group
Date of FIRST: 07/01/1875
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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