Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Deadwood, South Dakota: Legendary Black Hills Landmark
The Lawrence County Courthouse in Deadwood, South Dakota
One of the most interesting old mining towns west of the Mississippi is Deadwood, South Dakota. Deadwood was the site of the Black Hills Gold Rush in 1874. John B. Pearson was the miner who found gold in a narrow canyon in the Black Hills. The canyon was named "Deadwood Gulch" because it was lined with dead trees.
Rumor reached the government that there was a possibility of gold in the Black Hills. Colonel George Custer was directed to confirm it, which he did. The information was kept from the general public for only a short time. Several military units were sent to the Black Hills to try to keep people away, but the lure of gold was too strong. People entered the territory illegally and gold fever eventually spread like an epidemic.
