Monumental Memories - Establishing Black Hills Towns

On Sunday, September 13, David Wolff will discuss town founding during the gold rush. Not everyone who came to the Black Hills 150 years ago wanted to dig gold. Some hoped to profit by establishing towns, and several small camps soon appeared. This talk will explore the town founders’ motivations, the types of towns they created, and why some towns survived and others died. A town’s survival, however, did not guarantee long-term prosperity, and declining fortunes often forced town promoters to diversify their community’s economy. Wolff will also review how the towns changed over the first 50 years of their existence. A number of Black Hills locations will be discussed, including Custer, Deadwood, Lead, Spearfish, and Rapid City. Date: Sunday, September 13Time: 2:00 p.m.