BH Ghost Towns & Ghost Mines

[Lonesome Dave]

Well I've got some good news for you Black Hills history buffs in the areas of Ghost Towns, Ghost Mines and caves.  A while back I checked out a book from the library, "Ghost Town Maps" (I mean, really a while back....like $5 bucks in late fees!).  It's about ghost towns in the Black Hills.  Most everyone has seen these type books before, but this didn't really talk about the towns, it just labeled the different towns on topo maps in "township and ranging" format.  The book was first printed in 1990 and has one reprint since.  I mainly checked out the book to find any caves or other interesting things that might be listed that I've never been to or heard of. 
This past week, Mrs. LD really started bugging me to take the book back.  So before taking it back, I did a google search on the book & author.  I found that this book and another one by the same author could still be purchased on Amazon.  The second book is Ghost Mine Maps.  And, he also has an interactive software version that can be purchased.  Then I found (I know, I'm internet stalking now) a RC Journal article from 2004 about the author and his books.  http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/software-offers-new-views-of-hills/article_09ca1550-6e40-53b2-add7-deb4805e7ebf.html  In the article it said the author had moved to RC and had listed a phone number.  Hmm........Hmm? 

Being a bashful sort of guy, I called the number.  "Hello, Hi, is this Dale?"  "Yes?"  "Great, my name is Dave and this is going to be a strange phone call."    "Oh yeah?"  You get the idea.  His name is Dale Baity.  He's a very friendly guy and loves to talk about all this stuff and is willing to share his knowledge.  I mean, it was like first meeting Bogus Jim.  "Have you ever been here or there?  It was always a yes."  In fact, I asked him about Ice caves.  Not the ones that most people know about, but a third one that I just found a month ago.  He says, "oh sure, you mean the one by Englewood?" Yeah!  By now I was really impressed.  Although, I did stump him on one place: China walls, White walls, or Chinese Walls.  He said oh sure, but he'd never be able to find them.  He now has the cords and directions and has already updated his software. (PM me if you want the cords.)

So I met with him yesterday.  I explained to Dale who we are, and what we like to do when we get together at our rallies.  And, we're always interested in seeing and finding new places and maybe a little history along the way.  I think both DDSR and I have found a new friend.  (Great  Buffalo, you're really going to like this guy!)

I spoke with a couple of our members about Dale and they too were interested in meeting and talking with him.  So here's the plan; I or we are going to buy him breakfast at our next breakfast meeting on Dec 13th.  So if you have any questions or want to know anything about the Black Hills as far as maps, caves, geology, ghost towns, or ghost mines, he's your guy.

I viewed his books and especially the software yesterday.  It's great stuff.  He will sell them directly to us at a discount if anyone is interested.  I know I will be buying mine soon.  LD

[Fletch]

Good work Dave!!  I look forward to talking with him. 

[Bogus Jim]

Would be nice to know the history of the so-called miner's hotel, but nobody seems to know anything...

[Fletch]

had an interesting conversation with a guy that owns a lot at the top of the hill when you go up butcher gulch to the top. He said the lady in the house with the garage right next to the road when you head up butcher gulch in Galena is the local historian. apparently she has a lot of knowledge of the area. he is going to introduce me to her next summer. Should be interesting.

[loingrader]

Very cool.  The history is a big part of the attraction to the hills as far as I am concerned.

[Wacked]

I'm in!

[woodsrider 53 RCSD]

Yes Yes I will be there.

[greatbuffalo]

Dave, di this guy work for South Dakota Public Broadcasting? White bushy bearded guy? If it is I met him some time ago. Anyway...

I think I've seen this book but not sure why I never bought it. I'll have to a bit of looking to see if i can get my hands on those books. I may have passed them by due to lack of info.

Would be good to meet him and chat it up with him. Can't make it on the 13th but will have to have you facilitate another meeting sometime.

Cool stuff. Thanks for taking the stalking duties.

[Hank]

I would be real interested in his books.   Sounds like an interesting guy.    Nice stalk, Dave!

[greatbuffalo]

Wish Dave wasn't so bashful........ 

[Lonesome Dave]

Dave, di this guy work for South Dakota Public Broadcasting? White bushy bearded guy? If it is I met him some time ago.

Yes, that's him!

[Lonesome Dave]

Would be nice to know the history of the so-called miner's hotel, but nobody seems to know anything...

Funny you should say that..........

Well, again last night I was playing around on the internet (big surprise).  I found some information in a couple of different places about
the hiking trail below Deerfield, towards Slate Creek and eventually Miner's Hotel.  http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/travel-ta-black-hills-national-forest-hiking-rapid-city-sidwcmdev_066645.html , http://rosyinn.com/blog/?p=97  There's a section between Mystic and Slate Creek that both sources talk about; Black Tom Mine, Flannigan Cabin and Warren-Lamb flume.  The rosyinn.com blog is a local guy, Dean Bottorff.  His blog is interesting and he certainly knows the area and history.  And, his comments about the Forest Service and their maps are funny.  So tonight I called Dean.  Once again, just like Dale in my earlier post, he was happy to talk about all of the Hills history.  Actually, the main reason I called him, he has a photo of himself and his wife with "Miner's Hotel" in the background. http://rosyinn.com/blog/  I asked him about the photo and the name.  He said he'd never heard that name before.  However, he did know some of the history behind it.

First, the horizontal shaft was dug out so a logging flume could run through it.  I don't know the exact date, but it should be 1890s or so.  Flannigan Cabin is just downstream 1/4 mile from the tunnel and is next to the flume route.  Dean said there was a dam a mile or two upstream in the area of the now Slate Creek dam.  They would hold the water and release it when they had logs ready in the flume.  Apparently the creek did not have enough flow to continuously float logs.  Don't know exactly what Flannigan Cabin had to do with the flume, but assume it helped in some way.  Dean said when he first went to the cabin years ago, it was still standing.  Inside, there were books and newspapers on the walls for insulation.  He said he took photos of the cabin back then, and thinks some of the newspapers were from around early 40s. 

So some of you will remember the bed bunks inside the tunnel and you wondered why?  Dean said, after he pointed out that he has no actual facts but has been told by others, that the bunks were built in the 1930s.  And he believes the wood in the bunk's frame work supports that time frame.  Anyway, people moved into the tunnel during the 30s depression period for a place to stay.

That's about it, but both Dean and I think some clever "local" named it "Miner's Hotel."

I didn't stop asking questions, so the next topic is the Chinese Walls, China Walls, White Walls near Galena.  And......they are NOT the Chinese Walls after all......to be continued!

[Bogus Jim]

Well now we know more about Miner's Hotel. I always thought the beds must have been added later, and I agree the Miner's Hotel name sounds like it was made up by some creative modern day local.

If there was a flume along Slate Creek then there must've been a sawmill downstream... I found this photo of a Slate Creek sawmill but I don't have a date for the photo.

[Bogus Jim]

Also on the topic of Black Hills history... a couple years ago, Dave, Robert, and I did a ride to the Carbonate ghost town. One of the more interesting rides I have done in the Hills I would say. I found this stock certificate for sale on a collector's web site. Lots of fortunes were won and lost during the gold rush but probably most lost. A particularly sad fact I thought is that the majority of people buried in the Carbonate cemetery are children.

[Lonesome Dave]

Also on the topic of Black Hills history... a couple years ago, Dave, Robert, and I did a ride to the Carbonate ghost town. One of the more interesting rides I have done in the Hills I would say.

I agree, by far that was one of my favorite rides.

A particularly sad fact I thought is that the majority of people buried in the Carbonate cemetery are children.

Elisa and I went though the Galena cemetery a short time ago.  She believes children account for 50 to 60 percent of the burials.  A hard life back then for sure.