IMAGES OF THE AMERICAN WEST

Deadwood, South Dakota Photo Gallery

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Homestake Mine in 1889, Deadwood, South Dakota

Homestake Mine courtesy Library of Congress.

This image available for photographic prints HERE.

The Homestake Mine from Mt. Moriah, July, 2006, Kathy Weiser.

The Homestake claim was discovered by brothers, Moses and Fred Manuel, and Hank Harney in April, 1876. In June, 1877, the Homestake claim and another totaling 10 acres were purchased from the Manuels for $70,000 by a group of mining men, including George Hearst. Later that year, in November, the Homestake Mining Company is incorporated and over the next few years, Hearst purchased additional claims, obtained water rights on nearby Whitewood Creek, and began to assemble the Homestake empire. By the summer of 1879, the Homestake operation consisted of ten major and several smaller mines, 540 stamps in six mills, a huge assortment of buildings and over 500 employees.  The Homestake Mine would become the basis of the Hearst financial empire and Deadwood's sister city Lead's largest employer for 126 years. Before its closing in 2002 Homestake Gold Mine was the oldest, largest and deepest mine in the Western Hemisphere, reaching more than 8000 feet below the town of Lead.

Today, visitors can still visit the Homestake Mining on guided tours that will take you through the historic town of Lead and Homestake's underground surface operation. It follows the mining process including hoisting, crushing and milling of the underground ore and views of the open pit mine. The one hour tours run daily from May through September.

From the Rocky Mountain General Store

South Dakota Postcards - If you're like we are and can't get enough of South Dakota, take a virtual tour through our many South Dakota Postcards.  Each one of these is unique and some of them, we have only one available, so don't wait.  To see them all, click HERE!