South Dakota is rich in history, scenic views, and historic figures — from the Indian Wars to the outlaw days of Deadwood to the building of Mount Rushmore; this beautiful state has much to offer!
Enjoy the fabled Black Hills, an uplifted island of pine-clad mountains rising from the Great Plains, with impressive pinnacles, mysterious geologic formations, and dense forests.
Check out the Badlands that have been met with a mix of dread and fascination, beginning with nomadic tribes more than 10,000 years ago.
Read about the death of Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood, Calamity Jane’s eccentric behavior, check out South Dakota’s 54 State Parks, three National Parks, numerous ghost towns, and its many historical sites.
We’re sure you will enjoy the great faces and great places of South Dakota.
Welcome to Black Hills Legends!
Kathy R. Weiser-Alexander
Editor
The South Dakota flag features the state seal surrounded by a blazing golden sun in a field of sky blue. Letters reading “South Dakota, The Mount Rushmore State,” the official state nickname, are arranged in a circle around the sun.
Articles:
Arikara War – The First Plains Indian War
The Black Hills of South Dakota
Corps of Discovery – The Lewis & Clark Expedition
Deadwood – Rough & Tumble Mining Camp
Black Hills Historic Characters & Tales
Al Swearengen & the Notorious Gem Theater
Con Stapleton – Deadwood Marshal
Calamity Jane – Wild Woman of the West
Charlie Utter, Bill Hickok’s Best Pard
Deadwood, South Dakota Timeline
HBO’s Deadwood – Facts & Fiction
George Hearst – Father of a Mining and Publishing Empire
Jack Langrishe – Entertaining the Old West
Jack McCall – Cowardly Killer of Wild Bill Hickok
John Perrett, aka Potato Creek Johnny
Lucretia “Aunt Lou” Marchbanks – The Greatest Cook in the Black Hills
Martha Bullock – A Pillar of Deadwood Society
Nat Love, aka: “Deadwood Dick” – The Greatest Black Cowboy in the Old West
The Painted Ladies of Deadwood Gulch
Samuel Fields – The Shakespearian Orator
Seth Bullock – Finest Type of Frontiersman
Solomon Star – A Natural Deadwood Leader
Wild Bill Hickok & the Deadman’s Hand
Fort Pierre Chouteau – The Largest Trading Post on the Great Plain
Ghost Towns & Mining Camps of South Dakota
Lakota, Dakota, Nakota – The Great Sioux Nation
Sica Hollow State Park – A Spooky & Beautiful Place
Sitting Bull – Lakota Chief & Holy Man
South Dakota Fun Facts and Trivia
Spotted Tail – Warrior, Chief & Negotiator