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Black Hills Gold Rush, 19th Century

Color-enhanced image of a prospector panning for gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The Black Hills Gold Rush began in 1874. The first arrivals were a force of one thousand men led by George Armstrong Custer to investigate reports that the area contained gold, even though the land was owned by the Sioux. They found small amounts of gold in present day Custer, South Dakota, and looked for better paying locations. They moved north, establishing the towns of Hill City, Sheridan, and Pactola. At each spot they found flakes of gold, but not the bonanza they sought. Things changed when the miners stumbled across Deadwood and Whitewood Creeks in the northern Black Hills. For the initial discoverers, each spade of earth revealed a veritable fortune in gold. By 1876, miners had claimed all the land around the creeks. Although all the land was claimed thousands more flocked in, hoping to find a missed spot. The gold the miners found was placer gold, loose gold pieces that were mixed in with the rocks and dirt around streams. No date or photographer credited.

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Title: Black Hills Gold Rush, 19th Century

Caption: Color-enhanced image of a prospector panning for gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The Black Hills Gold Rush began in 1874. The first arrivals were a force of one thousand men led by George Armstrong Custer to investigate reports that the area contained gold, even though the land was owned by the Sioux. They found small amounts of gold in present day Custer, South Dakota, and looked for better paying locations. They moved north, establishing the towns of Hill City, Sheridan, and Pactola. At each spot they found flakes of gold, but not the bonanza they sought. Things changed when the miners stumbled across Deadwood and Whitewood Creeks in the northern Black Hills. For the initial discoverers, each spade of earth revealed a veritable fortune in gold. By 1876, miners had claimed all the land around the creeks. Although all the land was claimed thousands more flocked in, hoping to find a missed spot. The gold the miners found was placer gold, loose gold pieces that were mixed in with the rocks and dirt around streams. No date or photographer credited.

Category: History: United States

Credit: Album / Science Source / Photo Researchers, Inc.

Releases: ? Model Release: No - ? Property Release: No
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Image size: 1945 × 2409 px | 13.4 MB

Print size: 16.5 × 20.4 cm | 765.7 × 948.4 in (300 dpi)

Keywords: 19TH CENTURY • AMERICA • AMERICAN • BLACK HILLS GOLD RUSH • BLACK HILLS • CELEBRITIES • CELEBRITY • COLORIZED • DAKOTAS, THE • ENHANCEMENT • EVENT • EVENTS • FAMOUS PEOPLE • FAMOUS • GOLD MINERS • GOLD MINING • GOLD PANNER • GOLD PANNING • GOLD PROSPECTOR • GOLD RUSH • GOLD-SEEKERS • GOLDPANNER • GOLDPANNING • GOLDRUSH • HISTORIC • HISTORICAL • HISTORY • HISTORY: UNITED STATES • IMPORTANT • MALE • MAN • MEN • MINER • MINERS • MINES • NOTABLE • PHOTO • PHOTOGRAPH • PROSPECTORS • SOUTH DAKOTA • UNITED STATES • US • USA • WELL-KNOWN