Spearfish and Deadwood South Dakota 06/27 – 06/30/2019
After leaving Hot Springs, SD, we stopped for a couple of days at the Spearfish KOA. What a nice place to stay! I think this is a new KOA, or at least one that has been renovated because it was a very nice campground. And we finally had more than 2 or 3 cable channels. Not that we watch a lot of TV, but it is still nice to get the news in the morning and to be able to relax a little before turning in for the night!
Paul that escorted us to our site recommended the Farmhouse Bistro & Bar. He works there too! We liked the place so much we went back on our last night to get their prime rib that they only serve on weekends. It was good, but still not as good as my rib-eye steak.
It was a quick run from Hot Springs to Spearfish, SD, so we had time to run a few miles up the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway the first afternoon. We stopped at a few of the suggested scenic sights but some of them were hard to find. They do not have a lot of roadsigns and some of them you need to hike to see. Randy and I did not have hiking shoes or even tennis shoes on so we didn’t hike in to see any of the other waterfalls or other sights. We did get to see Bridal Veils Falls which was a nice, small fall
The Jeep needed its 40,000 mile oil change and scheduled maintenance so we spent the next morning sightseeing in Spearfish so we could make the 1:00 pm appointment. Randy got a haircut early in the morning but that still left us with some time to explore. We went to the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery. The Hatchery was created in 1896 to propagate, stock and establish trout populations in the Black Hills of SD. and WY. Today it is a FREE living fisheries museum. They still raise trout but their main purpose seems to be educating the public and preserving artifacts. It was intersting to learn how they harvested trout eggs and then transported the small trout to streams using rail, wagons and lots of manual labor.
The cashier, Heather, from the Jeep dealer recommeded Cheyenne Crossings for dinner so we went back up the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway for dinner. The restaurant is near the top of the Canyon at the 14A intersection, Originally known as the Ice Box Canyon Valley Station, it was a regular stop for the Cheyenne WY to Deadwood SD Stagecoach from 1878 – 1885. Heather recommended their Indian Tacos. They start with Indian Frybread and then load on the toppings, so a knife and fork are a must. They were good! The only thing I would not recommend about the place were their bathrooms. They looked like they were still from the stagecoach era.
On our last day in Spearfish we went to Deadwood. I was a little disappointed. It didn’t help that they were doing a lot of construction so things were noisy and dusty from all of the construction. Also there are mostly junk stores and casinos–places I am not really interested in. The RV doesn’t have a lot of extra room, so no room for extra “stuff.” However, we did enjoy the stagecoach ride and the Deadwood tour. Both had lots of history about the town and its famous murder of Wild Bill Hickok.
Bridal Veil Falls on the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway. The flow slows considerably in the late summer and fall. Bridal Veil FallsRandy in front of Bridal Veil Falls The Jeep parked in front of The Homestake Mining Company hydroelectric plant that opened in 1917 used the water from Spearfish Creek to crate electricity for its massive gold mine in Lead. This plant sits idle now, but the older sisster plant, opened in 1911 and located near the Spearfish City Campground, still operates and generates clean power. Spearfish Creek along Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway Spearfish CreekSpearfish Canyon Indian Tacos at the Cheyenne Crossing RestaurantView from the D.C Booth Historic Naational Fish Hatchery. Lots of BIG trout in this water! View of hathery from one of the nature trails near Mort Pit. The Booth House was constructed in 1905 in a Neo-Colonial Revival style. It was the most modern home in Spearfish when it was built, with concrete sidewalks and hot water radiation heat. The family of the first superintendent, D. C Booth, lived in this home from 1905 until 1933. Then the home was the living quarters for future hatchery superintendents and their families until 1983. Decorated with period furnishings. Private residence now, but originally this 1939 home, built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) housed hatchery workers at the D.C. Booth Fish Hatchery Bronze sculpture by Jim Maher of Belle Fourche, SD. Completed in 1996 to commerate the 100th anniversary of the hatchery.. The Fisheries Railcar reconstructed from a 1910 passenger car followign the design of Fish Car #3. “Spring Stocking” bronze sculpture by Jim Maher at the D. C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery. Completed in 2002.Trout viewed from the underwater viewing windows at the D. C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery Trout
They need large snowblowers
Welcome to DeadwoodDeadwood 1876Looking out from the stagecoach to Deadwood Main streetSaloon Number 10 where Wild Bill was Show Augut 2, 1876. Unusual that this is the original saloon, a new saloon up the road has the Saloon Number 10 nameInside the new Saloon #10 . The atmosphere was great with lots of artifacts, but the fool was awful! Stagecoach rides in DeadwoodDeadwood to Cheyenne–According to the wagonmaster it took about 54 hours to get to Cheyenne. The stagecoach stopped about every 4 hours to change horses, passengers to rest, etc. Stagecoach rides in Deadwood Thoroughly enjoyed the stagecoach rides in Deadwood Gunfight reenactment in DeadwoodGunfight reenactment in DeadwoodRandy with the Wild Bill Hickok carving in DeadwoodCarvings for sale in Deadwood Go Away carving for sale in Deadwood DeadwoodDeadwood viewed from Mount Moriah Cemetery Wild B ill HickokWild Bill Hickok monument in Mount Moriah Cemetry
James Butler Hickok Alias “Wild Bill”
Born May 27,1837 Troy Grove, Illinois
Died – August 2, 1876 Deadwood, Dakota Territory
Victim of the Asssassin Jack McCall Calamity Jane Plaque Martha “Calamity Jane” Canary Burke – Calamity worked on a bull train performed in a wild west show, and was a prostitute. She died in 1903 (53) in the mining town of Terry ffrom a variety of ailments including actue alcoholism. Her dying wish was to be buried next to Wild Bill Hickok. Grave of Dora Dufran in Mount Moriah Cemetery. Sporting house proprietor in Deadwood. She had brothels in Lead, Rapid City and Belle Fourche. Befriended Clamity Jane who she occasionally employed as a maid. She lived 60 years in the Black Hills. She is buried next to her husband, Joseph andd her parrot, Fred. Dora Dufran gravestone. Gargoyle columns with devil faces stationed at each of the four corners of the lotCalamity Jane, a.k.a. Mrs. M. E. Burke
