Category: Waypoint  Listing Date: 2014-12-28

Sheridan Under Water

SHERIDAN 1875 - 1942

Sheridan, located 1/2 mile NE, now 30 feet under water was named for General Philip Sheridan and founded in 1875 on Cheyenne-Deadwood Trail as Golden in the belief that fabulous placer gold existed here. Still Indian Country and everybody a trespasser until 1877, Sheridan was named county seat of Pennington County on April 19 and in October of that year Judge Granville G. Bennett held first term of Court in Black Hills there. The first gold seekers here came in early July 1875 and were Andre J. Williams, Ernest Barthold, John W. Allen, J. Carlin, Ed Flaherty, Frank Bethune, William Nasten, Ezekiel Brown and Deacon Dillard. Williams got $2.00 in gold in first pan on July 18 and hastened to Custer to apprize his partners and on return found his own claim jumped.

Up the creek a short distance was the intake of a 17 mile flume, built of lumber milled on the job from the adjacent forest. It went down Spring Creek and took water to the Rockerville placer operations 10 miles away from 1881 to 1884, where over half a million in gold was recovered. James Redpath was first postmaster on October 22, 1877 and Ernest Barthold, the last, on June 15. 1913. The dam creating Sheridan Lake submerged its remains in 1942.

ERECTED 1958 BY WILLIAM & CLARA WILLIAMSON AND STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION

Sheridan Lake is located southwest of Rapid City. A nice small lake with hiking trails and boat dock. Sheridan Lake is close to Lake Pactola and all of the Black Hills of South Dakota.