History on the Lawn – The Gold Rush
DEADWOOD – Deadwood History, Inc. and the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission will host a presentation by Dr. David Wolff at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, July 11, 2025, at the Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center (HARCC), 150 Sherman Street, Deadwood. The event is free for members and $5 for non-members.
In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the Black Hills Gold Rush, Dr. David Wolff will discuss how the gold rush began in 1874, grew in 1875, reached its peak in 1876 and 1877, and continued in the years after. Wolff will highlight people, places, and events associated with the gold rush, gold mining, and mineral development. This presentation is based on Wolff’s recently released book, The Gold Rush, the first volume in a series of Black Hills History Tour books he is writing for the South Dakota Historical Society Press.
Dr. David Wolff is Professor Emeritus at Black Hills State University and chairman of the Adams Museum & House board of directors. Wolff did his undergraduate and master’s work at the University of Wyoming and received his Ph.D. from Arizona State University. He has published articles in South Dakota History, Mining History Journal, and The American Indian Quarterly. Wolff has written four books: Industrializing the Rockies: Growth, Competition and Turmoil in the Coalfields of Colorado and Wyoming, 1868-1914 (University Press of Colorado, 2003), Seth Bullock: Black Hills Lawman (South Dakota State Historical Society Press, 2009), The Savior of Deadwood: James K.P. Miller on the Gold Frontier (South Dakota State Historical Society Press, 2021), and Black Hills History Tours: The Gold Rush (South Dakota State Historical Society Press, 2024). In 2012, the Mining History Association awarded Wolff the Rodman Paul Award for Outstanding Contributions to Mining History. In 2023, he was awarded the South Dakota State Historical Society’s highest honor, the Robinson Memorial Award, one of the Governor’s Awards for History.
The presentation is co-sponsored by the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, Adams-Mastrovich Family Foundation, A&B Business Solutions, Deadwood History, Inc., Deadwood Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, Black Hills Pioneer, Outlaw Square, and the Saloon No. 10.
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Deadwood History, Inc. preserves and presents the history of Deadwood and the Black Hills through exceptional places, interactive exhibits, and engaging events.
Adams Museum, Days of ’76 Museum, Historic Adams House, Homestake Adams
Research and Cultural Center, The Brothel Deadwood, and Fassbender Photographic Collection.