Map of the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming with Full Descriptions of Mineral Resources, Etc. [1897]

Custer, South Dakota: E. P. Noll & Co, 1897. Packet measuring 4 ½ x 7 ½ inches, containing a forty-page booklet and fold-out map measuring 28 ½ x 31 inches. Map folded with very small tears at folds, else Fine; booklet with staining from cover and staples; overall excellent to Near Fine.. The Black Hills gold rush began with George Armstrong Custer’s expedition there in 1874, breaking the US government’s treaty with the Sioux and ultimately leading to the Great Sioux War and Custer’s death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The expedition, and the discovery of gold in the hills, led to a rush of Euro-American settlers to the area—and a surge in promotional pamphlets advertising the area’s richness, often in ornate language and beyond what could be reasonably true.[1] Offered here is a slightly more sober promotional booklet, with a map of the region, authored by mining engineer Samuel Scott. The booklet contains a detailed discussion of the region’s geology, including descriptions of geologic formations and periods and of the types of rocks and minerals to be found. It also describes various tourist attractions, such as hot mineral springs, fishing and hunting, and areas like Wind Cave and Sylvan Lake. On mining, though, Scott takes some liberties, writing:

“Mining investments, with ordinary business precautions, are the safest and best paying that can be made. There is no more risk in making a mining investment than in an investment of real estate if the investor will use some precaution in each case.”

The map is large and attractive, containing an inset map of the famous Old West town of Deadwood and its surround. We find thirty-one copies of the booklet on OCLC.

[1] Watson Parker, “Booming the Black Hills,” South Dakota History 11, no. 1 (January 1980): 35–52.