Visitor's Center | About
Welcome to Homestake Visitor Center!!
The Homestake Visitor Center is located in Lead, SD. Lead is over a century old community founded by miners and determined merchants. As these miners and merchants settled here, they discovered a million acre paradise filled with wildlife, majestic canyons and scenic hills. Deep within these hills they would find gold.
The story of the famous Black Hills Gold Rush has been retold for decades through countless history books, fictional novels and movies. These were times of "famous fortunes" that were filled with excitement, but were short lived. The Deadwood-Lead Gold Rush lasted only two years, from 1875-1877. However, the gold rush continues to affect Lead's history, economy and development.
The scenic Black Hills were discovered by Civil War hero General George Armstrong Custer and his 7th Calvary Soldiers in 1874. As soon as word spread back east that General Custer discovered gold, thousands of miners, merchants and madams set off across the Great Plains toward the Northern Black Hills and many settled in the sister cites of Deadwood and Lead.
One of the first enterprises of the Gold Rush of 1876 was the Homestake Gold Mine. The Homestake Gold Mine was claimed by two brothers from Portland, Oregon, Fred and Moses Manuel, and their partner, Hank Harney on April 9, 1879. In June of 1877 George Hearst purchased the claim from the Manuel Brothers for a mere $70,000. The Homestake Gold Mine would go on to produce over 40 million ounces of gold during its lifetime, valuing over a billion dollars. The mine would also go on to accomplish many technological and civic achievements as well. The Homestake Gold Mine, America's longest continuously operated gold mine, closed December 31, 2001 as the oldest, largest and deepest mine in the Western Hemisphere, stretching over 8,000 feet below the town of Lead.
The Homestake Gold Mine and Lead's future lies in the Sanford Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory.
For more information:
(605)584-3110
160 W. Main St., Lead, SD 57754
hvc@rushmore.com
Please click on the following link to access Homestake Visitor Centers website
http://www.homestaketour.com/