Hiking in the Black Hills has a long history. It was one of the activities that brought the first tourists to the state. Already in 1930, Gypsy Tours were being held that led individuals on hikes throughout the hills. It’s an activity that has been melded into the area. FortyRead More →
How does the Mexican-American War lead to the development of Sturgis? Well in an exceptionally complicated manner, of course. But where there is this level of complication, there is a story worth telling. And that story starts with Texas. In October of 1835, a rebellion began in what would becomeRead More →
What’s in a name? For Sturgis, it’s been a lot. While Sturgis was named after Col. Samuel Sturgis, who was the commandant at Fort Meade from 1879 to 1881, many would call it Scooptown in its early years. The name Scooptown was taken from an earlier settlement near Bear ButteRead More →
Sturgis was the obvious site for a new county seat when Meade County was created. It was the largest city in the area, they were the ones who fought hardest for the new county, and for years before the county was official, they had operated as if they truly wereRead More →
With Meade County finally being organized in March of 1889, the fight for the county seat was now on. Throughout the journey of becoming a county, many who looked at the situation assumed it would be Sturgis who would take the title. Others had different plans though. A few contendersRead More →
In 1889, Meade separated from Lawrence County. One could argue it was more of a formality, as the citizens of Sturgis, and the larger area, had already separated themselves from the rest of Lawrence County. In many ways, Meade had begun as a rogue county; a county set on changingRead More →
When I first moved to Sturgis, the name Scooptown was often tossed around. It has become a part of the city’s heritage. Businesses use the name proudly, as do local sports teams. Often it is said that the reason for this is because Sturgis began its life as Scooptown. HistoryRead More →
Dustin WhiteEditor History is a work in progress. As new pieces of information are discovered, the past continues to be written and rewritten. The tent citiesWith the Northern Pacific Railroad pushing westward, land speculators were busy ahead of the track, setting up townsites, with the hope that the railway wouldRead More →