The Homestake gold mine’s significance in the history of the United States cannot be understated. A testament to the pioneering spirit of the American West, Homestake Mine simultaneously symbolizes both the pursuit of wealth and the desire for knowledge.
For most of the Homestake Mine’s history, it was the largest gold mine in the United States, pulling in nearly 44 million ounces of gold. Today it is the home of the Sanford Underground Research Facility, the deepest underground laboratory in the United States, dedicated to unmasking the secrets of the universe.
Whether it is a mine or a lab, Homestake’s role in shaping the landscape of South Dakota and the greater United States cannot be understated.
Historical Background
The Homestake Mining Company was founded in Lead, SD, during the Black Hills gold rush in 1876 by George Hearst, father of publishing magnate William Randolf Hearst, and great-grandfather of hostage-turned-bank robber Patty Hearst.
The discovery of gold ore in the area was initially set off by the infamous general, George Armstrong Custer, in 1874, when his US Army unit, the 7th Calvary, was searching for a suitable fort in the area. During this expedition, civilian experts belonging to the regiment started prospecting for gold, finding deposits in the streams surrounding the newly formed Custer, SD.
Though it is debated if a significant amount of gold was discovered during the expedition, a letter from General Custer to the Assistant Adjutant General of the Department of Dakota stating that a significant amount of metal can be found in the Black Hills, kicked off a gold frenzy that quickly engulfed the mountains and threatened to destabilize the area.
This discovery would soon result in war with the Sioux when the United States, inspired by its wealth potential, broke the Fort Laramie Treaty which promised the land to the Sioux. This war would lead to Custer’s death at the legendary Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, though the United States would soon appropriate the land from the Sioux people by force.
During the heat of the conflict, prospectors Fred and Moses Manuel, Alex Engh, and Hank Harney discovered the Homestake deposit, which they would sell to mining entrepreneurs George Hearst, Lloyd Tevis, and James Ben Ali Haggin for $70,000 in 1877 ($1.85 million today), who would open the Homestake Mining Co, and set the stage for one of the more storied histories of the United States.
Homestake’s Wild West Legacy
Hearst would soon move to nearby Deadwood, SD, and begin operations on the mine in 1878. A year later, the Homestake gold mine would be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. This influx of public investment would rapidly expand Homestake into one of the most significant mines in the United States and longest-running stocks on the NYSE until its closure in 2001.
Its success was not without controversy, though. Like any good Wild West tale, it needs a villain, and the history of the Homestake Mine has no shortage of them. Tales from this era would inspire HBO show Deadwood, where Hearst appears as its main antagonist - mainly due to his brutal tactics in preserving and expanding the mine.
The Economic Impact of Homestake Mine
By the time Hearst left the Black Hills in 1879, the mine had expanded to 30 acres, and employed 500 people. 20 years later, it would expand to 2000 acres, and employ an equal number of people.
At this point, it had extracted 1,400,000 metric tons of gold ore.
Until it closed in 2001, the Homestake mine extracted 43,700,000 oz of refined gold and 9,870,000 oz of silver. Though the quality of the gold ore was considered poor, the Lead mining district the Homestake Mine belonged to was the United State’s second-largest producer of gold, behind the Carlin district in Nevada.
Sanford Underground Research Facility: New Scientific Frontiers
At the time of the founding of Homestake Mine, the Black Hills were considered a great, largely untapped frontier of wealth and prosperity.
Nowadays, space is the new frontier.
So what more appropriate place to set up a lab focused on exploring the cosmos than in the depths the former mine?
In 2007, the National Science Foundation selected the site of the Homestake Mine for its Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). The resulting Sanford Underground Research Facility is the deepest underground laboratory in the United States and currently has 28 active research projects in the facility, including research into dark matter - one of the most mysterious forces in nature.
Though never witnessed, dark matter is implied by gravitational effects that cannot be explained by our current physics model of general relatively, unless more matter is present than can be seen - hence the name “dark” matter. Without dark matter, it is hard to ascertain for the formation and evolution of galaxies and the observable universe's current structure, among other observations.
Conclusion
Homestake Mine’s history is a prime symbol of the explorative and expansionary nature of the United States - economically, scientifically, and militarily. It is the result of some of the United State’s most infamous battles and popular culture figures, and is the source of a significant portion of the United State’s physical wealth.
At the Homestake Opera House, we seek to preserve and highlight the history of our small, yet impactful town.
If you would like to support the Homestake Opera House, we are a registered non-profit 501(c)3 and all donations are tax deductible and will go towards making sure that its legacy lives on.
