Life on the Ranch,,,

Dickinson, North Dakota, population about 25,000, is primarily a service and logictics hub for the Bakken oil field in western North Dakota. The state is one of the top oil-producing states in the US (ranking 2nd or 3rd behind Texas and New Mexico) and uses horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing ('fracking"). At the same time, Dickinson is an agricultural center with lots of ranching going on.

We stayed at our friends' ranch outside Dickinson (more on that further below), but one of our focuses were the Dickinson Stockyards and the auctions taking place. Wanted to learn more about cattle trade and ranching. Did you know, that there are "auction schools" where people can become "auctioneers" and learn to speak quickly as they have to in an auction bidding?

Went to some local shops and even got a few good deals - especially, clothing -  at Running's and a new secondhand mall in town! The park in front of the courthouse of Dickinson (below) reminded us of the main purpose of our visit: Theodore Roosevelt.

 

 On the ranch at sunset on our first evening:

Approaching the ranch house (below) with its great views and sunsets, a comfy house surrounded by pastures, wide open space, remote,,, peaceful,,, just what we needed! And, the weather was superb, too, up to 80 deg. F. (27 C) during the day!

 

And, we were having great meals, from beef roast out of the slow cooker, falling apart, to ribeye steaks (below), different sausages and fish (walleye). Had our share of good beef for the next months!

We were watching the animals, horses, cattle and cats. On the photos is Stanley, one year old, and very adventurous, whereas Pete, the elderly, is a bit shy and stays away from visitors.



Two of our friend's three horses coming in at dawn for a special treat. The two cows - one of them below - will be butchered soon, but until them they enjoy a great life with treats and patting. 

It's been good to rest for two full days on the ranch, with some visits to the local bars inbetween, meetings with local ranchers and friends of our friends. Such trusting, good people, down-to-earth, honest, hard-working, polite and with sort of a dry humor! Nobody here locks a door, the cars are left open, who needs help gets help without any reservation.

Mountain Goats, the Nation's Center and the Badlands

The next morning at Spearfish, another sunny day, we went to Spearfish Falls (above, right), a stunning cascade reached by a short trail from the Lodge before we departed. Next to the highway, a couple of miles further, there were the Bridal Veil Falls, and, closeby, we watched a herd of Mountain goat (below).

 

In the little town of Spearfish we visited the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery & Archives (below), established in 1896, one of the oldest operating hatcheries in the country dedicated to fish culture and resource management. There are historic buildings on the vast grounds, a fish railroad car, a museum and fish ponds full with different varieties of trouts. Unfortunately, only the grounds were open, the rest was already closed for the season, but nevertheless, it gave a good idea of the business and leave colors were beautiful, too!

Short drive on to Belle Fourche/South Dakota to see the Geographic Center of the Nation Monument. The National Geodetic Survey designated Belle Fourche as the town closest to the Center of the Nation and a the 21-foot diameter granite monument was placed here, next to the Center of the Nation Visitor Center and the Tri-State Museum (below). The momument is surrounded by “The Avenue of Flags,” which includes all 50 state flags, as well as the national flags of the United States and Canada.

It's been a good three hours of lonesome, but beautiful drive through the prairie towards the Badlands into  North Dakota. After a busy week we eventually were looking foward to a bit of rest on our friends' ranch in Dickinson.

From Lead into the Spearfish Canyon

 

On Monday afternoon we left Deadwood towards the Spearfish Canyon and passed through nearby Lead. Like Deadwood, the city was officially founded in 1876, as a company town by the Homestake Mining Company. The mine was the largest, deepest and most productive gold mine in the Western Hemisphere before closing in 2002 (photo below).

The Hearst family from California was instrumental in making Lead more livable, establishing a library, a Kindergarten, an Opera House and other buildings.

Nowadays, Lead and the Homestake Mine are hosting the Sanford Underground Research Facility ("Sanford Lab"/SURF), researching low-background experiments on neutrinos, dark matter, and other nuclear physics topics. Wish we would have known before and gotten a tour arranged in the Mining Museum and at SURF.

 

On we drove along the beautiful Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway (left) to our hotel, the Spearfish Canyon Lodge (right). We checked in and went for a hike to the Roughlock Falls. Leafs were still showing gorgeous colors, it was really warm (80 deg F/26 C), but plesantly cool and fresh on the trail. Just a beautiful landscape surrounded by towering limestone cliffs.

Little chipmunks everywhere,,,

Gunsmoke, gambling and outlaws in Deadwood, South Dakota

Sunday morning we drove out of the Rockies, through Wyoming's prairie and into the Black Hills of South Dakota again,,, What a change of landscape! After the winding roads through the mountains with its colorful trees, the long drive on US 85 through the prairie was a bit boring. When we reached South Dakota, the Black Hills came in view, a pine-covered mountain range in the western park of the state, named by the Lakota Sioux: Pahá Sápa, "hills that are black".

Our destination of the day was Deadwood, a lawless town at the time it was founded, in 1876. At this time, thousands of prospectors came into the Deadwood Gulch. Thanks to the gold being found, it became a haven for fortune seekers and a massive number of miners, gamblers, and outlaws came into town. 

During the peak years, the tent-camp grew exponentially, attracting famous legends like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. The  "boomtown" came to an abrupt halt in September 1879, when a devastating fire destroyed most of the town. But, other than in many other former gold rush towns, until today the Old West is alive in Deadwood. This town didn't die down thanks to a decision in 1989: then, legal gaming was allowed and the new tax revenue fueled the historic preservation of the town. Behind historic fassades nowadays gambling halls, saloons and restaurants are hidden. 

In Old Saloon No. 10 (below) Wild bill Hickock (left) met his end while playing cards. His murder Jack McCall was later on trial - both happenings are reenacted on a regular basis in town. James Butler Hickok (1837 –1876), was known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, cattle rustler, gunslinger, gambler, showman and actor. Also, he was involved in many famous gunfights and Calamity Jane pretended to have been his great love - which he seriously denied all the time.

Deadwood is not really big, but "picturesque" and unique. With nearby Sturgis, Rapid City, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument, it attracts a lot of visitors, among them many, many bikers. Since we arrived on a Sunday, it was not too busy anymore, but just the days before, Oktoberfest took place, a big event in town!

Monday morning's first stop: the historic brothel! Up until 1980, illegal sex work was active in Deadwood and largely ignored by law enforcement and police. "The world’s oldest profession" is the topic of "The Brothel Deadwood", a seriously instructive historic museum. 

The Shasta Rooms brothel recalls the story of more than 100 years. We were privileged and got a private tour on a monday through several rooms in this historic building on Main Street, nicely curated with a variety of period appropriate furnishings and accessories. 

There is the parlor from the late 1800s (above), followed by a series of four "working rooms" (below), each representing a different era: 1876-1900, 1920s, 1940s-1950s, and 1960s-1970s. We got to know what life was like for the women in this business during these times, visited the "madam's" office and bedroom and heard stories about the sex workers themselves, partly fascinating personalities.

 Next: Mt. Moriah Cemetery. This cemetery was occupied between 1876 and 1877 and contains Wild Bill Hickock's, Calamity Jane's and Seth Bullock's graves, plus many more, e.g. a Chinese or a Jewish section - both important groups of the population at the time. Plus, from the view point up on Mt. Moriah, we enjoyed the probably best view of Deadwood.

The Day of '76 Museum and Celebration was another place this morning, we didn't have seen during previous visits to Deadwood. Since the first celebration in 1924, the Days of '76 has grown into a legendary annual event with a historic parade and a PRCA (professional) rodeo. On a tour we got to know about the parade and the rodeo, but we also admired a remarkable collection of pioneer, cowboy, and American Indian artifacts, a unique firearms collection, and, the largest exhibit of authentic horse-drawn wagons, carriages, and stagecoaches, still used in the annual parade.Wished we once would have the chance to see the parade and the rodeo! Reminded us much of La Fiesta de los Vacqueros & Tucson Rodeo in Tucson/Arizona!

 

After lunch with our great guide of the morning, tourism rep Amanda, we had to leave town and drove on to Leed. More on that "sister City" and our drive through Spearfish Canyon tomorrow.