[South Dakota] Hand Drawn Map of Gold Claims of Rockerville, S.D. circa 1878

[South Dakota] Hand Drawn Map of Gold Claims of Rockerville, S.D. circa 1878

Map drawn crudely on brown paper which measures 24 x 35 inches. Previous folds, soiling and separation at several folds. Four spots on the verso repaired with tape. Verso is blank. Good Condition.

Every once in a while, when out scouting for material, I come across material I'm just not sure about. This hand-drawn map is one such example. The town of Rockerville, South Dakota was founded in 1877 after placer gold was discovered. Soon a small boom town would arise. Because placer gold required large quantities of water, production was limited. At the end of 1877 several hundred people called the camp of Rockerville home. The town was named for the wooden 'rockers' used to separate placer gold from gravel. Rockerville Gulch ran smack through the middle of the new town and was the richest placer found in the area. Supposedly, $250,000 of placer gold was recovered in 1878.

The map in question shows a small grid of streets, the road from Rapid City, a well, sawmill and several geographic markers. Most prominent are numerous "gold placer" locations and a broad "quartz lode" running southwest to northeast across the map. Missing are any claimants' names. The map is neither dated nor signed. The previous owner claims it dates to circa 1877.

To provide more water to work the placer beds, a flume carried water 20 miles, from Spring Creek west of present-day Sheridan Lake, east to the placer diggings near Rockerville. The flume operated until 1885. Today Rockerville is mostly a ghost town.

We provide a money-back guarantee on all items. I believe this map to be old and likely is exactly what it looks like: an early rendition of the mining activity of a very young Rockerville, South Dakota. I just wish I had more conclusive information as to who and when the map was drawn. Item #914

Price: $375.00