Plaque Text for South Dakota Landmark #448:
August 1-6, 1874: This picturesque valley was the site of the permanent camp of the Black Hills Expedition of 1874 under the command of General George A. Custer of the 7th Cavalry. Their 5-day stay was the longest stop made during the entire expedition and General Custer used this campsite as a base for reconnaissance trips to other points in the Black Hills.
The expedition party totaled about 1,000 men, 1,000 horses and mules, 500 beef cattle and 110 wagons. In addition to the cavalry, the personnel included nearly 100 Indian scouts, guides, interpreters, engineers, newspaper correspondents, two practical miners, and a photographer. This is said to have been the largest and best equipped expedition ever assembled, up to that time, for military exploration duty in the Northwest. The entire valley was scattered with their tents and wagons during their stay.
Gold was first discovered in French Creek, which runs through the valley, by Horatio N. Ross. This discovery of gold led to the first Miners’ Organization in the Black Hills which was formed around a campfire on August 5, 1874. Because of the discovery of gold here, General Custer gave this place the name of “Golden Valley.”
General Custer sent a scout messenger out from this camp to carry the word to Ft. Laramie that gold had been discovered on French Creek. This caused a stampede over the country to force entrance into these forbidden Black Hills. Late in December 1874, the first settlers, the Collins-Russell party, under the guidance of John Gordon, reached this site. Thousands of gold seekers soon followed.
More about the Campsite of General Custer’s Expedition:
For over two decades, there had been rumors of gold in the Black Hills, and even though the US government had relinquished ownership of this sacred Sioux land under the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), treaties are more… guidelines, right?! In a colossal dupe, the 7th Cavalry went into the Black Hills anyway to see if the rumors were true, and sure enough, a day after they camped here, they found gold!
It wasn’t military force that seized the Black Hills, at least, not at first. It was the sensational story that General Custer shared with the New York Times that brought 15,000 gold seekers rushing to the Black Hills within a year! The Army couldn’t stem the flood, so the government offered to buy the Black Hills from the Sioux. The Sioux said “No way!” and rather than be forced onto a reservation far away, they went to war, bringing about General Custer’s doom!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Become a member of the South Dakota State Historical Society!
- Donate to the Custer County Historical Society!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
12598 US-16
Custer, SD 57730
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Whenever the mood strikes you!