Black Hills Gold Discovery Camp 1874

[Lawtonka]

This camp site was used on the Black Hills Expedition of 1874 by the 7th Cavalry. Located at Custer, South Dakota. They were camped here from August 1 through the 5th, 1874. This is where the Black Hills Gold was discovered on French Creek.

If you don't have a copy, I would highly recommend Exploring with Custer - The 1874 Black HIlls Expedition by Ernest Grafe and Paul Horsted. This is a wonderful book and in my opinion is unparalleled in it's achievement by the authors.




Here is a vintage view photographed by W.H. Illingworth on the 1874 Expedition of the campsite,copied out of the book (with permission of the authors) Exploring With Custer: The 1874 Black Hills Expedition, by Ernest Grafe & Paul Horsted, ©2002 Dakota Photographic LLC.

Hey, for more information on this book, please visit their website at www.custertrail.com





Modern view of the same area taken by myself near the spot where W.H.Illingworth photographed his view. On our tour that day, we were lucky to have a guide to show us around




Our guide that day showed us what is believed to be where Custer scratched his initials into the rock . It is hard to see but it is "GAC", wish it would have shown up better.

[George Armstrong Custer]

Remarkable stuff Tim, thanks again for sharing it!

Can you tell me what the buildings in the center of the modern view are? You certainly got a great comparison shot with Illingsworth's original there! What's interesting too is how little the treeline in the backgound (just to the rear of the buildings in the modern shot) has retreated over the years. Even its edge retains a similar shape, with a sort of half-circle of open ground pushing into it.

Ciao,
GAC