Homestake Vested Water Rights
Scope and Contents
The Homestake Vested Water Rights Collection consists of 89 boxes of water rights material from the Homestake Mining Company and associated parties. The materials include information on the acquisition of water rights in the Black Hills by HMC for use in its milling operations. The materials span from the late 1870s to the late 1990s and include correspondence, operating reports, litigation materials, evidentiary materials, data compilations, etc.
Dates
- 1876 - 1998
Creator
- Homestake Mining Company (Author (aut), Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is housed at the Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center with no restrictions to access. The collection may be utilized during normal operating hours, 10-4 M-F, or by appointment.
Biographical / Historical
The Homestake Mining Claim was founded on April 9, 1876 by Fred and Moses Manuel and Hank Harney. They soon sold their interests to a group of men, led by George Hearst. Under Hearst’s direction, the Homestake Mining Company was incorporated in November 1877 and grew into the major economic driving force of the Black Hills area. Though numerous factors contributed to the success and permanence of the Homestake Mine, the acquisition of water rights was integral to acquiring enough water power to operate the mine and its miscellaneous holdings. Almost immediately after Hearst’s purchase of the mining claim, he and his associates began systematically acquiring rights to the streams, creeks, and ditches in the area. By controlling the water rights, the mine was able to significantly influence the local economy and politics of the Lead/Deadwood area. The acquisition of major influencing water bodies in the area did not go unnoticed; many legal issues arose as a result of the claims and titles Homestake held. In the later years of the company, major litigation occurred before the Water Management Board for the State of South Dakota in regards to HMC’s attempts to make changes to the Spearfish Creek Watershed under their legal claims to it. This was opposed by local government, amongst others, and led to several significant court cases. The matters were complicated by the fact most of Homestake’s vested water rights claims were acquired between the late 1870s to the 1890s, well before South Dakota created its Water Rights Law.
Extent
116 Linear feet (88 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Homestake Mining Company was founded in 1876 and operated for 126 years, ultimately growing into the oldest, largest, and deepest gold mine in the Western Hemisphere. A critical contributor to this large-scale success lies in the company’s early acquisition of water rights in the Black Hills. The water rights collection housed at the Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center details the mine’s systematic attainment of these water rights, as well as the legal struggles that occurred in attempts to keep them.
Arrangement
The collection is housed in acid-free folders in a mixture of acid-free archival boxes and oversize banker’s boxes. The contents were kept in original order where possible, although the majority was rearranged by relevant subject and order.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These materials were transferred as one donation from the Homestake Mining Company on May 26, 2005.
Processing Information
These materials were processed June-October 2013 by Jessica Michak under the supervision of Carolyn Weber. Additional assistance provided by Steve Mitchell, Mikaela Fundaun, and Paula Tyler.
- Barnes, Phil
- Bear Butte Creek (S.D.)
- Belle Fourche (S.D.)
- Belle Fourche River (Wyo. and S.D.)
- Black Hills Canal and Water Company
- Black Hills Power and Light Company
- Calaboga Mining Company
- Central City (S.D.)
- Cheyenne River (Wyo. and S.D.)
- Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company
- Clark, Bowen
- Cole, Jack
- Colorado
- Cusick, James
- Cyanide Plant No. 3
- Dairy farming
- Dakota Mining Company
- Dakota Territory
- Deadwood (S.D.)
- Deadwood Creek (S.D)
- Deadwood Ditch
- Deadwood Gulch
- Dittman, Allen
- Ellsworth Air Force Base (S.D.)
- Father DeSmet Consolidated Gold Mining Company
- Fort, Richard
- Haggin, James Ben Ali, 1822-1914
- Halbe, Doug
- Hatch, John
- Homestake Slime Plant (Deadwood, S.D.)
- Hubbard, Todd
- Hughes County (S.D.)
- Hydroelectric Plant No. 1
- Hydroelectric power plants
- Johnson, Mike
- Jones, Jonathan
- Kirk Power Plant (S.D.)
- Lawsuits
- Lead (S.D.)
- Lead Country Club (Lead (S.D.))
- Maitland (S.D.)
- Maps
- Marks, John
- Mason, Howard
- May, Ernst
- McDowell, Dave
- McGaffin, Robert Hugh
- McMaster, Samuel, -1884
- Miller, Dave
- Miller, Wade
- Milliken, James
- Missouri River
- Pamer, George
- Power-plants
- Rahn, Perry
- Rapid Creek (S.D.)
- Russell, James E.
- Russell, John R.
- Sax, Joseph L.
- South Dakota
- South Dakota Mining Company
- Spearfish (S.D.)
- Spearfish Canyon (S.D.)
- Stock certificates
- Stocks
- Tellinghuisen, Roger
- Trask, Pat
- Trask, Tom
- Water rights
- Waterland, Ron
- Whitewood Creek (S.D.)
- Winsel, Margaret
- Wyodak Coal Comany
- Wyodak Water Company
- Wyoming and Dakota Water Company
- Zogorski, John
Creator
- Homestake Mining Company (Author (aut), Organization)
- Title
- Homestake Vested Water Rights Collection, 1876-1998
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Jessica Michak
- Date
- November 1, 2013
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- South Dakota Humanities Council, Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, Adams-Mastrovich Family Foundation, Deadwood History, Inc.
Repository Details
Part of the Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center Repository
PO Box 252
150 Sherman St
Deadwood South Dakota 57732
605-722-4800