Spearfish, South Dakota

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Spearfish is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota, USA. The population was 8,606 at the 2000 census.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Location of Spearfish, South Dakota

Spearfish is located at 44°29′23″N, 103°51′9″W (44.489803, -103.852585)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.8 km² (6.1 mi²), all land. It is unclear at this time why the Census Bureau does not consider Spearfish Creek, which runs roughly south to north through the center of town (parallel to Canyon St.), as being covered with water. Spearfish Creek runs year round. This is even true in the dead of winter because of the speed at which the creek flows. This speed prevents ice from forming except along the bottom of the creekbed where friction and turbulence allow the water to slow down long enough to freeze. This results in the unusual phenomenon of the creek freezing from the bottom up rather than the more usual top-to-bottom of slower streams. Since the creek continues to flow atop this ice, the water level of the creek gradually rises as more ice accumulates on the bottom, in some cases causing flooding on the north side of town where the channel is not so deep.

Spearfish has been assigned the ZIP code 57783 and the FIPS place code 60020. Black Hills State University [1]is assigned the ZIP code 57799.

The city was founded during the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1876 at the mouth of Spearfish Canyon. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who visited Spearfish Canyon (located between Spearfish and Deadwood) in 1935, later called the area "unique and unparalleled elsewhere in our country," and wondered "how is it that I've heard so little of this miracle and we, toward the Atlantic, have heard so much of the Grand Canyon when this is even more miraculous [2]."

[edit] Climate

Since it is located at the base the Black Hills and only a few miles from the geographical center of the United States, the climate is highly variable. Spearfish holds the world record for the fastest temperature change. On January 22, 1943, at about 7:30am MST, the temperature in Spearfish, SD was −4 °F (−20 °C). The chinook kicked in, and two minutes later the temperature was 45 °F (7 °C) above zero. The 49-degree rise in two minutes set a world record that still holds. By 9:00am, the temperature had risen to 54 °F (12 °C). Suddenly, the chinook died down and the temperature tumbled back to −4 °F (−20 °C). The 58-degree drop (32 °C) took only 27 minutes[1].

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 8,606 people, 3,638 households, and 1,931 families residing in the city. The population density was 543.8/km² (1,409.1/mi²). There were 3,904 housing units at an average density of 246.7/km² (639.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.33% White, 0.35% African American, 2.31% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.73% of the population.

There were 3,638 households out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 21.5% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,887, and the median income for a family was $40,257. Males had a median income of $30,242 versus $20,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,565. About 9.8% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

One way or another, the history of the city of Spearfish begins with the search for gold in the Black Hills. Prior to the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1876, the area was used by Native Americans (primarily bands of Sioux but others also ranged through the area) who would spear fish in the creek (hence the name of the creek and subsequently the town). Once the gold rush started, Spearfish grew as a supplier of foodstuffs to the mining camps in the hills. Even today, a significant amount of truck farming (see Farm) still occurs in the vicinity.

In 1887, the accepted history of gold mining in the Black Hills was thrown into question by the discovery of what has become known as the Thoen Stone [3]. Discovered by Louis Thoen on the slopes of Lookout Mountain, the stone purports to be the last testament of Ezra Kind who, along with 6 others, entered the Black Hills in 1833 (at a time when whites were forbidden by law and treaty from entering the area), "got all the gold we could carry" in June 1834, and were subsequently "killed by Indians beyond the high hill." While it may seem unlikely that someone who has "lost my gun and nothing to eat and Indians hunting me" would take the time to carve his story in sandstone, there is corroborating historical evidence for the Ezra Kind party. This evidence is presented in the book The Thoen Stone by Frank Thomson, published in 1966.

In the 20th Century, the history of Spearfish was tied very closely to mining and tourism. The Homestake Sawmill (now Pope and Talbot) was built to supply timbers for the Homestake gold mine in Lead (now closed). In 1938 Joseph Meier brought the Luenen Passion Play to settle permanently in Spearfish and become the Black Hills Passion Play, drawing thousands of visitors every year during the summer months. Spearfish is also the home of Black Hills State University, a four-year liberal arts college. Founded as Spearfish Normal School in 1883, it is still largely a teacher training institution, although its mission has expanded far beyond to include a masters program in Business Services Management.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Parker, Watson. Deadwood: The Golden Years. Lincoln: The University of Nebraska, 1981.

[edit] External links


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