Homestake Mine Hydro Plant 2 - Spearfish Canyon South Dakota
by Frank J Benz
Title
Homestake Mine Hydro Plant 2 - Spearfish Canyon South Dakota
Artist
Frank J Benz
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Homestake Mine Hydro Plant 2 Spearfish Canyon South Dakota
The Homestake Mining Companys hydroelectric plant number 2 is located on Spearfish Creek, deep in the Spearfish Canyon, south of the city of Spearfish and Bridal Veil Falls. Spearfish Canyon is a creek carved gorge that is more ancient than the Grand Canyon and until 1893 was only accessible by horseback. Spearfish Canyons narrow 1,000 foot walls are among the most spectacular scenery in the Black Hills. The vast Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota was the companys first and most famous mine and it was mined from the
middle 1870s until 2002. The Homestake Mining Company was one of the largest gold mining operations in the United States from the 19th century through the beginning of the 21st century. The Hydro Plant 2 was constructed in 1917 and is now just a dormant facility sitting by the roadway that runs through the very scenic canyon. In 1947 a large landslide in Spearfish Canyon damaged the conduit to Hydro Plant 2 and it was shut down. The property and Hydro Plant 2 was sold to the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks and hopefully South Dakota Game will at some point in the future restore this historic structure and make it available for the public to view some of the historical amenities on the interior of this building.
Uploaded
July 9th, 2016
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