Thomas B. Hart Biography

	This biography appears on pages 1026-1027 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	THOMAS B. HART, one of the highly esteemed citizens of Central 
City, Lawrence county, is a native of the province of Quebec, Canada, 
where he was born on the 4th of June, 1843, being a son of William and 
Elizabeth (Brown) Hart, who were likewise born in the province of 
Quebec. The paternal grandfather of the subject was Thomas Hart, who was 
born in County Sligo, Ireland, and who was a captain in the British 
army, in which connection he was sent to the dominion of Canada with his 
regiment, which was stationed in the city of Quebec. After retiring from 
the military service he purchased a farm fifteen miles out from the 
city, and there passed the remainder of his long and useful life, having 
served for more than twenty years in the English army and having 
participated in a number of wars in which his country was involved. The 
father of our subject continued to reside in his native province until 
1859, when he removed with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, where he 
engaged in the fur business, and there he and his devoted wife passed 
the residue of their lives, honored by all who knew them. They had four 
sons and three daughters, of whom three of the former and all of the 
latter are living at the time of this writing. 

	Thomas B. Hart, the immediate subject of this review, secured his 
educational discipline in the excellent schools of his home province, 
and was about sixteen years of age at the time of the family removal to 
Ohio. There he secured a position in car shops in the city of Cleveland, 
where he developed much mechanical skill, and thereafter he assisted in 
the putting in of trestle work for the Atlantic & Great Western 
Railroad, while later he entered the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad 
Company, with which great corporation he continued until 1876, in March 
of which year he set forth to seek his fortunes in the Black Hills. From 
Cheyenne, Wyoming, he came by team to his destination, in company with 
others, arriving in Deadwood on the 22d of May. They encountered no 
trouble with the Indians, though ,two days previously to their crossing 
Hat creek two men had been killed by the savages at that point Mr. Hart 
at once turned his attention to prospecting in the vicinity of Deadwood, 
but his success was of a negative character and after three months he 
entered the employ of the owners of the Keach mine, at Central City. A 
few months later he went to work on the Father DeSmet property, and 
there continued until the mine was sold to a California company, in 
December, 1877, when he secured service with the new owners and remained 
with them until 1881, when the Homestake Mining Company purchased the 
property, which they still own and continue to develop. With this well-
known company Mr. Hart was employed until May 10, 1886, when he engaged 
in contracting at the carbonate camps, being fairly successful. A few 
months later he again turned his attention to prospecting, in company 
with Eli T. Forrester. They relocated the gingham mine, one mile west of 
Central City, and forthwith instituted the work of development, running 
tunnels and openings up the ledge, which is now one hundred and eighty-
four feet in width. They sunk a shaft to the depth of one hundred feet 
and placed the property in good working condition. In 1901 they sold the 
property to the firm of Mayhem & Stevenson, and it is now known as the 
Hidden Fortune. In company with Florence McCarthy, in the Golden Rule 
properties, in Rudebaker Gulch, one mile directly west of the town of 
Lead, Mr. Hart ran three tunnels one of sixty-five feet, another of one 
hundred and twenty feet and the third of seventy-five feet, after which 
they made a crosscut of the lead. In 1901 they sold this property to the 
Pennsylvania Mining Company and the property is now being worked by that 
company. In the handling of these properties Mr. Hart has been very 
successful and he is known as one of the reliable and progressive mining 
men of the section and as one of the representative citizens of Central 
City, where he owns an attractive residence. In politics he is arrayed 
with the Democratic party. 

	On the 14th of January, 1867, Mr. Hart was married to Miss 
Margaret Mulreedy, who was born in Ireland. whence she accompanied her 
parents on their emigration to America when a child, the family locating 
in Mansfield, Ohio, where she was reared and educated. Of this union 
have been born five children, concerning whom we incorporate the 
following brief record: James, who married Miss Earl Brown, is a 
resident of Butte, Montana; Thomas is in the employ of the Homestake 
Mining Company, and resides in Lead City; John, who married Miss Louise 
Lyons, is a resident of the city of Portland, Oregon: William is in 
Nome, Alaska; and Eugene is a student in the Gertrude House in the city 
of Chicago.