Black Hills (SD) Pioneers This article appeared in the "Illustrated Booster Nugget", published by the students of Lead High School in 1911-1912. This article was written by Clarence M. Davis. Transcribed by Joy Fisher, sdgenweb@yahoo.com This file may be freely copied for non-profit purposes. In response to a call published in the newspapers of the Black Hills, a meeting of citizens who arrived in the Black Hills before January 1, 1877, was held in the Deadwood court house January 8, 1889, at 7:30 P. M. Over a hundred persons were present at the meeting, which proved to be for the purpose of organizing an association of the Black Hills pioneers. Sixty- seven members joined the society that evening. They elected the following officers. President: Thomas H. Russell Vice Presidents: Jack Gray, Samuel Shankland, R. B. Hughes, E. C. Dudley, Frank Thulen, James Ryan. Secretary: L. F. Whitbeck. Treasurer: John R. Brennan. Marshall: A. R. Z. Dawson. Historian: C. V. Gardner. Directors: C. V. Gardner, John P. Belding, George N. Cole, Noah Newbanks, S. M. Booth. They decided to call the association thus formed, "The Society of Black Hills Pioneers." The purpose of this "Society of Black Hills Pioneers" is, according to its constitution, "designed to be, and is, a moral, benevolent and literary association, and its objects are: To cultivate social intercourse, to form a more perfect union among its members, and to create a fund for charitable purposes in their behalf; to collect and preserve information connected with the early settlement and subsequent history of the country; to perpetuate the memory of those whose sagacity, energy and enterprise induced them to settle in the wilderness and become founders of a new state." In the original constitution only those who came into the present counties of Lawrence, Meade, Pennington, Butte, Custer, Fall River, in South Dakota, and Crook county in Wyoming, previous to the 31st day of December 1876, were eligible to membership. In 1908, all children of the members of the "Society of Black Hills Pioneers" were also made eligible to membership. It has become the custom with the society to hold their annual meeting and election of officers in January and to hold a big picnic, at some place in the Hills, during the summer. In case of the decease of a pioneer, it is the custom for the pioneers to take charge of the funeral and if need be, bear part of the expenses. THE LIST OF OFFICERS is as follows: Presidents. Thos. H. Russell, Jan. 8, 1889, Jan. 14, 1890 Seth Bullock, Jan. 14, 1890, Feb. 6, 1892 A. R. Z. Dawson, Feb. 6, 1892, Jan. 27, 1894 James W. Allen, Jan. 27, 1894, Feb. 8, 1896 John Gray, Feb. 8, 1896, Jan. 8, 1898 P. A. Gushurst, Jan. 8, 1898, Jan. 7, 1899 Geo. V. Ayres, Jan. 7, 1899, Feb. 3, 1900 James Conzett, Feb. 3, 1900, Jan. 16, 1904 J. W. MacDonald, Jan. 16, 1904, Jan. 27, 1906 John A. Blatt, Jan. 11, 1906, Jan. 11, 1908 Jacob Goldberg, Jan. 11, 1908,Jan. 1910 Kirk G. Phillips, Jan. 1910, to-date. Secretaries. L. F. Whitbeck, Jan. 8, 1889, Jan. 14, 1890 J. Harry Flynn, Jan. 14, 1890, Apr. 1, 1897 Paul Rewman, Apr. 1, 1897, Feb. 3, 1900 H. P. Lorey, Feb. 3, 1900, Jan. 17, 1903 J. Deetken, Jan. 17, 1903, to-date. Treasurers. John R. Brennan, Jan. 8, 1889, Jan. 14, 1890 John A. Gaston, Jan. 14, 1890, Feb. 6, 1892 D. M. Gillette, Feb. 6, 1892, Jan. 14, 1905 K. G. Phillips, Jan. 14, 1905, Jan. 1910 George V. Ayers, Jan. 1910, to-date. At the last meeting, it was reported that there were one hundred and fifteen members in good standing. The following were present and responded to roll-call: George V. Ayers. Mart. Alber. Geo. W. Beals. Al Burnham. Sol Bloom. Henry Brash. W. H. Bonham (honorary). Julius Deetken. David Ellis. Joe Goldberg. Sam Goldberg. Chris Godfrey. J. F. Gurley. W. F. Hanley. M. Heffron Geo. Hosier. J. T. Heffron. J. W. McDonald. John McVean. Andrew Onstadt. Gus O’berg. K. G. Phillips John N. Peterson. Sol Starr. A. F. Schmidt. J. Schubert. Chas. Stacey. Andrew Schlageter. Sam Schwartzwald. A. C. Tippie. Robert Waldchmidt. F. C. Wolcott. Will Brasch. John Walsh. Dan Walsh. Erhardt Brown. W. A. Ickes. John A. Cochran. Joe LaBelle. J. S. McClintock Thos. Walton. P. A. Gushurst. The officers, for the year 1912 as elected are: President: Kirk G. Phillips. Secretary: Julius Deetken. Treasurer: Geo. V. Ayres. Historian: Sol Starr. Poet Laureate: J. W. McDonald. "Curley" Simmins, standard bearer for life. Vice Presidents by Counties: Lawrence Robert Waldschmidt. Fall River C. E. Stacey. Meade J. W. Ladd. Butte Leander LaChappelle. Custer F. Smith. Directors: J. Goldberg, Otto Grantz, J. W. McDonald, Emil Faust, J. Lawler. President Phillips, in his address recommended that a new statue be made for Wild Bill’s grave and that a monument be built where Preacher Smith was killed. This site was then just off the present Spearfish road, which was then the road to Crook city. Speaking about the matter he said, "There is a matter to which I would call your attention, that is the desecration of the statue of ‘Wild Bill.’ This statue has been so badly mutilated by vandals in the form of souvenir seekers that its appearance is unpleasant to the eye. I would suggest that some action be taken to bring the offenders to justice. And if it is possible to do so, I would suggest that this statue be repaired or replaced. It was lucky for those that committed this outrage that Bill was dead. I also have another suggestion for your consideration, which is the placing of a monument on the spot where our Pioneer Preacher Smith was killed by Indians on the Crook City road. The new road recently constructed by the county, passes within a few feet of the spot where Preacher Smith was killed, and I think a monument should be placed there in remembrance of that good, unselfish man, who six days a week, was engaged at hard manual labor, and on the Sabbath, devoted his best efforts to the uplifting in a spiritual way of his fellow men. Hero, indeed he was. Well we remember him with a goods box in front of him on Main street, Deadwood, exhorting all to a righteous life. In the afternoon he would travel on foot to Crook City ten miles from Deadwood, armed only with his Bible under his arm, to preach to the miners and teamsters who made that point their stopping place; then after his services at that place he would again journey back to Deadwood. Then, next morning, he would go to a place above Lead, where a ditch was being constructed, ready for his manual work."