Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-02-17
SOME EARLY HISTORY
Supplied by Col. w. j. Thornby for Mrs.
Talents History of the Settle
lilent of the Klnck Hills.


ment of the lSlucl< Hills.
Col. w. j. Thornby has written quite
a complete history of the part he
played in the early settlement OF the
southern Black Hills, and particular
ly regarding the location and settle
ment of Hot Springs. We find that 1t
is impossible for us to reprint the en-
tire article in the STAR, and therefore
give the following somewhat condensed
report:
Mrs. Anna ID. Talent,
Sturgis. South Dakota
In compliance with your request for
some of the early history of Hot
Springs, Fall River county, South Da-
kota, for the work you are preparing
as a history of the Black Hills, will
state that am compelled to rely solely
upon my memory OF events as they
happened, as have no official records
at my hand for reference.
Some time during the month of June,
in the year 1879, Prof. Walter p. Jenney
came into the Pioneer Office, on Sher-
man street in Deadwood. while l was
at work upon the mailing list, and
asked for some eastern exchanges to
read. After he had looked the papers
over for IL few minutes he informed
me that he was Walter p. Jenney, who
had made the expedition through the
Black Hills with Prof. Henry Newton.
He became very much Interested when
he learned that was friend OF New
TOMS. and had been with him during
his last illness, at Speariish, i'll 1871.
He told me he WAS contemplating
trip to the southern Hills, to complete
some work that he had hurriedly run
over ON his expedition in 1879, and ln-
vited mo to accompany him.
Iaccepted the invitation, and short
lv afterwards we started on horseback.
We went 10y the way of Rapid City,
from there to Rockerville, which was a
booming placer camp then, and thence
to Sheridan. From Sheridan we went
to Hill City, and stopped mile south
of the town, on ranch owned by l.. b.
Reno,there being ngnoaccomomdations no in
town. Hill City was then a town of
log cabins, and almost abandoned.
The next day Prof. Jenney and L rode
to Custer. We started out again the
day after, and prospccted in the coun-
try to the southeast of Chimney Rock,
gong as far as the Point of Rocks,
where there was a hay ranch owned by
d. X. Snively, now prominent mer-
chant of Edgemont. From this point
we took an old Indian trail, along the
divide towards Buffalo Gap, for six OF
seven miles, keeping sharp lookout
for Indians, and passed within short
distance of the now famous Wind
Cave. We then took direct course
towards Battle Mountain, and first
reached what is now known as Fall
River, at point where the II. b. M
v. depot now stands. We watered oui
horses, staked them, took a bath, and
ate our lunches. After exploring fol
an hour or SO at that point we started
on horseback up the stream, and whel
we reached the point where the Evan'
hotel now stands, we found a prett!
brook flowing down what has sine
been graded up as Minnekahta avenue
It was warm day. We had beel
drinking the tepid water from tn
creek, and the sight of the bright
sparkling water of the brook wa
tempting. Prof. Jenney had q telescop
gutta percha drinking cup with him
and, dismounting, l asked him for tn
cup, saying would hand him some Q
the water, which looked SO fresh an
cool. To my surprise found it warm
er than the water of the creek. w
followed up this little stream to wher
<the Minnekahta bath house was after
wards built, and where the famou
spring boils out of the rock. At tina
time it was virgin spring, and 1 d
not think it had ever been disturbe
by human being, not excepting th
Indians. It was covered with fro
spawn, and was about six or seven fee
in diameter cleared away the fro
spawn. and tho professor and dippe
our hands in it. 1t seemed to me a
that time to be almost at the boilin
temperature, and much warmer tina
it is now. was very much taken wit
the spring, and with hatchet
chopped off the top of cedar tre
blazed it ON both sides, and wrote o
the tree, 81 claim this spring" Pro
Jenney prophesied that some day th
spring would be valuable. AT th
time the nearest habitation to th
spring was George Boland's ranch, {
Buffalo Gap, twelve miles distant. N
Il WAS about 3 o'clock when ~ II
this spring, now named the Mtnns11!
ia, and we took different su1sD hael
coming up what is callsa 91k Beoe
49, .<axs -n.t n q aS-s,s( -