History of Dakota Territory, volume III, Part 3

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1146

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Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Pierre clays

7,789,824

3. Miscellaneous-

Spearfish loam

200,448

Soils from Unconsolidated Calcareous Deposits :

I. Rosebud Series-

Rosebud fine sandy loam.

599,040

Rosebud silt loam

2,626,560

Rosebud silty clay loam and clay

. .

205,056

2. Miscellaneous --

Hermosa loam

. .

119,808

Bad Lands (a)

. .

100

935,424

Bad Lands Basins (b)

. .

292,608

Aeolian Soils :

I. Dunesand

656,640

2. Gannett fine sand

100

. .

57,600

3. Smithwick sandy loam

69,120

Soils of the Gravel Terraces :

I. Cheyenne Series-

Cheyenne loams

311,040

Alluvial Soils :

I. Wade Series-

Wade fine sandy loam.

100

. .

223,488

Wade loam

100

. .

235,008

Wade clay loam and clay

100

78.336

2. Miscellaneous-

Orman clay

100

. .

327,168

Tripp silt loam.

100

. .

99,072

Undifferentiated alluvial soils

100

. .

663,552

Rough Stony Land and Uncertain Soils.

2,004,480

Total

26,496,000

Hilly

Rolling

and

Soils from Sandstones and Shales :

Percent. Percent.

(a) Are derived in part from sandstones and shales.

(b) This is much dissected by deep, narrow erosions, although the general surface is nearly level.

SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE

agriculturalist has learned to value highly. But the semi-arid regions west of the Missouri do not have their due proportion of humus or organic matter and hence do not as a rule contain as much essential plant food as do the sections of the state east of the Missouri. Still the western lands generally contain enough humus to warrant crops from fair to excellent in many portions, particularly where the land is nearly level either on the uplands or along the streams.

In this state where the soils have been formed from many strata or rocks possessing widely different composition, all will be found to vary accordingly. They have therefore been classified through a knowledge of the underlying. formations from which they were derived, as follows: (1) Soils formed from sandstones and shales; (2) soils formed from unconsolidated or loosely con- solidated, light-colored calcareous deposits; (3) soils of aeolian origin ; (4) soils of the gravel terraces; (5) soils of alluvial origin; (6) soils derived from crystal- line rocks; (7) soils formed from limestone. These soils are described more in detail in the preceding table, which will be readily understood.

The Morton fine loam has an average depth of about ten inches and consists of a light-brown fine sandy loam, there being more sand present in places than in others. On the crests of the ridges it is lighter than on the sides. The subsoil is usually a light brown or gray fine sandy loam usually lighter in color and heavier than the surface soil; it varies from three to six feet deep. This member is derived from the light-brown or gray sandstones of the Laramie group. It is found mainly in the northwestern part of the state. It may be seen nearly to the Missouri, and on the divide between Grand and Moreau rivers. Other small patches are here and there. This is fair farming soil and may be depended upon if the moisture be sufficient for profitable crops. Root, grain and grass crops do well if the moisture is sufficient. The Morton loams are intermediate between the fine sandy loams and the clay loams and clays. It is common in Harding, Perkins and Meade counties and is seen here and there in east Pennington and west Stanley counties. It supports buffalo and grama and other native grasses. Morton loams are very productive and have been eagerly sought by home- steaders. Vegetables and grains, including corn, do well. The Morton clay is not so good for cultivation. It is sticky; it puddles and cracks when drying, and does not furnish a suitable seed-bed. It is found in but a few small spots in the state. Wild grasses do well on this soil. If managed properly it will grow the grain and tame grasses, especially pasture grasses. The Morton gumbo soil has from one to three or four inches of fine sandy loam, silt loam or light clay loam and a subsoil of fine sandy loam to a heavy sticky clay which sometimes occurs in layers. It is probable that this gumbo soil was caused by the alkali which was either present in the rocks or had accumulated by means of seepage. As will be seen from the table this gumbo has a considerable area. Large patches are in Meade and Perkins counties and on many the wild grasses grow while others are wholly unproductive. The Morton gumbo is unsatisfactory for agri- cultural purposes owing to the alkali, the puddling and its influence on adjoining lands.

Next south of the Morton soils comes the Pierre series of soils-gray to black heavy clayey shales. The surface soil is yellow-brown and under it is a heavy subsoil. All is derived from the Pierre and Graneros shales. The series varies from a loam to a heavy clay. The Pierre texture is that of loam, rather high in Vol. III-2

SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE

silt, or a heavy silt loam, although this varies from a loose friable loam through a silt loam to a silty clay loam, possessing some of the sticky nature of the Pierre clay or gumbo. Considerable organic matter is mingled with this soil. From six to twelve inches deeper a lighter-colored, heavier material is encountered; it breaks up into cubes. It is a heavy silty clay loam varying to silty clay. From three to six feet down it merges into gray or slate-colored shales. Near Belle Fourche the surface soil of this series is a brown loam often tinged with red dish iron stains. On all the Pierre and Morton soils bare spots upon which noth- ing grows occur. There are other phases of this soil in places here and there west of the Missouri. There is considerable of this soil in the state, as will be seen from the table. In general these soils are very desirable for farming, being among the best in West South Dakota, though only a small per cent has been placed under cultivation. While the heavier areas are somewhat sticky and require careful handling to secure a good seed-bed, the greater portion can be cultivated without much difficulty. They retain moisture well and insure good crops if this is properly conserved. Corn, wheat and oats do well on this soil, which is covered with native grasses in the native state. The Pierre clays are called gumbo owing to their heavy, sticky nature, and range from a silty clay through a silty clay to a heavy clay ; color yellowish-brown to dark brown with variations. The subsoil, down from six to ten inches, is a silty clay to heavy clay of a gray to yellowish-brown color verging to black. Lime spots often occur. Soft shale usually occurs down from three to six feet. This soil cracks very much upon drying and thus opens the subsoil and enables the farmer to get a better seed-bed. It occurs in many spots or tracts over this part of the state. Stanley and Lyman counties are largely composed of this soil-mainly of the silty clay loam and silty clay, with large tracts of the heavier clay or gumbo. The Pierre clays come from the Pierre and Graneros shales, mainly the latter, and are the most extensively developed soils in West South Dakota. They cover almost the entire east central part of the state west of the Missouri; in fact the country for many miles west of the Missouri consists almost wholly of these so-called gumbo soils. Nearly all of Stanley and Lyman counties, north Gregory and Tripp counties and the southern and eastern parts of the Cheyenne reserva- tion are occupied by these heavy formations. Northeast of Belle Fourche is a large tract ; another is in Fall River County. The Pierre clay tracts are mainly devoted to grass, pasture and hay ; the principal grass is the western wheat-grass, which does well generally on this soil. Where there is more silt the grama and buffalo grasses abound mixed with the wheat-grass, the latter yielding hay. Where this grass is very scanty the soil is liable to be too heavy and tenacious for satisfactory tillage. Where the grass is heavy, with much grama and buffalo, the soil is more desirable for cultivation. The Pierre clays are strong soils, but their sticky nature makes them less easy to cultivate than those with more silt. If plowed when too wet they break into hard clods which resist pulverization ; they become too hard to cultivate if allowed to get dry. They hold moisture well, but require mulching. If cultivated at the right time they break into small granules which form a satisfactory dust mulch. If tilled properly the gumbo becomes surprisingly mellow, especially if there be present a fair supply of humus. Thus, where the conditions are right and can be so maintained, good crops of corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley, flax and emmer or speltz can be and are grown.

SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE

Much of the odium cast upon these soils is due to the farmer's not knowing how to manage them. The very heaviest will no doubt be left to pasture, but the great bulk will in time yield profitable returns to the husbandman who learns how to use them. Many farmers who have come here from the East and farther south and who have tried to put their old practices in operation, have failed, not because the soil and climate are not right, but because the conditions are different, soil new and peculiar and rainfall much smaller. The Govern- meni experiment station at Belle Fourche is on this gumbo soil, and the results there show that the soil is good for agriculture if managed wisely. The soil needs greater tillage at just the right time and under the best conditions; then the results are certain and satisfactory though the cost is greater. There are in the United States over seven hundred different kinds of soil, and when a farmer jumps from one to another widely different and tries to put his old practices in operation, he is certain to meet rebuff at first or until he masters the new soils and environments.

The Spearfish loam is a red soil that encircles the Black Hills; it is silty loam with much sand in the finer grades; occasionally it is almost black from the inclusion of organic matter-humus. Below are beds of gypsum, the depth of which determines the value of the surface soil for purposes of agriculture. There are considerable tracts where the surface soil is not deep enough to sup- port crops. The soil contains a large percentage of silt and fine sand and comes from the Spearfish formation of the triassic period. It is confined to the Black Hills and may be seen in Spearfish Valley, in Centennial Flat, in Martin Valley and in other smaller strips. Much of this soil is benefited by irrigation. Where deep enough and other conditions are correct, this is one of the most productive farming soils in the state. Its texture and natural fertility adapt it to a wide range of vegetation. It is excellent for fruit and truck crops. Corn, alfalfa, potatoes and the small grains do well here. All crops of this climate are suc- cessful on this soil.

The Rosebud soils are the lighter colored Tertiary deposits and consist of dark gray or brown surface soils with light-colored, almost white, very cal- careous subsoils. The silt loam predominates. The Rosebud fine sandy loam is deep and is dark gray to brown loamy fine sand to fine sandy loam, often with much silt. It is derived from the Arikaree formation, and is found mainly in Tripp, Todd and Gregory counties and along Little White River in the Pine Ridge Reservation. Wild grass grows on it with profusion-sand grass, needle- grass and blue joint. Crops do well providing organic matter is supplied. As a whole the soil is very sandy, as will be seen from the table. Compost is neces- sary. The Rosebud silt loam is very silty, containing from fifty-five to sixty-two per cent of that material. The color is a light ashy gray to a dark brown, depending on the organic matter involved. The subsoil is a light or brown silty loam. It is loose and friable and is easily tilled. Its tendency to wash or erode must be guarded against. The Bad Lands represent a body eroded tract that was once covered with the Rosebud silt loam. This soil comes from the White River beds and the Arikaree formation. It covers the greater part of the Pine Ridge Reservation east and south of White River. Here it is broken only by the Bad Lands along the river and the Dunesand along the southern border. It is also found west of White River and in Tripp, Todd and Gregory counties,

SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE

and elsewhere. This soil supports vegetation well. Except in eroded spots the entire surface in a native state is covered with wild grasses, blue grama usually predominating. Wheat grass does well, but not as well as on the Pierre series. On the hill slopes and in the sheltered valleys pine and cedar groves appear. Much of this area is held by the Indians and used for grazing. Where tested this soil has produced abundant crops when the conditions were suitable. Wheat, oats, corn, flax, rye, barley and emmer do well. Apples, plums, grapes and cherries are grown satisfactorily. Potatoes and other vegetables flourish. But suitable moisture is all important and is not always present. The Rosebud silty clay loam and clay consists of six to twelve inches of brown or grayish- brown heavy silty loam to silty clay loams with a subsoil of heavy silty clay loam or silty clay. Where the heavy clayey stratum comes to the surface the soil is sticky when wet and cracks widely upon drying, resembling the Pierre clays or gumbo, and the term "white gumbo" is often applied to the lighter colored material. They contain a large percentage of clay, silt and very fine sand. They are confined to the country from Wall south and east to Kadoka. Grass, par- ticularly the pasture or grazing varieties, grow vigorously on this soil. Wheat grass grows well on the clay type. Wheat, oats and corn do well on the silty clay loam, but not so well on the clay.

Many tracts all over the northwestern states are called "bad lands," but the most distinctive area is in South Dakota in the Laramie formation in the north- western part and in the White River group in the southwestern part. These lands were produced by the rapid erosion of soft rocks, the silty soils and the underlying soft silty shales melting away before the swiftly flowing streams. The soil varies. In the Big Band Lands it is Rosebud silt loam. Here and there Pierre shale and clays show up. On the Little Missouri are areas of Morton silt loam and fine sandy loam. The Big Bad Lands are between the White and Cheyenne rivers and Cedar and Cottonwood creeks and cover several townships. Other small tracts are found. The Bad Lands are adapted to graz- ing and in part to forestry. While much of the surface is bare of vegetation, the tops of the buttes, the filled-in valleys and the arrested slopes are usually covered with buffalo, grama and other grasses. Sage brush, weeds and shrubs grow on the lower flats. Cedar grows in the valleys and pine on the buttes. As will be seen from the table the Band Lands cover a large area which will never be very valuable for agricultural purposes, but will be good for grazing and forestry. The Bad Lands basins have a soil that varies from a silt loam to a heavy clay, the larger portion being yellow silty clay. Other varieties are found. The basins represent areas where erosion has been checked on a common level; here they have become covered with the material washed down from the higher lands. They appear as strips along valleys and at the foot of Bad Land walls. The largest area extends from near Kadoka almost to Cheyenne River. These basins are excellent for pasture and good for general farming. Wheat, oats and corn succeed. Generally these basins are best for mixed farming.

The Hermosa loam varies in texture, though in general the soil is a dark brown heavy loam with an average depth of about fourteen inches. The sub- soil is a lighter colored loam. Both soils have a large percentage of clay, silt and very fine sand (see table). They are derived from the weathering of the Tertiary rocks, consisting of calcareous sandstones and conglomerates washed

SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE

down from the Black Hills. The principal tract extends from Rapid Creek to Lame Johnny Creek between the Black Hills and the Cheyenne River. This loam is good farming land. It holds moisture quite well and is not as difficult to cultivate as are the gumbo soils. All small grains do well. Corn and potatoes succeed.

The Aeolian soils have been formed almost wholly from the action of the winds and are mostly sand with considerable silt and clay intermingled here and there. Not much can be done with them for farming purposes. On the Dune- sand are found sand grass and blue joint. Weeds and wild roses flourish and yucca abounds. Here are found good grazing lands. On the tracts where silt and clay are found corn, potatoes, oats, etc., are grown. The Southwick sandy loam is from eight to twelve inches deep and is a brown sandy loam, and the subsoil is twenty-four to thirty inches below and is a loamy sand. This soil is better for agriculture than the Dunesand. Sand of all grades predominates. This soil also is derived from wind agencies. A large tract lies west of South- wick, south of the Cheyenne River and west of the Northwestern Railroad. Nearly all of this soil has been taken up by homesteaders. About all farm crops do well here. This sandy loam is excellent for garden truck, melons, potatoes, etc. It is too sandy to withstand severe drouths. Mulches aid the retention of moisture. The Gannet fine sand is a name applied to the soils of the obstructed valleys and flats among the sand hills; it has no uniform composition, but gen- erally is a dark loamy sand containing considerable humus. These soils are used for hay meadows, for which they are well adapted. Sections containing silt and clay are good for general farming. Corn, oats and potatoes do well.

The soils of the Cheyenne Gravel Terraces are composed of materials brought down by streams from the Black Hills and are derived from a great variety of rocks. They have brown surface colorization and light brown subsoils, which are beds of sand and gravel. The texture is sandy loam to loam and sometimes clay loam. The loam proper is extensively developed. The Cheyenne type consists of brown loam to silty loam underlain with a heavier loam. The per- centage of silt and clay is large. Course sand and fine gravel make the soil gritty. The principal tract is in Stanley County. The Cheyenne loams are valued highly for farming. Wheat, corn, oats, rye and potatoes are grown extensively. Where the sand is abundant truck crops and melons do well. Native grasses abound. Good drinking water is obtained at a depth of from twenty-five to forty feet, an important fact.

The Alluvial soils are of recent stream deposition and compose the bottom lands of this area. They show great diversity in composition owing to their widely different sources of origin. When derived from the Morton soils they are called Wade series; when derived from the Pierre soils the Orman clay is the result; and when derived from the Rosebud silt loam the Tripp silt loam is obtained. The Wade series show all types from sand to clay. The sandy loam is used for pasture, sand grass being the principal forage. It is productive and well suited to agriculture-wheat, corn and oats. Care must be used to con- serve the moisture. The loam is easy to cultivate, retains its moisture well, is favorably situated for irrigation and is very productive. It is one of the best soils in West South Dakota. There is a large tract around Harding and along the Little Missouri River. The clay loam and clay are heavy soils well adapted

SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE

to the production of various grasses and forage crops, but are difficult to till and cultivate.

The Orman clay is found mainly along Owl and Indian creeks near Belle Fourche. It closely resembles the Pierre clay. It is a grayish-brown to dark brown silty clay to pure clay and has a heavy clay subsoil. It is sticky when wet, and is often classed with gumbo. In drying the surface cracks, and if stirred when wet hard clods form and resist agricultural processes. This soil is good for pasture, but not so good for cultivation. Grass is scarce and cactus and sagebush abound. When irrigated, as at Belle Fourche, this soil shows vast changes. Much alkali is found, particularly down past eighteen inches, and irri- gation brings these salts to the surface to the detriment of crops. This alkali must be evaded if agriculture is to be successful.

The Tripp silt loam often contains considerable sand, but is mainly composed of silt. It is found in the bottoms of White and Little White rivers. Native grasses and elm, ash, willow and cottonwood grow in this soil. Generally, crops do well-corn, wheat, oats, potatoes and other vegetables produce large crops. This soil would give excellent results under irrigation. The water of the rivers would be excellent for this purpose and could easily be impounded.

The undifferentiated alluvial soils show great variation in color, texture and constituents. They are usually dark brown in color and contain much organic matter. One of the soils is the Vale fine sandy loam, often with a subsoil of clay loam. Dry farming and irrigation farming are practiced with this soil; good crops are the result. When the rainfall is deficient the dry farm crops yield but little more than the seed. Much of this soil is now under irrigation from the Redwater Canal and immense crops are produced-alfalfa from 5 to 7 tons per acre at three cuttings, oats 60 to 70 bushels and wheat 25 to 30 bushels. Fruit succeeds on this soil. Nearly all the valleys of the Black Hills district are adapted to farming where the moisture is sufficient. Generally, the soil in the Cheyenne and White River Valleys is good for farming. Owing to the abrupt topography and to the rocks, much of the Black Hills can never be used for farming. Tracts under cultivation there are numerous.

CHAPTER II

MINING OPERATIONS

Gold was known to exist in the Black Hills when Spanish adventurers from .Mexico first began to invade what is now known as the states of Arizona and New Mexico. The expedition of Coronado, which first crushed the Indians to the northward, crossed Texas, Oklahoma and part of Kansas, in search of this gold field, alluring reports of which had reached the Spanish conquerors of the "Land of the Montezumas." The expedition, being doubtful of results and encountering violent opposition from the natives, turned back disappointed when about half way across Kansas. No doubt at a later date the early French and Spanish trappers, fur traders and explorers from down the Missouri and Mis- sissippi rivers learned about the gold of the Hills when prospecting on the head- waters of the former stream. Again in the '6os gold was found there by white settlers from the eastern, middle and western states. In 1875 the first definite and reliable discoveries were made, and no sooner were the facts known along the Mississippi and farther to the eastward than scores of hardy, fearless and determined men poured in a flood westward despite the Indians and regardless of the law. All of this is described elsewhere. But the actual discoveries that thrill the heart, the stakes and strikes, the contests over rich outcrops and leads, the skirmishes with the Indians and the contests with the troops sent to remove them, the wild, daredevil and lawless proceedings that attended every step of progress, have never been told and never will be, because unobtainable. How- ever, a few striking events have been preserved.

In the spring of 1876 Mose Manuel and his brother, Fred Manuel, while prospecting found a quantity of rich float near where the Town of Lead is now located. This was the first discovery, so far as known, of the greatest gold bearing lode known to the world. At the time of the discovery snow was still deep on the ground and in spite of their best efforts, they could not follow the track of the float. As soon as the snow had melted Mose wanted to start out again and search for the lode, but his brother objected. . However, Mose insisted and at last found the rich lode on the side hill. He turned to his brother and with tears in his eyes, said: "Hank, this is surely a homestake." This term was then in common use and merely meant enough money to take a fellow where he wanted to go back to the states. The mine thus came to be called the Homestake. In 1905 Mose Manuel died, but his discovery will live forever and will benefit millions of people throughout all the future.

The gold in the Hills is found in six different associations: (1) Veins of ferruginous quartz; (2) strata of slate mineralized and altered by action of water; (3) in conglomerate forming the layer of Potadam sandstone; (4) in Trachyte porphyry; (5) in deposits of slate and rocks; (6) in placer gravels

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History of Dakota Territory, volume III, Part 3

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920 Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1146

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1146