Sheridan mining camp was once called Golden City of Pennington County, South Dakota. The mining camp was established in 1875 after the discovery of gold ores in the area. Sheridan mining camp was later deserted and the camp is currently under Sheridan Lake.

History of the mining camp

In the Black Hills, gold ores were discovered and a mining camp was established called Golden City before it was later renamed Sheridan Mining Camp. The camp was established in 1875 having been the third oldest mining camp in the Black Hills. Some of the other existing mines around the Black Hills were the Queen Bee, Blue Lead, and Calumet. The mines were so rich that gold worth more than 2900 US dollars were extracted from this camp the same year it was established.  

The camp welcomed several residents who were lured by the mining activities in the town. Stores, residential houses, and a stage line were some of the social amenities of the small town. The stage line increased the growth rate of the town as it connected the mining camp and other towns like Deadwood to Denver. The name of the town was changed from Golden City to Sheridan in honor of the US Army General Phillip Sheridan. The town was later made a temporary county seat of Pennington County. Citizens of Pennington County built a courthouse and within the same year, the first term was held in 1877. 

Decline and desertion of Sheridan mining camp

The circuit court was moved to Deadwood before the end of the 19th century leading to the change of the stage line. The county seat moved to Rapid City in 1878 causing the residents in the city to lose morale of living in the city. Due to this, most of the residents relocated with the relocated courthouse and government offices. The rest were left wondering where to go. In the midst of the 1880s, the unfortunate happened when a fire outbreak devoured the town, almost leveling it to the ground. This prompted the remaining residents to desert the town since they had nothing else of value at Sheridan. By the 1920s the population of the camp had decreased to less than 10 residents.  After the damage of the fire on the buildings, the one-story house which was moved some miles to the south was left standing. The inevitable happened and Sheridan camp became a ghost town in 1939 when the Spring Greek was built that dammed the entire place. The damming of the Greeks resulted in the establishment of Sheridan Lake. The campsite was submerged in the water. Today the tip of the roofs is visible when the water resides once a year. The area is public property and is safe for tours on any given day.