D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Spearfish Fisheries Center
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The Von Bayer Museum at the Spearfish Fisheries Center.
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 Location in South Dakota
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| Nearest city | Spearfish, South Dakota |
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| Area | 10 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Built | 1896 |
| Visitation | 155,000 (2012) |
| NRHP reference No. | 78003438 |
| Added to NRHP | May 19, 1978 |
The D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives is a special place in Spearfish, South Dakota. It's one of the oldest fish hatcheries in the United States. It opened in 1896 to help put trout into rivers and streams. These fish were for the Black Hills area of South Dakota and Wyoming.
Today, the hatchery still raises and releases thousands of rainbow trout every year. It also keeps important old records and items about fish farming. This makes it a unique archive for fish history. The hatchery is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
What You Can See at the Hatchery
The D.C. Booth Hatchery has many cool buildings and exhibits to explore. You can learn about how fish were raised long ago and how they are cared for now.
The Von Bayer Museum
The Von Bayer Museum of Fish Culture is inside the original hatchery building from 1899. This museum holds over 185,000 items related to fish farming. It's the biggest collection of its kind in the country! Only a few items are on display, but they show how fish culture has changed over time.
Booth House: A Historic Home
The Booth House was built in 1905 by D.C. Booth, the hatchery's first superintendent. It was his family home. This wooden house sits on a strong sandstone base. You can take tours of the house to see how people lived back then.
Fish Car No. 3: A Train on Wheels
Imagine moving fish by train! Fish Car No. 3 is a copy of a special railcar used before refrigeration was common. For about 66 years, ten cars like this one carried trout all over the Black Hills. It's a neat way to see how fish were transported.
The Ice House and Hall of Fame
Near the Fish Car is a replica of the 1899 ice house. Long ago, this building stored huge blocks of ice. The ice was used to keep fish and their eggs cold during transport. Now, it's the Fish Culture Hall of Fame. It honors people who made big changes in aquaculture, which is like farming fish.
The Yellowstone Boat
The Yellowstone Boat, also called U.S. Fisheries Boat #39, was used for special trips. Workers from the hatchery used it to collect trout eggs from Yellowstone National Park. This happened between 1901 and 1911. The boat has been fixed up and is now on display for visitors.
Visitor Center and Fish Ponds
The Pond Gift Shop and information center is in an old hatchery building. Here, you can see the main fish viewing area. There are even machines you can use to feed the fish! You can also go to an underwater viewing area to see the fish swimming below the surface.
Hiking Trails
If you like walking, there are two hiking trails that run along the edges of the hatchery site. They offer a nice way to see the area.
History of the Hatchery
The idea for a fish hatchery in the Black Hills started with a special law passed by Congress. Hector Von Bayer was sent to find the best place for it. He picked a spot called Ames Canyon, south of Spearfish. This land was owned by John Johnson, who sold it to join the Klondike Gold Rush.
H. A. Bush oversaw the building of the hatchery, with most of the work done by John Russell. A tough winter in 1898-1899 slowed things down. But by July 1899, the hatchery was finished. It opened as the Spearfish National Fish Hatchery in 1896. The complex had 17 ponds and a main building, all using fresh spring water.
Early Days and Challenges
In July 1899, 100,000 blackspotted trout eggs arrived. Dewitt Clinton Booth, the first superintendent, came from Colorado to manage the new hatchery. Just a few days after the eggs arrived, a sudden flash flood hit the area. All the eggs were washed away!
After the flood, Booth added two storm channels to stop future flooding. He and his team cleaned up the grounds. The main hatchery building could hold up to 2.5 million eggs in 48 troughs. Booth said the winters were "very favorable for incubation" of the eggs.
The first trout were released in April 1900. About 25,000 blackspotted trout and brook trout went into Little Spearfish Creek and Whitewood Creek. A year later, Loch Leven brown trout were stocked in Nemo. That fall, rainbow trout were put into Spearfish Creek and Iron Creek. Another flood in 1904 caused more damage. Booth then built ten-foot-high bulkheads to protect the hatchery. Booth built his home in 1905 and stayed at the hatchery for 34 years.
Closures and Reopening
The hatchery closed in 1983 because of budget cuts. Even though it was closed, visitors could still come. It reopened in 1989 as the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, named after its first superintendent. This happened after new groups partnered to help. The hatchery was updated again in 1995.
In 2013, there was news that the hatchery might close again due to funding issues. Many people, including local leaders, spoke out against this. Because of public support, the closure was stopped. The hatchery was allowed to keep operating.
Visitors and Local Impact
The D.C. Booth Hatchery is very important to the local area. A study in 2007 found that the hatchery brings in over $2 million for local businesses each year. About $1 million is spent in Spearfish by people who visit just because of the hatchery.
The Booth Society, a group that helps protect the hatchery, estimated that every dollar spent on the hatchery in 2011 brought $28 back to the local community. The hatchery welcomes about 155,000 visitors every year. It's a popular spot for both locals and tourists.
See also
- List of National Fish Hatcheries in the United States
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lawrence County, South Dakota
Images for kids
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The Von Bayer Museum, 20th century.
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The rainbow trout pond and visitor center
