Myers City, South Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Myers City, South Dakota
Myersville
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 Myers City, South Dakota
Location in South Dakota
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Pennington |
| Named for | John Myers |
| Elevation | 5,732 ft (1,747 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain Time Zone (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
Myers City, also known as Myersville, is a ghost town located in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. A ghost town is a place where most people have left, leaving behind empty buildings.
Contents
About the Name
Myers City was named after John Myers. He was an important local miner and also worked with lumber.
History of Myers City
Myers City began as a mining town. It was close to the Cochrane Mine, which was found in 1878. Frank Cochrane discovered this mine.
Early Mining Operations
Cochrane sold his mining claims to the Alta Lodi Mining Company. In January 1880, the company built a large 40-stamp mill. A stamp mill was a machine that crushed rocks to get out valuable minerals. This mill started working in the summer of 1880. A special tramway connected the mine to the mill.
In 1884, the Alta Lodi mill closed for cleaning and repairs. However, it never opened again. Later, the mill was moved to a nearby town called Lookout.
Life in the Town
In 1880, the town had 103 people living there. By 1883, about 150 people called Myers City home. At its busiest, the town had around 200 residents.
A famous preacher named Reverend Rumney is buried in the town's cemetery. He was known for giving a sermon in a Deadwood establishment.
Myers City never had its own post office. It also did not have any saloons. Most residents traveled to Custer or Rochford for mail or drinks.
Later Mining Efforts
From 1892 to 1917, a man named James Cochran worked five mining claims in the area. He used a 16-ton Huntington mill to process the ore. In 1902, Cochran sold his claims. However, he soon got the property back.
After Cochran passed away in 1930, his son-in-law and grandson continued the mining work. They built a new mill between 1931 and 1936. The last time anyone worked in the area was briefly in 1936. Today, some old buildings from Myers City are still standing.
Where is Myers City?
Myers City is located in the Black Hills of Pennington County. Its exact location is 44°06′12″N 103°44′21″W / 44.1033164°N 103.7390858°W. It is about 2.5 miles southwest of Rochford.
