Putting Together the Pieces of a Puzzle

"Once history is gone, it's gone forever"

 

It’s a lot like putting together the pieces of a puzzle, digging into history, there are clues here and there and you must go digging for the right piece to complete the picture.

Forest Service Archaeologists, Engineers and HistoriCorps are working to fill in missing pieces on several structures throughout the Black Hills National Forest. Many questions need answers before they can move forward, such as, who constructed the structure, when were they built, what type of materials were used, and why were they built?

Several of the better-known historic structures on the Black Hills National Forest were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Some of these were well documented, but others remain a bit of a mystery.

In the Northern Black Hills sits the 2.8-acre Dalton Lake on Little Elk Creek. Between 1934-1937, the CCC constructed a dam, campground, sheltered picnic area, and other structures there. There was also, at one time, a ski slide, that has since fallen into disuse. Many CCC remnants remain in the area including two stone bridges and the sheltered picnic area, but unfortunately, when the 1972 flood happened, other remnants were washed away forever.

Archaeologists, Engineers and HistoriCorps, are working to preserve the pieces that remain here before they too disappear. On a recent visit, they teamed up to do an evaluation of the sheltered picnic area.

Built in 1936, the outside of the stone and wooden picnic structure is still sound. Part of the walls of the structure are buried in sediment that was carried in during the 1972 flood. The cedar shingles have moss growing on them with cracks of daylight starting to peak through the roof. The interior fireplace remains in good condition. It was capped at some point as the fire risk became too great of a danger with potential to burn down the structure. The floor is covered with great big slabs of stone, maybe dug up from nearby and the fireplace is cobbled with smooth stones, that look to be river rocks. The ceiling has some burn marks, possibly from a user starting a fire inside of the structure for cooking or warming and, unfortunately, as with so many of these unreplaceable places, there is also graffiti carved into some of the logs and some old staples stuck in the wood from attempts to hang up tarps or plastic sheeting from some time ago.

So, what’s next? Forest Engineers, Archeologists and HistoriCorps are working together to uncover what materials and tools will be needed to preserve this special structure while keeping its historical characteristics accurate and intact. Through analysis and by diving into archives, they are working to decipher the appropriate resources to use. What kind of grout was used, what species of trees are the posts made of, where did the rock come from, and what tools did the CCC use when constructing these buildings?

These types of projects cost money and they are not always a priority with other pressing projects happening across the Forest. That’s one reason HistoriCorps is such an important partner. This 501(c)(3) non-profit organization funded by a combination of fee-for-service, grants, sponsorships, and donations provides volunteers and labor to help “save important, historic places for public benefit.”

After cost estimates are completed, Forest Engineers will submit a work package and Forest Archaeologists will continue to work with HistoriCorps and the SD State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to finalize a plan. As it is finalized, the goal is to begin preservation work with volunteers from HistoriCorps and the Black Hills National Forest towards the end of summer 2024.