Deadwood and Lead
Gold was discovered in the Black Hills in the 1870s, and Deadwood grew as a rough mining camp. Nearby Lead became the home of the Homestake Mine, which operated for well over a century and was among the largest and deepest gold mines in North America. Real photos of Deadwood's Main Street, the Homestake works, miners and mining camps are among the most collected South Dakota cards.
The Black Hills
Beyond mining, the Black Hills had small towns, sawmills, railroads, resorts such as Hot Springs, and later tourist attractions. Early real photos of towns, railroads and resorts are more interesting than later chrome scenic cards.
Mount Rushmore
Carving of Mount Rushmore began in 1927 and continued until 1941. Postcards of the work in progress, showing scaffolding and partly finished faces, are collected by many people. Cards of the finished monument are very common.
Homesteads and prairie towns
Eastern South Dakota filled with settlers in the 1880s, and the West River country beyond the Missouri was opened to homesteading in the early 1900s. Families posed in front of claim shacks and sod houses, and new towns grew along the railroads. Real photos of homesteads, main streets, depots and elevators are what most South Dakota collectors seek.
The Corn Palace
Mitchell's Corn Palace, decorated each year with murals made of corn and grain, has been rebuilt several times since 1892. Early cards of the palace and its changing designs are collected, and real photos of festivals there are popular.
Ranches and the West River
Cattle ranching spread across western South Dakota, and real photos of roundups, cowboys and ranch towns are popular with Western collectors.
Places and subjects to look for
- Deadwood and Lead: Main Street, the Homestake Mine and miners.
- The Black Hills: Rapid City, Hot Springs, Keystone and mining camps.
- Mount Rushmore: construction views from 1927 to 1941.
- Eastern South Dakota: Sioux Falls, Mitchell and prairie towns.
- The West River: homesteads, ranch towns and the Badlands.
- Pierre: the capitol and the Missouri River.
Native American subjects
South Dakota is home to several Lakota and Dakota reservations, and early postcards show people, gatherings and agency towns. Cards with identified people, places and photographers are historically important; some printed cards of the era reflect the stereotypes of their time and are studied as records of how Native people were portrayed.
Real photos versus printed views
Later Black Hills and Mount Rushmore tourist cards were printed in quantity. Real photos of mining, homesteads, small towns, ranches and early Corn Palaces carry most of the value in a South Dakota collection.
What is common
Chrome cards of the finished Mount Rushmore, Black Hills scenery, the Badlands and roadside attractions are plentiful.
Why South Dakota town cards are scarce
South Dakota had about 580,000 people in 1910, and many of its West River homestead towns grew quickly and shrank just as fast during the droughts that followed. Photographers made only small numbers of each view. Real photos of those towns may be the only images that survive, and local historians and families with homestead roots look for them.
Railroads and the Missouri
The Chicago and North Western and the Milwaukee Road pushed across South Dakota, and towns grew where they stopped. Real photos of depots and trains are collected, along with views of Missouri River ferries and bridges at Pierre and Chamberlain.
Questions about South Dakota postcards
Are Deadwood postcards valuable? Early real photos of Main Street, Lead and the Homestake Mine are among the more collectible South Dakota cards.
Are Mount Rushmore construction postcards collectible? Yes, views of the carving in progress are collected; finished-monument chromes are common.
Are South Dakota homestead postcards worth anything? Real photos of claim shacks and new towns are historically significant.
Do you buy collections with South Dakota cards? Yes, complete collections, by mail.