Down Memory Lane

5 YEARS AGO, 2017

— Hill City’s newest attraction was an escape room called Breakout Hill City. The idea to have an escape room business in Hill City came from two brothers, Josh and Zach Schriner. Zach said they came up with the idea of an escape room attraction from going on family trips and enjoying various escape rooms. The business had two escape rooms. The first floor one had a detective office theme and the downstairs one emulated a special agent theme. The business prided itself on being the only escape room in the central Hills … The Hill City Evergreen Garden Club’s Flower Show continued to grow into an event with a bountiful amount of flowers and other plants. The theme for the show was “Music in the Garden” which was shown in many of the exhibits. Overall, there were 113 entries in the flower show. In correspondence to the theme, live music was added to the show, which might have influenced people to stay longer and stroll through all the flower exhibits.

 

10 YEARS AGO, 2012

— Smokey the Bear took a mini-vacation from his mascot duties and took a trip down to Jewel Cave — making him the first teddy bear to go 400 feet underground and visit the 160-mile long cave ... The areas around Hill City and Keystone were spared of major calamity with lightning igniting several fires confined to small acreages that had early containment. There was lightning-caused fire activity with the Triple R Ranch fire, the Ingersoll Peak fire, the Sohlt fire and two which burned in the Sheridan Lake area ... Cory Tomovick from the Hill City Area Arts Council presented to the city council three ideas for incorporating form and function in the city’s sidewalk repair project. The city received a $300,000 matching grant from the South Dakota Department of Transportation to improve the Main St. sidewalk and asked the arts council to be involved in the design aspect of it.

 

15 YEARS AGO, 2007 — A sudden hailstorm hit Hill City with a vengeance, leaving very few people unscathed. For about 15 to 20 minutes, tourists and local people could do little but watch buildings, windows and vehicles take a beating. Brenda Larson of Everything Prehistoric, downtown Hill City, said the noise was horrendous on their steel roof and when the storm subsided all 14 skylights were broken.

 

20 Years Ago, 2002  — Hundreds of tourists crowded Main Street three times a week to watch the “Wild West Shoot-out.”  After a sub-par tourist season in 2001 this year’s influx of tourism had some businesses seeing heights they had never seen. Some of the business owners were saying 2002 was the busiest they had seen Hill City ever … Former Keystone resident Anna Butts was in a car accident in Texas. She broke both legs and was in the hospital to have surgery for her injuries. She was riding with her daughter-in-law when a vehicle pulled in front of them.

 

25 Years ago, 1997  — Julie Keech, Hill City, Miss South Dakota Teen USA, was to participate in the 1997 Miss Teen USA Pageant which was to air on CBS at South Padre Island, Texas … Ed Gerken just completed publication of another book about Central Black Hills history titled, “Harney Peak Mining News of 1904.” Much of the text in the book was taken from turn-of-the-century Hill City newspapers.

 

30 Years ago, 1992  —The Central Black Hills got hit with hail and heavy rain for several hours, as an intense thunderstorm moved through. One local reported that his garden was totally destroyed by hail. Minor flooding occurred and gravel was washed over highways.  Reports were that 1.16 inches fell in the storm … John Geiman of Hill City was among a dozen South Dakota Army National Guard members who participated in a basic officer candidate school. It was held at Fort Meade and if all three phases were successfully completed, then John would be eligible for commission as a second lieutenant into South Dakota’s elite commissioned officers corps.

 

35 Years ago, 1987 — Dr. Jerry Loomer was in the Hill City school to talk to the summer school students about his experiences with NASA’s “Teacher in Space Program.” He told the students how the shuttle works and gave an idea of what space is like … Robert LeRoy Preble of Hill City was named to the Dean’s List at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, for the spring 1987 semester … Barbara K. Salway and Michael S. Jenson were married at the Chapel in the Hills. The bride’s parents were Mrs. Joyce Salway of Rapid City and Orville Salway, Sr. (Paha Ska) of Keystone. The groom’s parents were Mr. and Mrs. Norman Jensen of Rapid City.

 

40 YEARS AGO, 1982 —Neal Andrew Larson was born to Brenda and Neal Larson from Hill City. He weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 21 inches long … Navy Seaman Jodie O. Deegan, son of Roy and Hazel Deegan of Hill City, participated in the exercise “Cobra Gold.”  He was a crewmember aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Lynde McCormick, home ported in San Diego.

 

45 Years Ago, 1977  — Mr. and Mrs. George King were the parents of a newborn baby girl named Heather Marie. She weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces and joined sister Melissa … Mr. and Mrs. L.G. Bradfield attended a reunion of World War II army veterans at Park City, Utah. This was the first reunion in 32 years and between 80 and 90 men attended.

 

50 Years Ago, 1972  — Mrs. Ben Boschker reported that the raffle ticket sale for a hand crocheted tablecloth earned $163 for the flood victims in Keystone. The tablecloth was made by Mrs. Clarence Anderson and was won by Mrs. Leonard Spiers. The raffle was sponsored by the Hill City Garden Club … Mr. and Mrs. Jack King were the parents of a baby boy named Harth Delane, who weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces … Gov. and Mrs. Richard Kneip and family attended Mass at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and following mass they visited Father Dahms’home … There were 75 entries and two bands in the Heart of the Hills celebration parade. Even Mother Nature cooperated for this event.  Judges were Mrs. Jerry Sires of Florida, Mrs. Mildred McDonald of Mississippi, Mrs. Louis Anderson of Texas and Mrs. Hansard Manton and Bob Burden.