The Custer Expedition of 1874 Ignited Interest in the Black Hills

An economic crash in 1873 affected the entire nation. The government, pressured to boost the economy, needed to explore new land. Open land for settlement and rich resources would create markets and new jobs.
George A. Custer and his expedition entered the Black Hills in 1874. The government ordered his group to map the region and locate a future site for a military post. An underlying goal was to confirm the presence of gold.

It Was a Force Unlike Any Other
Article 2 of the Fort Laramie Treaty allowed government officers and agents onto reservation lands. With this in mind, the government planned its exploration of the Black Hills. Custer's Expedition was the largest military force of its time, consisting of more than 1000 men (including over 50 Indian scouts), 1900 horses and mules, 300 beef cattle, and 110 supply wagons.
The Black Hills Would Never Be the Same
The expedition found gold in French Creek near this location. Even though the findings were meager, national news inflated the alleged riches in the Black Hills. The nation's interest in the area ignited a fevered pitch beyond belief. In essence, the media fueled a thrilled panic, which became one of the most famed gold rushes in American history.



"There is no greed like that for gold, and there is



always danger of hasty and precipitate action under the stimulus of an excitement which urges the settler to fields like them. Men should reflect well before they move in such a matter, and weigh well the chances, the hardships, and the possibilities of failure."
The Daily Inter Ocean / Chicago, Illinois, August 1874

"The Black Hills region... as it is supposed to be rich in minerals and lumber, it is deemed important to have it freed an early as possible from Indian occupancy."
Charlie Collins · Editor / Sioux City Times, August 1874

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Show me all markers in:  Custer, SD  |  Custer County  |  57730  |  South Dakota  |  United States of America

An Agreement Between Cultures
Prospectors in Search of Gold
A Legacy of Debate
Anna Donna Tallent
Campsite of General Custer's Expedition
Stockade Lake Bridge
Miners Meet 1875
Frontier Protection
Horace N. Ross
Custer County Courthouse

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