If history isn’t recorded, it becomes lost. In the course of the life of a town, that means that a lot of history can vanish from one generation to the next, leaving only clues to the past. Exploring these clues can lead to a host of amazing stories, if one knows where to dig.

Sturgis was founded in 1878, and since then has been making its mark on the map. Today it is known internationally for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, but that hasn’t always been the case. Before there were motorcycles, there were cars, and horses. There was the wild west, and Germans who were a step away from being prisoners of war. And before all of that, there were various American Indian tribes that moved in and out of the area for centuries.

With such a diverse history, there also comes a host of mysteries and misconceptions. At times, there are stories we only get bits and pieces to, leaving us scratching our heads, while at other times there are multiple stories about one event or person that don’t quite square up.

Getting a full picture can be a difficulty, but chasing the pieces is enthralling.

The Personalities
Sturgis has been home to many incredible people. In this issue, we explore Charles Nolin, the pony mail carrier that was killed on his way to Deadwood. His impact is seen in a variety of places from giving name to Deadman’s Gulch to having a memorial along Junction.

In later issues we will explore other intriguing figures and the myths that surround them. Poker Alice is a quintessential gambler, but could she have been given her nickname because she was nosy; poking her nose into everyone’s business.

Then there is Annie Tallent, who is said to be the first white woman in the Black Hills, whose house continues to stand in town. But maybe it was Sarah Campbell who should hold the title, even though she was considered African American. Both have amazing stories just waiting to be told.

And we can’t forget about Grasshopper Jim, J.C. “Pappy” Hoel, or the Davenport family, all who have left their imprints on the local environment. Sturgis may be a small town, but it has larger than life figures.

Historical Sturgis
A part of the problem in exploring local history is that finding credible and easily accessible sources can be exceptionally difficult. Local newspapers can be an amazing resource, but digging through years and years worth of papers can be overwhelming. Digging through journals and the current books available isn’t something many of us have the time or ability to do.

With the internet, some sources are more easily accessible, but most only begin to touch the surface, and that’s if you can find them. The internet really is an ocean, and diving through it to find what you’re looking for can often be a monumental task.

Along with this magazine, we are also launching a couple of online resources that we believe will be a benefit to the community. Among those is www.HistoricalSturgis.com which we are developing as somewhat of an online encyclopedia when it comes to local history.

We began working on this project a year ago, and it stemmed from a simple event. Walking through downtown Sturgis, we noticed that there was a lot of possible history. We just didn’t know what it was. There were buildings that were more than a hundred years old, which certainly told a story. But that story wasn’t being told. So we decided to create a guide that helps connect people with the history of Sturgis. A guide that allows you to walk through the city, and explore the history in a fun and exciting manner.

While some of those articles will feature in future issues of this magazine, we will also be updating the Historical Sturgis website on a regular basis in order to help tell the story of Sturgis a bit better.

Community Involvement
History is a community activity. We share stories with each other, and we tell tales of things we experienced growing up. We share memories, and by doing so, we also share history. Without that sharing and spreading of information, much of history can simply vanish or even become sterile.

Oral history is an important factor and any town’s history as it gives that history a personal aspect. But oral history can also be quite fragile, as when a person passes away, their stories go along with them. Capturing oral history can be said to be vital, which is why we want to hear from you, so we can help preserve your unique personal perspective of history.

There is more than just oral history that the community can add to this project. Many of us have documents, film, photos, or other artifacts that tell a piece of history, but has largely been forgotten. Over the years we have rescued thousands of images that share a snapshot in time, and help add to the past.

We want to partner with the community to bring these sorts of artifacts to life. Whether it be undeveloped film from years past, film negatives that need to be digitize, or photos and documents that need to be restored, we are here to help that part of history to come back into the light.

If you’d be interested in becoming involved in this project, we would love to hear from you. Send us an email at Dustin@WhiteCanvasArtCo.com, a call at (605) 389-6019 or just stop in at White Canvas Art Co. at 1060 Main Street here in Sturgis.

Preservation
Every day new history is made. The town of Sturgis is constantly changing, sometimes more noticeably than others. Buildings go up, they are remodeled, and at times they are destroyed.

Realizing this, part of our goal is not only to look at the distant history, but also preserve our current history. Over the next year, part of this project will include documenting what Sturgis looks like in 2019-2020, and showing how it has transformed over nearly a century and a half.

How are we going to do this? The first step is to take a series of photographs of buildings and structures in Sturgis. If you visit www.HistoricalSturgis.com, we have begun that process by photographing the buildings along Main Street. While we took those photos around a year ago, the way Main Street looks has already changed.

This images will be captured on film, as film allows for an extra level of archivability, so that future generations can look back and see what Sturgis was like.

We are also attempting to create a map of Sturgis that not only shows how Sturgis looks like today, but also dives into the past, and highlights what once was.

This is a project we are extremely excited about, and can’t wait to share it with the community. We hope that our work on local history, as well as this magazine, provide something that of importance in this community, and we look forward to working with you.

If there is a historical story that you would like covered, let us know and we would be happy to start digging.