As Father’s Day approaches (it’s June 16, 2024, for those of you who still need to get a card), we’re pondering how paternal roles are intertwined with the history of Deadwood, where the pioneering spirit of prospectors still lingers.
To honor that spirit and its continued legacy, this month’s featured prospectors are three men representing the hard-working male heritage that helped shape this area: Jackson Lamb, Martin Spriggs, and Pat Dillon.
Jackson Lamb, Martin Spriggs, and Pat Dillon, are pictured panning for gold in Deadwood Gulch, c. 1880s. (Photo courtesy of Deadwood History, Inc., Adams Museum Collection.)
To honor that spirit and its continued legacy, this month’s featured prospectors are three men representing the hard-working male heritage that helped shape this area: Jackson Lamb, Martin Spriggs, and Pat Dillon.
These men appear on a well-preserved postcard in a photo that shows them panning for gold in Deadwood Gulch in the 1880s. (Even though the postcard says the photo was taken in 1876, Lamb’s great-granddaughter wrote that he didn’t come to the Black Hills until 1880.) Lamb and the others took up what is known as “placer mining,” aka panning for gold, which uses water to separate gold from sand or rock. It’s usually practiced along streams and creek beds. Lamb’s great-granddaughter said he mined near Rockerville; not much else is known about the three prospectors. You can read more about men like this at the Adams Museum in Deadwood.
In collaboration with Deadwood History Inc., we are featuring a prospector every month this year. First Gold Gaming is named due to the proximity of where gold was initially struck in Deadwood. Featuring the miners who formed this region is a way for us to connect with our local culture.
Just as prospectors once navigated the challenges of the Gold Rush, fathers everywhere exhibit resilience and determination. On Father’s Day, we honor our own fathers and pay homage to the legacy of early prospectors who shaped the community. On this special day, we reflect on the values passed down through generations, including the spirit of exploration and hard work that defined both the prospectors and the fathers who continue contributing to Deadwood’s rich tapestry.
Why not treat the special dads in your life to a weekend away? Spend the weekend listening to live music with our all-inclusive Concert Getaways package. Or enjoy our Father’s Day special at the Horseshoe Restaurant, where you can get 25% off any dinner and two free drinks from 11am to 8pm on June 16, 2024.
No matter what day it is, you can also enter our free Getaway-Giveaway contest, where winners receive two nights’ stay in our hotel, two dinner entrees in the Horseshoe Restaurant, and two breakfast entrees. Or win up to $8,600 in our weekend Hot Seat giveaway on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, or try a midweek hot seat every Wednesday and Thursday. Also try our Lucky 7 Cash and Fabulous Promo events for chances to win $1,000.
Give us a call at 800-274-1876 or visit our website to book a room and no matter what, we’ll make you feel like you won the lottery.