Sheridan, South Dakota

Sheridan, originally called Golden City, was an early mining camp in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. It was the first county seat of Pennington County from 1877 to 1878. It is now submerged under Sheridan Lake.HistoryFounding and growthSheridan began as a gold mining camp in the Black Hills, was laid out in the spring of 1875, and was originally called Golden City. It is the third oldest camp in the Black Hills. There were several mines in the area, including the Queen Bee, J.R., Blue Lead, and Calumet. One of the first rich placers was found there in 1875. That October, $3,000 worth of gold was taken out by placer miners. By February 1876, Golden City had several residents, four stores, and many houses. A stage line connecting Deadwood to Denver ran through the town, leading to more growth. In 1877, the town was renamed to Sheridan, in honor of U.S. Army General Philip Sheridan. It became the temporary county seat of Pennington County. The courthouse was built by the citizens in late 1877 and that October, held the first term of the U.S. Circuit Court west of the Missouri River.