Galena Ghost Town

The town of Galena was established in 1876. Named after the lead sulfide deposits found in the surrounding hills, which also contained silver, Galena grew rapidly. By the end of 1877, it had 400 residents, two smelters, an opera house, and three newspapers. One of the first claims was filed by Sarah Campbell, likely the first non-Native woman in the Black Hills, who came as a cook on Custer's 1874 expedition. A young Thomas Francis Walsh also passed through, selling tools; he later became a multimillionaire, and his daughter Evalyn Walsh McLean became the last private owner of the Hope Diamond. In 1947, Galena's most famous resident appeared, Tootsie, an orphaned coyote adopted by local Fred Borsch, who taught her to howl along to songs. In 1949, Governor Mickelson made Tootsie South Dakota's official animal and mascot. The 1882 schoolhouse still stands, maintained by the Galena Historical Society.