-
Elk Mountain Campground Closed
The Elk Mountain Campground is closed and will remain closed through the summer of 2013 due to across the board budget cuts.
Birth of a National Park - More Court Battles and More Decisions
Scene Near Cave Entrance NPS Photo The Land Office Decides On July 28, 1899 The Rapid City Journal reported: The commissioner of the general land office at Washington has handed down his decision in the case of South Dakota Mining Co. vs. Jesse D. McDonald. This is the long drawn out contest that has been frequently referred to as the “Wind Cave case.” 
Signatures in the Cave NPS Photo The commissioner’s decision sustains that the land is not mineral but orders that the homestead entry of McDonald be cancelled, holding that he had not shown good faith in his occupancy of his homestead. He also holds that the ground is not mineral and is not subject to entry as such. He recommends that the cave be reserved by the government as a public resort. Both parties to the suit are somewhat surprised at the outcome and will appeal to the secretary of the interior. Uncle John Stabler says this is favorable to them anyway, because the local land office decided against them and in favor of McDonald. 
Jesse D. McDonald (left) and John Stabler (right)
NPS Photo Archive
|
Birth of a National Park
A Brief History
Did You Know?
Fire is an important factor in protecting the prairie. Historically, fires burned across the prairie every 4 to 7 years. Fires burn the small trees that would otherwise march across the prairie and turn the grasslands to forest.