SOUTH DAKOTA AUCTIONS

IN THE 1970'S MY HUSBAND AND I DECIDED TO START AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL BUSINESS OF OUR OWN N HOT SPRINGS AFTER WORKING WITH A COMPANY FROM MONTANA. THERE WAS A LARGE NUMBER OF OIL AND GAS COMPANIES NEEDING ARCHAEOLOGICAL CLEARANCE IN TH8IS REGION AND WE MADE CONTRACTS WITH SOME OF THEM AND DID OUR RESEARCH TO MEET PEOPLE AND WE WERE THE ONLY PRIVATE FIRM IN WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA AT THAT TIME. WE HAD GOOD LUCK MEETING A NUMBER OF COMPANIES AND MINERS WHO NEEDED ARCHAEOLOGICAL CLEARANCE. AT THE SAME TIME I FINISHED WRITING MY THESIS.

WE SETTLED IN HOT SPRINGS AS IT APPEALED TO US FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND ALSO MOVED TO RAPID CITY. THE MAIN ENTERTAINMENT IN THE SMALL TOWN OF HOT SPRINGS WAS THE FRIDAY NIGHT AUCTIONS. THESE WERE VERY EXCITING AND AS ANTIQUE BUFFS, WE USUALLY ATTENDED THEM AND GAVE THEM THINGS WE DIDN'T NEED ANYMORE. THE AUCTIONEER WAS A FUNNY GUY AND THESE ACTIONS LASTED SEVERAL HOURS. IT WAS A HUGE RECYCLE SHOP. YOU NEVER KNEW WHAT THEY WOULD BE SELLING. SOMETIMES THEY HAD OLD DISHES, ANTIQUES OF WOOD, CHAIRS, AND OTHER FURNITURE, AND VARIOUS OLD METAL CONTRAPTIONS. WE ALWAYS WAITED UNTIL THE LAST HOUR OF THE AUCTION WHICH WAS A NUMBER OF BOXES OF UNKNOWN ITEMS FOR $I.OO! SOMETIMES THEY HAD ANTIQUE RUGS, JEWELRY AND SOME DAYS IT WAS ITEMS FROM AN ESTATE SALE. MOST OF THE TIME WE JUST GOT A NUMBER AND WATCHED THIS TOWN'S ENTERTAINMENT AND PERHAPS PURCHASED AN UNKNOWN BOX. WE DID WE DID HOWEVER PURCHASE A BED FRAME, A LAMP, A VACUUM CLEANER, AND A DESK CHAIR, A DRESSER, A DESK AND A DESK CHAIR. SOME OF THESE WE GAVE BACK TO THEM ONCE WE MOVED BACK TO PHOENIX. HOT SPRINGS AUCTIONS WERE EVEN ATTENDED BY VISITORS WHO CAME TO THE BLACK HILLS. THEY SEEMED TO ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD TIME ORGANIZING THINGS DURING THE WEEK. THIS TOWN WAS ATTRACTIVE TO VISIT BECAUSE OF THE HOT SPRINGS INDOOR SWIMMING POOL AND THE MINERALS IN THE SPRING WATER IN TOWN. THE TOWN WAS BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE OF THE HISTORIC NATIVE PINK SANDSTONE BUILDINGS.

THE LAKOTA AND CHEYENNE FOUGHT OVER CONTROL OF THESE WATERS. APPARENTLY, THEY HAD A BATTLE IN THE BLACK HILLS ON A MOUNTAIN CALLED BATTLE MPOUNTAIN. WE FOUND MANY SITES THERE. IN 1876 SETTLERS CAME HERE AND CALLED THE TOWN MINNEKATA OW WARM WATER.

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