--- id: 9fb77c59-f69d-451d-b59d-26e4e4a4ee39 title: 'Mystic, South Dakota: History of a Ghost Town' abstract: Mystic is a ghost town located in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. Originally established as a placer mining encampment named Sitting Bull in 1876, the site eventually became abandoned. The Mystic Townsite Historic District was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1986. classification: primary: '917.8' secondary: - '908' - '338.2' udc_main_class: '9' tags: - ghost town - South Dakota - Pennington County - mining history - historic district - United States topics: - Geography - History - United States author: '' created_at: '2026-06-01T00:09:14.137392' updated_at: '2026-06-01T02:12:50.075964' sources: - type: url uri: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystic,_South_Dakota format: url_fetch udc_label: Geography, travel version: '1' --- ## Card: Mystic, South Dakota: History of a Ghost Town Mystic is a ghost town located in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. Originally established as a placer mining encampment named Sitting Bull in 1876, the site eventually became abandoned. The Mystic Townsite Historic District was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1986. ## Classification Primary: 917.8 | Secondary: 908, 338.2 | Tags: ghost town, South Dakota, Pennington County, mining history, historic district, United States | Topics: Geography, History, United States ## Content Mystic, South Dakota - Wikipedia Jump to content Main menu Main menu move to sidebar hide Navigation Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Special pages Search Search Appearance Donate Create account Log in Personal tools Donate Create account Log in Contents move to sidebar hide (Top) 1 Geography 2 History Toggle History subsection 2.1 Establishment 2.2 Growth 2.3 Abandonment 3 References Toggle the table of contents Mystic, South Dakota 1 language Français Edit links Article Talk English Read Edit View history Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions Read Edit View history General What links here Related changes Upload file Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikidata item Appearance move to sidebar hide Coordinates : 44°04′37″N 103°38′30″W  /  44.07694°N 103.64167°W  / 44.07694; -103.64167 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ghost town in South Dakota, U.S. Ghost town in South Dakota, United States Mystic Ghost town Gold dredge at Mystic, South Dakota, c. 1910 Mystic Show map of South Dakota Mystic Show map of the United States Coordinates: 44°04′37″N 103°38′30″W  /  44.07694°N 103.64167°W  / 44.07694; -103.64167 Country United States State South Dakota County Pennington Founded 1876  ( 1876 ) Elevation [ 1 ] 4,872 ft (1,485 m) Population  • Total 0 Mystic Townsite Historic District U.S. National Register of Historic Places U.S. Historic district Area 43 acres (17 ha) NRHP reference  No. 86002093 [ 2 ] Added to NRHP August 1, 1986 Mystic is a ghost town in Pennington County , South Dakota . It began as a placer mining encampment called Sitting Bull in 1876, later attracting multiple railroads to the area. Its population began to decline in the early 20th century, and it now has few to no permanent residents. The old townsite was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 under the name Mystic Townsite Historic District . Geography [ edit ] Mystic is located in the Black Hills in Pennington County, South Dakota . It is on Castle Creek , about 20 miles (32 km) west of Rapid City and 12 miles (19 km) north of Hill City , at the intersection of Mystic Road/County Road 231 and George Frink Road. A trailhead located at Mystic provides access to the George S. Mickelson Trail . [ 3 ] Aside from a few original sheds and summer cottages, [ 4 ] the main feature left in the settlement is the McCahan Memorial Chapel, built in 1930 and closed in 1966. [ 5 ] History [ edit ] Establishment [ edit ] The first white settlement on the site was a gold placer mining camp established alongside Castle Creek in 1876, which the settlers called Sitting Bull after the Lakota chief . In addition to panning for gold, other settlers began to set up mineshafts in the surrounding hills. [ 4 ] Although some miners redirected their efforts to Deadwood , the camp maintained a steady population; by 1879, about 100 people lived in Sitting Bull. [ 5 ] In 1889, the settlement was renamed Mystic, for unknown reasons. Some authors speculate that the settlers supposed that the local Native Americans believed the surrounding area to be full of mystery. [ 6 ] Others believe the settlement was named after Mystic, Connecticut . [ 5 ] In the same year, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad built a railway to the settlement, connecting it to Deadwood. In 1906, [ 5 ] the Rapid City, Black Hills and Western Railroad , also known as the Crouch Line, arrived in Mystic, which became the western terminus of the Mystic line to Rapid City . [ 3 ] [ 4 ] The Mystic post office was established in 1895. [ 7 ] Growth [ edit ] Mystic's convenient situation for placer mining attracted several experimental ventures. [ 5 ] In June 1911, at a cost of $100,000, [ 8 ] the Castle Creek Hydraulic Gold Mining Company established the first gold dredge —also the first electric placer mining dredge—in the Black Hills about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) upstream of Mystic. [ 9 ] This system had a capacity of 55,000 yards (50 km) of material per month, but the cost far exceeded its returns and within a year, the dredge had been removed and relocated to Oregon. In 1904, the Electro-Chemical Reduction Company set up an experimental electrochlorination plant. This plant, called the Mystic Reduction Mill, cost over $1 million to create. By 1913, the operation had failed, and in 1919 its foundation was used for a new sawmill operated by George Frink. [ 5 ] With local mining on the decline, the Frink Sawmill became the town's new main employer. At other points, Mystic had a Presbyterian church, blacksmith, school, and grocery store. [ 4 ] It was also home to a Civilian Conservation Corps camp, the highest in the Black Hills, during the Great Depression. The CCC workers planted trees and battled forest fires across the Black Hills. The employees at the camp are estimated to have planted over 1.5 million trees by November 1937. [ 10 ] President Calvin Coolidge at Mystic, South Dakota, 1927 At the convergence of two railroad lines, Mystic also attracted significant tourism, and in 1927, during his tour of the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore , President Calvin Coolidge visited Mystic. [ 5 ] The Rapid City Daily Journal describes the president and his wife visiting the summer home of former Nebraska Governor Samuel Roy McKelvie by way of Mystic on July 23. [ 11 ] The Coolidges arrived in town on the Crouch Line before departing for the McKelvie cottage and were driven part of the way by George Frink in his lumber wagon. [ 12 ] [ 13 ] Abandonment [ edit ] Mystic had already begun to decline in the early 20th century. Being so close to the creek, the settlement suffered from numerous floods that had continually damaged the railways, buildings, and other infrastructure. Five railroad bridges were washed out during flooding in 1907 but later replaced. Several fires—including multiple wildfires—also threatened the community. The sawmill itself was destroyed by fire in 1936 and rebuilt. [ 5 ] Just three years later, a massive fire swept through the Black Hills, destroying several homes around Mystic; George Frink, who was the fire warden at the time, described it as "the worst I've ever seen." [ 14 ] Additionally, the town was beginning to run out of easily accessible coal and timber. [ 5 ] After World War II, its abandonment quickened. The Crouch Line was completely dismantled in 1947 and the sawmill closed in 1952. [ 4 ] The post office followed two years later and its operations consolidated into the nearby Rochford post office. [ 15 ] [ 7 ] The Burlington rail line closed in November 1983 and today forms part of the George S. Mickelson Trail. Today, no permanent houses are occupied in Mystic. [ 4 ] On August 1, 1986, 43 acres (17 ha) of the original townsite were added to the National Register of Historic Places ; however, the exact area and details of contributing properties are restricted. [ 16 ] References [ edit ] ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mystic, South Dakota ^ "National Register Information System" . National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service . November 2, 2013. ^ a b "Mystic Trailhead" . Black Hills & Badlands South Dakota . Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association . Retrieved January 31, 2024 . ^ a b c d e f Raisch, Bruce A. (2006). "South Dakota Black Hills Ghost Towns". Ghost Towns and Other Historical Sites of the Black Hills (4th ed.). Virginia Beach, Virginia: Donning Company Publishers. pp.  56– 59. ISBN   978-1-57864-351-6 . ^ a b c d e f g h i Mauro, Stephen (June 2012). "Mystic, South Dakota" . Wild West . Vol. 25, no. 1. Leesburg, Virginia: Weider History Group. pp.  74– 75. ISSN   1046-4638 . ProQuest   1011090454 . Retrieved January 31, 2024 . ^ Federal Writers' Project (1940). South Dakota place-names, v.1-3 . University of South Dakota. p. 52. ^ a b "Pennington County" . Jim Forte Postal History . Retrieved February 2, 2015 . ^ "Placer Dredge at Mystic Starts Work" . Mines and Mining. The Weekly Pioneer Times Mining Review . Deadwood, South Dakota. June 15, 1911. p. 7 . Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "First Placer Dredge in Black Hills" . Mines and Mining. The Weekly Pioneer Times Mining Review . Deadwood, South Dakota. December 1, 1910. p. 4 . Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Mystic CCC Men Set Many Trees" . Rapid City Daily Journal . Deadwood, South Dakota. November 10, 1937. p. 3 . Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. ^ "Coolidge Hikes on Mystic Trail" . Rapid City Daily Journal . Rapid City, South Dakota. July 25, 1927. p. 1 . Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. ^ "President Panned Gold In Heart of Black Hills" . Daily Deadwood Pioneer-Times . Deadwood, South Dakota. Associated Press. July 24, 1927. p. 1 . Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. ^ "Photographic Memory: Destination Discovered" . Rapid City Journal . Rapid City, South Dakota. January 27, 1998. p. 9 . Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. ^ "Lines Placed" . Rapid City Journal . Rapid City, South Dakota. July 12, 1939. p. 5 . Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. ^ Lee, Bob (July 4, 1954). "Deerfield Postoffice Abandoned, But Coffee Sessions To Continue" . Rapid City Journal . Rapid City, South Dakota. p. 16 . Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Mystic Townsite Historic District" . National Park Service . Retrieved January 31, 2024 . With accompanying pictures v t e Municipalities and communities of Pennington County, South Dakota , United States County seat : Rapid City Cities Box Elder ‡ Hill City New Underwood Rapid City Towns Keystone Quinn Wall Wasta CDPs Ashland Heights Caputa Colonial Pine Hills Green Valley Johnson Siding Rapid Valley Former CDP Ellsworth AFB ‡ Other communities Ajax Creston Deerfield Farmingdale Hisega Imlay Mystic Owanka Rochford Rockerville Scenic Silver City Three Forks Ghost towns Addie Camp Conata Creighton Etta Moon Myers City Pactola Pedro Redfern Sheridan Teddy Bear Tigerville Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties South Dakota portal United States portal v t e National Register of Historic Places in Pennington County, South Dakota National Historic Site Minuteman Missile National Historic Site ‡ Districts Burlington and Quincy High Line Hill City to Keystone Branch Civilian Conservation Corp Camp F-10 Gramberg Ranch Josef and Marie Kudrna Homestead and Ranch Madison Ranch Mount Rushmore National Memorial Mystic Townsite Historic District Otho Mining District Rapid City Historic Commercial District Rapid City West Boulevard Historic District Buildings Commercial/ Industrial C.E. McEachron General Merchandise Calumet Hotel Casper Supply Company of SD Dean Motor Company Fairmont Creamery Company Building Gambrill Storage Building Harney Peak Hotel Harney Peak Tin Mining Company Buildings House and Sawmill Johnson Siding Keystone Trading Company Store Milwaukee Road Freight House Motor Service Company Nichols Funeral Home Building Rapid City Fruit Company Rapid City Garage Rapid City Laundry Sitting Bull Crystal Cavern Dance Pavilion Swander Bakery Building Von Woehrmann Building Education Keystone School Rapid City Carnegie Library Rapid City High School Rapid City Historical Museum Government/Civic Pennington County Courthouse Rapid City Masonic Temple Religious Chapel in the Hills Church of the Immaculate Conception Emmanuel Episcopal Church First Congregational Church Quinn Methodist Church Residential Black Hills Model Home Lewis Byron House Cassidy House Feigel House Golden Summit Mine Foreman's Cabin Zack Holmes House Pap Madison Cabin † Maurice Nelson House Michael Quinn House Glenn W. Shaw House Objects Dinosaur Park Wasta Rest Stop Tipis Sites Archeological Site No. 39PN376 Harney Peak Lookout Tower, Dam, Pumphouse and Stairway Site No. 39 PN 57 Site No. 39 PN 108 Site No. 39 PN 438 Site No. 39 PN 439 Structures South Dakota Department of Transportation Bridge No. 52-575-383 South Dakota Department of Transportation Bridge No. 52-824-300 Footnotes ‡This historic property also has portions in an adjacent county. † This entry has been removed from the registry. See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Pennington County, South Dakota and List of National Historic Landmarks in South Dakota Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mystic,_South_Dakota&oldid=1348762951 " Categories : Unincorporated communities in Pennington County, South Dakota Ghost towns in South Dakota 1876 establishments in Dakota Territory Civilian Conservation Corps in South Dakota Mining communities in South Dakota Populated places on the National Register of Historic Places in South Dakota Populated places in the United States established in 1876 Hidden categories: Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas Articles using NRISref without a reference number Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Use American English from June 2025 All Wikipedia articles written in American English Use mdy dates from September 2020 Coordinates on Wikidata This page was last edited on 14 April 2026, at 04:36  (UTC) . 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