Keystone Walking Tour

The Keystone Area Historical Society provides a walking tour of the old and newer sections of Keystone, highlighting some of the town’s historical heritage. There are many locations throughout the town, often with a black and white Historical Marker signboards where Info Boxes have been placed, housing the walking tour maps. Please take advantage of this free, informative and interesting self-guided tour opportunity.

Featured

  • Halley's Store- It is the oldest continuous business in Keystone. Built in 1896 as the Keystone Trading Company as a general mercantile store.

  • The Holy Terror Mine- Founded on June 28, 1894, perhaps the richest gold mine in the southern Black Hills.

  • Keystone School- Built with Victorian architecture in 1900, at a cost of $10,000 for 300 students. It served as a schoolhouse until 1988. Now the Keystone Historical Museum featuring Carrie Ingall’s memorabilia and James Langer’s Gem and Mineral Collection.

  • Originally built in the 1890s for Henry Loomis and family. It later served as the Goodyear Motel and a boarding house for Mount Rushmore workers.

  • One of the original homes in Keystone built in the 1890s for Ed Coad and family.

  • Registered as Reed’s Placer Claim in 1893 by two German immigrants, August Engle and Fred Sierth (formerly the Krupp Tunnel).

  • Built in the 1890s, the Upham Saloon was one of many saloons in Keystone’s history. It was destroyed by a mysterious fire.

  • Two brothers, John & Patrick Hayes, opened a double-wide mercantile store on this site in 1895.

  • Built in the early 1890s, the hotel was owned and operated by William and Jennie Franklin. Bill was known as “Rocky Mountain Frank.”

  • The hotel was considered a luxurious hotel in the mid 1890s, advertising as “The rendezvous for the smartest people in the West.” The south half housed the Harney Peak Bank, later known as the Keystone Bank.

  • Tom Hoy survived three fires and outlasted several pharmacies. He operated under the license of his father-in-law, Andrew Marble. The latter died in 1924, the last registered pharmacist in Keystone.

  • From the first official Forest Service Ranger Station in the Black Hills, located on Box Elder Creek three miles south of present day Nemo near Steamboat Rock. Moved to this location in 2004. The two-story Sullivan Drug Store was at this location and the one-story City Meat Market was just to the south of the drug store.

  • This office was built as a satellite office for Dr. Eugene B. Hultz, a physician from Hill City.

  • A photograph of the first automobile introduced in Keystone in 1909 is displayed on the site of the last blacksmith shop in Keystone, owned by “Peg Leg” or Peggy Haase, a one-legged horseshoer (farrier).

  • Founded on June 28, 1894, perhaps the richest gold mine in the southern Black Hills.

  • It is the oldest continuous business in Keystone. Built in 1896 as the Keystone Trading Company as a general mercantile store.

  • Built in 1935, the ice house stored ice taken from a local pond in the winter and sold in the summer months.


  • The 4th Cavalry from Fort Meade camped in this area in the 1930s.

  • Homes built in the 1890s as seen as they appeared in the 1930s.

  • This original log schoolhouse was bulit in the early 1890s. Miss Mary Wheelock taught 40 students here in 1894-1895.

  • Built with Victorian architecture in 1900, at a cost of $10,000 for 300 students. It served as a schoolhouse until 1988. Now the Keystone Historical Museum featuring Carrie Ingall’s memorabilia and James Langer’s Gem and Mineral Collection.

  • The Keystone Congregational Church was built in 1896 at a cost of $2,000. It was used as a school before the Victorian schoolhouse was built.