Spearfish, South Dakota Spearfish Spearfish, South Dakota Historic Commercial precinct of Spearfish Historic Commercial precinct of Spearfish Location in Lawrence County and the state of South Dakota Location in Lawrence County and the state of South Dakota Spearfish is positioned in the US Spearfish - Spearfish State South Dakota Website City of Spearfish Spearfish (Lakota: hochap e) is a town/city in Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States.
Once the gold rush started, the town/city was established in 1876 at the mouth of Spearfish Canyon, and was originally called Queen City. Spearfish interval as a supplier of foodstuffs to the quarrying camps in the hills.
In 1887, the accepted history of gold quarrying in the Black Hills was thrown into question by the discernment of what has turn into known as the Thoen Stone. Discovered by Louis Thoen on the slopes of Lookout Mountain, the contemporary purports to be the last testament of Ezra Kind who, along with six others, entered the Black Hills in 1833 (at a time when caucasians were forbidden by law and treaty from entering the area), "got all the gold we could carry" in June 1834, and were later "killed by Indians beyond the high hill." In the 20th century, the history of Spearfish was tied very closely to quarrying and tourism.
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who visited Spearfish Canyon in 1935, later called the region "unique and unparalleled elsewhere in our country," and wondered, "How is it that I've heard so little of this miracle and we, toward the Atlantic, have heard so much of the Grand Canyon when this is even more miraculous?" In 1938, Joseph Meier brought the Luenen Passion Play to settle permanently in Spearfish and turn into the Black Hills Passion Play, drawing thousands of visitors every year amid the summer months.
Panoramic view of Spearfish in 1902.
Spearfish is positioned at 44 29 23 N 103 51 9 W (44.489803, 103.852585). According to the United States Enumeration Bureau, the town/city has a total region of 16.35 square miles (42.35 km2), of which, 16.34 square miles (42.32 km2) is territory and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water. Spearfish Creek is a fast-moving creek that emerges from Spearfish Canyon at Spearfish.
Spearfish has been assigned the ZIP code 57783 and the FIPS place code 60020.
Black Hills State University has its own ZIP code, 57799.
Given its locale at the base of the Black Hills and its adjacency to the High Plains, the climate in Spearfish is highly variable at any time of the year.
According to the Koppen climate classification Spearfish is in a transition zone between subtropical and continental.
Climate data for Spearfish, South Dakota (1981 2010; extremes since 1893) Average high F ( C) 38.4 Average low F ( C) 17.2 Record low F ( C) 32 Average rain days ( 0.01 inch) 6 5 7 8 11 13 9 7 6 7 5 5 89 Spearfish holds the world record for the quickest recorded temperature change.
MST, the temperature in Spearfish was 4 F ( 20 C).
The Chinook wind picked up speed rapidly, and two minutes later (7:32 a.m.) the temperature was +45 F (+7 C) above zero.
Suddenly, the chinook died down and the temperature tumbled back to 4 F or 20 C.
The 58 F or 32.2 C drop took only 27 minutes. The sudden change in temperatures caused glass windows to crack and windshields to instantly frost over. Extreme winter maxima in the precinct are remarkably warm for its latitude and on January 19, 1921 Spearfish reached a remarkable 79 F or 26.1 C, not only the hottest January temperature in South Dakota on record, but almost certainly the hottest temperature recorded in or near mid-winter anywhere so far from the equator.
As of the census of 2010, there were 10,494 citizens , 4,644 homeholds, and 2,350 families residing in the city.
There were 5,045 housing units at an average density of 308.8 per square mile (119.2/km2).
The ethnic makeup of the town/city was 93.5% White, 0.4% African American, 2.0% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.6% from other competitions, and 2.3% from two or more competitions.
There were 4,644 homeholds of which 23.1% had kids under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female homeholder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male homeholder with no wife present, and 49.4% were non-families.
39.3% of all homeholds were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The average homehold size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.79.
The median age in the town/city was 33.2 years.
18.6% of inhabitants were under the age of 18; 20.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 21.2% were from 45 to 64; and 17.7% were 65 years of age or older.
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,606 citizens , 3,638 homeholds, and 1,931 families residing in the city.
There were 3,904 housing units at an average density of 639.2 per square mile (246.7/km ).
The ethnic makeup of the town/city was 95.33% White, 0.35% African American, 2.31% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other competitions, and 1.30% from two or more competitions.
There were 3,638 homeholds out of which 25.2% had kids under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female homeholder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families.
37.0% of all homeholds were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The average homehold size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city, the populace was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 21.5% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older.
About 9.8% of families and 17.4% of the populace were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Spearfish is the home of Black Hills State University, a four-year enhance college in the South Dakota system.
Founded as Spearfish Normal School in 1883, it is still largely a teacher training institution, although its mission has period far beyond to include masters programs in Integrative Genomics and Business Administration.
It also hosts a summer arts institute, with Spearfish native and global opera star Johanna Meier (daughter of the Black Hills Passion Play founder Joseph Meier) serving as Artistic Director.
Spearfish is the command posts and hometown of two bus and coach transport services; Dakota Trailways and Prairie Hills Transit.
Dunn (1894 1965), born near Summit, South Dakota, educator, former resident Powers (1820 1909), born in Bristol, New Hampshire, manufacturer, former resident of Spearfish Frank Schoonmaker (1905 1976), born in Spearfish, travel guide writer and wine merchant South Dakota State Historical Society.
City of Spearfish.
Ullrich, Jan F.
Visit Spearfish, South Dakota.
Spearfish Canyon Foundation.
"Spearfish Creek".
Visit Spearfish, South Dakota.
"Spearfish, South Dakota Temperature Averages".
"South Dakota Weather History and Trivia January".
"South Dakota: Temperature Extremes".
"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015".
United States Enumeration Bureau.
Spearfish travel guide from Wikivoyage Spearfish, SD government website Municipalities and communities of Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States State of South Dakota Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming
Categories:
Black Hills - Cities in Lawrence County, South Dakota - Cities in South Dakota - Populated places established in 1876 - Micropolitan areas of South Dakota - Weather extremes of Earth - 1876 establishments in Dakota Territory - University suburbs in the United States - Spearfish, South Dakota
|