29:
398:
In the 2000s, handwriting expert Marion Briggs and another in
California compared the handwriting on the postcards and the writing on the slab. Both determined that the inscriptions were not done by the same person, and the stone was not inscribed by either of the two Thoen brothers, Cashner, or John
125:
by Louis Thoen in 1887. The inscription, dated 1834, was supposedly made by the last survivor of a gold mining party whose members were killed by Native
Americans after discovering gold in the area. The discovery of the stone called into question the first discovery of gold in the Black Hills and the
343:
article urged anyone with information on the men mentioned on the stone to contact
Cashner. One reply came from a Harvey Brown, Jr., who alleged his half-uncle, William Thompson Brown, had left Michigan for the American West with a man named Kent in 1832, and neither man had returned nor had been
209:
Spearfish historian Frank
Thomson formed the Thoen Stone Committee in 1950, which aimed to memorialize it at the site it was discovered. Three Thoen relatives were also among the committee members. A monument complete with a replica of the stone was later placed on a hill above the Spearfish City
155:
The early history of the people mentioned in the inscription is limited. According to the stone, Ezra Kind traveled to the Black Hills in 1833 in search of gold, at which time a treaty prevented the party from entering the area legally. Among Kind's party were seven men: De
Lacompt, G.W. Wood, T.
336:. Others doubted that a man running for his life would have stopped to leave a message, or that seven men—most of whom had no mining experience—could have found as much gold as described on the stone. Until their deaths, the Thoens defended the authenticity of the stone.
377:
Thomson theorized that the attack on the party may have been orchestrated by the
American Fur Company as a way to dissuade outside encroachment in its territory, and found evidence that the company had indeed sponsored attacks on other parties from its positions at
537:
389:
Thomson also believed that the hunting knives carried by pioneers in the 1830s would have been sturdy enough to inscribe a message in a wet sandstone slab, and theorized that Kind would have had ample time while hiding to carve something.
171:. The stone was buried several feet below the surface. The men took the slab home, and Louis invited Henry Keats (a later mayor of Spearfish) to see the stone and the location where it was found. The stone was then taken to the
365:
trading posts in the territory—reporting that he had found gold and would be returning home. Thompson also found evidence that Brown grew up in North
Carolina during a local gold rush and may have gained knowledge of
374:, where another local gold rush took place in the 1820s. Thomson found that Kind himself was a German immigrant to Pennsylvania, and that he had indeed left home to travel west in the 1830s and disappeared.
356:
in search of the families of the party's members. Thomson located several families, all with surnames similar to those listed on the Thoen Stone, who claimed to have had ancestors who disappeared in the
167:
On March 14, 1887, Norwegian immigrants and brothers Louis and Ivan Thoen discovered the slab while collecting sandstone on the west face of
Lookout Mountain near their home in
126:
history of gold mining in the area; if the account provided by the inscription is authentic, it would mean that gold was discovered in the Black Hills 40 years before the
361:
around 1830. Some of these relatives had written back to their families before their disappearances. One, Kent, allegedly had sent a letter—possibly using one of the
773:
383:
783:
159:
The stone itself was inscribed in 1834 by Ezra Kind after his entire party was killed by Native
Americans. Kind himself later died of unknown causes.
175:. One day later, Louis decided to display it in a store in Spearfish that was owned by John Cashner; Cashner and Louis sold pictures of the stone as
778:
793:
328:
Since its discovery in 1887, controversy over the authenticity of the Thoen Stone has circulated. Many people believe that the stone is a
210:
Park, and an annual seven-mile run past the marker is named after the stone. In 1966, Thomson published a book about the stone, titled
803:
798:
489:
659:
710:
353:
788:
127:
684:
600:
736:
222:
The Thoen Stone is carved out of sandstone. It is three inches thick and measures 10 inches by eight inches.
371:
194:
168:
135:
97:
652:
198:
139:
101:
131:
571:
441:
768:
379:
362:
190:
332:
and was fabricated by Louis and Ivan Thoen. Some have pointed to the fact that Louis Thoen was a
181:
28:
485:
156:
Brown, R. Kent, William King, and Indian Crow. King and Indian Crow were experienced miners.
60:
645:"Discovered in 1887, the Thoen Stone 'documents' a June 1834 tragedy in the Black Hills"
644:
762:
367:
358:
411:
122:
86:
189:
and sold the story of the stone to the newspaper. Louis died in 1919 during the
118:
82:
505:
370:
techniques during that time. Additionally, King and Indian Crow were both from
407:
333:
71:
670:
114:
42:
484:. Spearfish, SD: Black Hills and Bighorns History Project. pp. 10–11.
186:
176:
231:
414:
has a song called "Thoen", which is based on the Thoen Stone mystery.
399:
S. McClintock, who was an early advocate for the slab's authenticity.
52:
10 by 8 by 3 inches (254 mm Ă— 203 mm Ă— 76 mm)
193:. The stone was named for Louis Thoen and was transferred to the
329:
307:
297:
263:
538:"Across the Fence: Black Hills Gold and the Thoen Stone"
741:
D.C. Booth
Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives
234:
font on both sides of the slab. The inscription reads:
442:"The Mystery (and Debate) of the Thoen Stone: Part II"
33:
Thoen Stone replica monument above Spearfish City Park
512:. Spearfish, SD: Spearfish Area Chamber of Commerce
93:
77:
66:
56:
48:
38:
21:
717:. Spearfish, SD: Visit Spearfish. August 21, 2010
8:
475:
473:
471:
469:
467:
465:
463:
638:
636:
634:
632:
630:
628:
626:
624:
622:
601:"History, Legends & Lore: Thoen Stone"
572:"The Thoen Stone: Searching for Ezra Kind"
212:The Thoen Stone: A Saga of the Black Hills
27:
18:
595:
593:
16:Inscribed stone found in South Dakota, US
531:
529:
527:
423:
352:In the 1950s, Thomson traveled to the
774:Pre-statehood history of South Dakota
536:Nolting, M. Timothy (June 27, 2013).
480:Higbee, Paul; Aney, Kathleen (2000).
435:
433:
431:
429:
427:
7:
565:
563:
561:
559:
134:. It is currently on display at the
81:March 14, 1887 on Lookout Mountain,
179:. In 1888, Cashner traveled to the
578:. Deadwood, SD: TDG Communications
448:. Deadwood, SD: TDG Communications
14:
691:. Spearfish, SD. January 14, 2000
784:Gold mining in the United States
117:slab that was discovered in the
779:Sandstone in the United States
643:Burr, Wesley H. (April 1997).
201:for preservation and display.
1:
794:Lawrence County, South Dakota
510:Spearfish Chamber of Commerce
324:Investigation and controversy
737:"Thoen Stone Seven Run/Walk"
651:. Vol. 9, no. 6.
570:Parks, Wynn (August 2009).
440:Parks, Wynn (August 2009).
820:
295:carry our ponys [
128:Custer Expedition of 1874
26:
804:Historical controversies
799:1834 in Indian Territory
136:Adams Museum & House
98:Adams Museum & House
372:Lumpkin County, Georgia
320:
303:all got by the Indians
284:
140:Deadwood, South Dakota
102:Deadwood, South Dakota
789:South Dakota folklore
394:Modern investigations
348:Thomson investigation
288:
240:
230:Text is written in a
132:Black Hills Gold Rush
482:Spearfish: A History
380:Fort Pierre Chouteau
363:American Fur Company
191:Spanish flu epidemic
743:. The Booth Society
711:"Thone Stone Seven"
689:Black Hills Pioneer
605:Black Hills Visitor
245:in 1833 seven of us
243:Came to these hills
130:and the subsequent
715:VisitSpearfish.com
403:In popular culture
344:heard from again.
341:Detroit Free Press
182:Detroit Free Press
173:Spearfish Register
685:"The Thoen Stone"
576:Deadwood Magazine
506:"Shaping History"
446:Deadwood Magazine
311:] lost my gun
261:all ded [
107:
106:
811:
753:
752:
750:
748:
733:
727:
726:
724:
722:
707:
701:
700:
698:
696:
681:
675:
674:
668:
666:
640:
617:
616:
614:
612:
607:. Rapid City, SD
597:
588:
587:
585:
583:
567:
554:
553:
551:
549:
533:
522:
521:
519:
517:
502:
496:
495:
477:
458:
457:
455:
453:
437:
113:is an inscribed
94:Present location
31:
19:
819:
818:
814:
813:
812:
810:
809:
808:
759:
758:
757:
756:
746:
744:
735:
734:
730:
720:
718:
709:
708:
704:
694:
692:
683:
682:
678:
664:
662:
642:
641:
620:
610:
608:
599:
598:
591:
581:
579:
569:
568:
557:
547:
545:
535:
534:
525:
515:
513:
504:
503:
499:
492:
479:
478:
461:
451:
449:
439:
438:
425:
420:
405:
396:
350:
326:
321:
319:
316:
315:eat and Indians
314:
312:
305:I hav [
304:
302:
294:
292:
283:
280:
278:
276:
274:
272:
270:
268:
260:
258:
256:
254:
252:
250:
248:
246:
244:
228:
220:
207:
165:
153:
148:
89:, United States
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
817:
815:
807:
806:
801:
796:
791:
786:
781:
776:
771:
761:
760:
755:
754:
728:
702:
676:
618:
589:
555:
542:Gering Citizen
523:
497:
490:
459:
422:
421:
419:
416:
404:
401:
395:
392:
349:
346:
325:
322:
313:and nothing to
291:got all of the
289:
241:
236:
227:
224:
219:
216:
206:
203:
164:
161:
152:
149:
147:
144:
105:
104:
95:
91:
90:
79:
75:
74:
68:
64:
63:
58:
54:
53:
50:
46:
45:
40:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
816:
805:
802:
800:
797:
795:
792:
790:
787:
785:
782:
780:
777:
775:
772:
770:
767:
766:
764:
742:
738:
732:
729:
716:
712:
706:
703:
690:
686:
680:
677:
672:
661:
657:
656:
650:
646:
639:
637:
635:
633:
631:
629:
627:
625:
623:
619:
606:
602:
596:
594:
590:
577:
573:
566:
564:
562:
560:
556:
543:
539:
532:
530:
528:
524:
511:
507:
501:
498:
493:
491:0-9676762-0-7
487:
483:
476:
474:
472:
470:
468:
466:
464:
460:
447:
443:
436:
434:
432:
430:
428:
424:
417:
415:
413:
409:
402:
400:
393:
391:
387:
385:
381:
375:
373:
369:
368:placer mining
364:
360:
359:American West
355:
347:
345:
342:
337:
335:
331:
323:
318:
310:
309:
300:
299:
293:gold we could
287:
282:
279:our gold June
277:high hill got
273:Killed by Ind
266:
265:
239:
235:
233:
225:
223:
217:
215:
213:
204:
202:
200:
196:
192:
188:
184:
183:
178:
174:
170:
162:
160:
157:
150:
145:
143:
141:
137:
133:
129:
124:
120:
116:
112:
103:
99:
96:
92:
88:
84:
80:
76:
73:
69:
65:
62:
59:
55:
51:
47:
44:
41:
37:
30:
25:
20:
745:. Retrieved
740:
731:
719:. Retrieved
714:
705:
693:. Retrieved
688:
679:
669:– via
663:. Retrieved
654:
648:
609:. Retrieved
604:
580:. Retrieved
575:
546:. Retrieved
544:. Gering, NE
541:
514:. Retrieved
509:
500:
481:
450:. Retrieved
445:
406:
397:
388:
376:
351:
340:
338:
327:
306:
296:
290:
285:
262:
242:
237:
229:
221:
211:
208:
195:Adams Museum
180:
172:
166:
158:
154:
123:South Dakota
110:
108:
87:South Dakota
769:Black Hills
412:Pine Beetle
317:hunting me
259:Indian Crow
226:Inscription
218:Description
119:Black Hills
111:Thoen Stone
83:Black Hills
22:Thoen Stone
763:Categories
747:January 2,
721:January 2,
695:January 2,
660:9703113132
611:January 2,
582:January 2,
548:January 2,
516:January 2,
452:January 2,
418:References
408:Doom metal
384:Fort Clark
354:East Coast
334:stonemason
275:beyond the
247:De Lacompt
151:Background
78:Discovered
671:EBSCOhost
649:Wild West
339:The 1888
271:Ezra Kind
249:Ezra Kind
177:postcards
169:Spearfish
163:Discovery
115:sandstone
43:Sandstone
665:June 17,
199:Deadwood
187:Michigan
39:Material
257:Wm King
253:T Brown
251:GW Wood
238:Front:
232:cursive
146:History
67:Created
61:English
57:Writing
658:
488:
286:Back:
269:but me
255:R Kent
205:Legacy
653:EBSCO
410:band
301:]
281:1834
267:]
70:1834
749:2014
723:2014
697:2014
667:2024
655:host
613:2014
584:2014
550:2014
518:2014
486:ISBN
454:2014
382:and
330:hoax
109:The
49:Size
308:sic
298:sic
264:sic
214:.
197:in
185:in
138:in
121:of
765::
739:.
713:.
687:.
647:.
621:^
603:.
592:^
574:.
558:^
540:.
526:^
508:.
462:^
444:.
426:^
386:.
142:.
100:,
85:,
72:CE
751:.
725:.
699:.
673:.
615:.
586:.
552:.
520:.
494:.
456:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
