Leland D. Case Library for Western Historical Studies - BHSU

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Leland D. Case Library for Western Historical Studies - BHSU

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Case Library houses the special collections and archives at Black Hills State University. Visitor parking is available.

Selected items from Case Library collections can be viewed in the Digital Library of South Dakota: https://explore.digitalsd.org/

Location:
Case Library is located in the Jacket Legacy Room on the second floor of the Student Union on the Black Hills University Campus. For directions and a campus map visit: https://library.bhsu.edu/case/info/directions.cfm

10/24/2026

On October 24, 1975, Kelley's Motor Inn, which sat on the corner of Main and Hudson Streets in downtown Spearfish, burned in the early morning hours. All 10 occupants of the building were rescued. It was originally called the Spearfish Hotel when it was built back in the 1880s. More than just a hotel, Kelley's was a place where community members gathered. Do you have memories of Kelley's? Share them in the comments!

From the University Archives. View our digital collections at: https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/custom/bhsu

10/17/2026

Watson Parker photographed the school building in Fruitdale, South Dakota, in 1995. It was built in the early 1920s and originally sat on Artesian Street, but was later moved to High Street. Fruitdale is located east of Belle Fourche in Butte County. The Fruitdale School is on the National Register of Historic Places.

From the Watson Parker Ghost Town Notebooks. See more images from the collection here: https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/WPGhosttown

10/10/2026

In 1926, a monument was installed in the middle of the intersection of 5th and Illinois streets to honor Spearfish pioneers on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the town. The monument was moved to City Park in 1962. It is shown here as it looked in 1972.

From the Father Eugene W. Szalay Collection. View more images from the collection here: https://tinyurl.com/BHSU-Szalay

10/03/2026

This undated view looks down Chicago Avenue in Hot Springs, SD. It is taken from part way up the hill where the old school and current museum building sits.

From the W. R. Cross Photograph Collection. Cross was a Hot Springs-based photographer who worked in the Black Hills beginning in the late 1880s until his death in 1907. See more images from his collection here: https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/WRCross

09/26/2026

Did you know that Homecoming festivities in 1926 did not include a football game? The main event for Homecoming that year was the dedication of Woodburn Hall, then called "College Hall." This photo shows homecoming queen Martha Olsen along with other performers from homecoming events.

From the University Archives. See more images from BH's history here: https://tinyurl.com/BHSUarchives

09/19/2026

This hand-colored lantern slide shows the fire lookout tower on Warren Peaks, Wyoming, in 1942. The structure was built in 1939 and was torn down in 1959 due to construction on the Sundance Air Force Station. A replacement tower was later built to the east of the original site.

From the Black Hills National Forest Historical Collection. See more images from the collection here: https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/BHNF

09/12/2026

Watson Parker photographed these structures at the Dakota Mine in 1978. It was located west of Trojan in Lawrence County.

From the Watson Parker Ghost Town Notebooks. See more images from the collection here: https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/WPGhosttown

09/05/2026

Who remembers the J Bar M Western Shop on the corner of Main and Hudson Streets? It opened in July of 1972 in the Valentine and Wolzmuth building, which was built in 1899. The building still stands in downtown Spearfish.

From the Father Eugene W. Szalay Collection. View more images from the collection here: https://tinyurl.com/BHSU-Szalay

Help us celebrate the founding of Spearfish in 1876 by tagging your historic photos of the town with

08/29/2026

Two bygone traditions related to initiating freshman BH students were the wearing of beanies and the whitewashing of the "H." This photo shows freshmen from 1961 participating in both!

From the University Archives. See more images from BH's history here: https://tinyurl.com/BHSUarchives

08/22/2026

Lead, South Dakota, photographer W.B. Perkins took this photograph of a natural arch in 1908. Does anyone know where it is?

From the F. L. Cook Photograph Collection. See more images from the collection here: https://tinyurl.com/BHSU-CookPhoto

Address

1200 University Street, Unit 9676
Spearfish, SD
57799

Telephone

+16056426361

Website

https://www.bhsu.edu/archives/

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