Who Really Found It First? — Black Hills Gold, Part One | South Dakota Mystery Hunters

During Custer's 1874 expedition into the Black Hills, gold was found on French Creek in late July 1874, and claims were staked August 5, 1874. The Gordon Party reached the Hills that December and built their stockade. The Homestake claim followed in April 1876 and ran for about 126 years. But the first question never got settled: was it Horace Ross or William McKay who panned the first gold? The record doesn't say — and we leave it open. The Hills had been guaranteed to the Lakota in the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie. In 1877 the United States took them without the three-fourths consent the treaty required. On June 30, 1980, the Supreme Court ruled the taking illegal and awarded $17.1 million plus 5% interest from 1877 — an award that passed $1 billion by 2018 and is still refused. Thinking question: Gold was found on French Creek in late July 1874 during Custer's 1874 expedition — was it Horace Ross or William McKay who panned first? The record doesn't settle it — what do you read in it? Thank you for watching — we appreciate every view. If you like what we do, please leave us a tip to help us on our adventures. Any tip is appreciated. Thank you! PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/JoshHarvey307 Cash App: $JoshHarvey9 Venmo: @Josh-Harvey-73 #SD605 #SD57730