Pa-ha-sa-pah; or, The Black Hills of South Dakota

This illustrated volume was published in 1895 by a missionary who lived for seven years in South Dakota. It is a complete history of the gold and wonder-land of the Dakotas, from the remotest date up to the the present date, comprising a full account of the original inhabitants, the whites who came in contact with them; opening up of the country for civilization, and its social and political development.Excerpts from the Introduction:It was in September, 1882, when coming from Europe where I had finished my education, that I was put in charge of St. Ambrose Parish at Deadwood and the Missions in the Black Hills. Rev. J. J. Shea was at that time pastor at Lead, and by mutual agreement we exchanged frequently our outside work, and I was thus placed gradually in contact with all the people and places in the Black Hills. Naturally desirous for information regarding all that pertained to this grand region of the Northwest I found that outside of local newspaper accounts the resources for information were rather meager, and that what existed was difficult of access. But gradually the notes and " clips " I got from here and there amounted to considerable material, and when a well-meaning friend suggested the publication of the same, another true friend warned me saying; " I pity a friend of mine who goes into book-making." Still believing that a benefit would be conferred upon the public by making it easier to others than it had been for me to become acquainted with the country, I collected wherever I could get hold of anything referring to the Black Hills, and regardless of expenses obtained all books where mention is made of the region. Oral information was often unintentionally given on the many and often long " trips " across the country on stage or hack lines. For over five years I had to travel about two hundred miles weekly in and around the Hills on wheels. The companions on the public conveyances did their share to make me acquainted with Western life and manners. But I must say here that never did they allow themselves to be carried away to such an extent as to use in my presence rude or unbecoming language. In case the weather would cause me to wrap shawl and furs so tight around me that I was hardly recognizable, and thus my presence not noticed, a sharp cut, " Don't you know that a priest is in the coach " had the desired effect. The con- versation became often most interesting, and many a line within this book owes its origin to these " trips." My frequent contact with the Indians made me ac- quainted with many of their habits and modes of life ; lengthy conversation with many of the chief men among them led to a knowledge of their ideas and their history as to their migration from the East to the West. Their traditions are many, and I may say that some of them are published here for the first time. Tbe " bringing in " of the Spanish explorers may seem to some rather "' far-fetched," but in my opinion a valuable starting-point is given to the future historian who may thereby be able to explain a great many of tbe ideas of the Indians, who have distorted, misconceived and wrongly handed down by tradition some things which they learned centuries ago from the Spaniards. Besides remnants of old cabins, places of abode as shown by their ruins to have had Europeans for their builders are found around the Black Hills, and might they not be of Spanish origin?