About Spearfish... In 1833 Ezra Kind led a group of 7 men into the Black Hills of South Dakota in search of gold. As the story goes the men had found more than enough gold which made it difficult to carry their new found riches by horse and the men were eventually attacked by Indians. After 54 years, another man by the name of Louis Thoen found a stone where it is believed that Kind had etched the story of their experience in 1833. The stone found by Louis Thoen was nicknamed the "Thone Stone" but even today its authenticity is often disputed. Frank Thomson would not let the stop him from telling the story of the 7 men. He would write a book in 1966 which he entitled The Thoen Stone which compliments the evidence of 1833 adventure. Spearfish is located in the valley of Spearfish Creek which was originally called Spearfish River. The area was named because of the early 1800's fur trappers and Indians who would travel to the stream in order to spear fish. It is believed that when naming the area there were no other discussions as to other possible names for the region. Spearfish, also known today as the Queen City, is surrounded by three prominent mountain peaks - Lookout Mountain, Spearfish Mountain and Crow Peak. The first settlers came to the area in 1876 when a small group of individuals  and their families came to the area with hopes of owning land. The individuals decided to award the claim to land by pulling names out of a hat. Spearfish became a quiet farming town far removed from the tawdry reputation (at the time) of such cities as Deadwood, Lead, and Central City. The main crop became apples, potatoes and other vegetables while hay and other feed kept the livestock well fed. A flour mill ran full time utilizing the grain that came from the local farms and ranches. The mill itself was powered by the stream of Spearfish Creek. Two sawmills also operated with power from the stream. Spearfish Creek became such an active role in the growth of the community when in 1898 the Federal Fish Hatchery was established which is known today as the D.C. Booth Historic Fish Hatchery. In 1883, the Spearfish Normal School (now known as Black Hills State University) was established.  Fayette L. Cook took the position of president of the school holding a degree in horticulture. Cook became quite active in the Spearfish farming community and quickly became a strong supporter of the fruit and vegetable farms popping up through out the area. Before too long Cook had large strawberry fields which produced well over 35,000 quarts of berries every season. In 1893, a railroad was built through Spearfish Canyon for the purpose of bringing ore from the mines for processing, but it soon became an outstanding scenic attraction of the Black Hills.  The railroad was destroyed in the disastrous flood of 1933.  Because of the popularity of Spearfish Canyon, and due to local interest, a roadway was petitioned in 1897 to be built once again through Spearfish Canyon. Over the years the town continued to grow at a consistent ratio. While many communities were losing population in the days of the depression (1930) Spearfish managed to maintain its population and continued to see growth in the years to follow. Matthew's Opera House was established in 1906 and quickly became the focal point of Spearfish entertainment. The opera house still stands today on Main Street. Josef Meier brought Spearfish further into the arts by bringing the Black Hills Passion Play to the stage in 1938. Today Spearfish continues to prosper as it lives on proving once again that the present day motto holds true... "The Best of the West."