The D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives, also known as the Spearfish Fisheries Center or Spearfish Fisheries Complex and formerly known as the Spearfish National Fish Hatchery, is one of 70

fish hatcheries A fish hatchery is a place for artificial breeding, hatching, and rearing through the early life stages of animals—finfish and shellfish in particular.Crespi V., Coche A. (2008) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Gloss ...

that were opened by the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with oth ...

as part of the

National Fish Hatchery System The National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS) was established by the U.S. Congress in 1871 through the creation of a U.S. Commissioner for Fish and Fisheries. This system of fish hatcheries is now administered by the Fisheries Program of the U.S. Fish ...

. The hatchery was established near

Spearfish, South Dakota Spearfish (Lakota: ''Hočhápȟe'') is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota. The population was 12,193 at the time of the 2020 census. History Before the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1876, the area was used by Native Americans (primarily bands ...

in 1896, with the purpose of

introducing Introducing or Introducing... may refer to: Albums * ''Introducing'' (Bombay Rockers album), 2003 * '' Introducing... The Beatles'', 1964 * '' Introducing... Mari Hamada'', 1993 * '' Introducing...Rubén González'', 1997 * '' Introducing ... Tal ...

and establishing populations of

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...

in the

Black Hills The Black Hills ( lkt, Ȟe Sápa; chy, Moʼȯhta-voʼhonáaeva; hid, awaxaawi shiibisha) is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black Elk P ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

and

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

. It is one of the oldest fish hatcheries in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and is the second-oldest in the

American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

. The hatchery spawns and releases about 20,000 to 30,000

rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...

each year. The hatchery doubles as a fisheries

archive An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or ...

with the purpose of preserving records and early historical artifacts. It is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

Buildings and exhibits

The Von Bayer Museum of Fish Culture is located inside the original 1899 hatchery building, as well as the Collection Management Facility, which was built in 1989. The museum houses over 185,000 artifacts of fish culture, making it the largest collection of such items in the United States. Only a few of the artifacts are on display; the rest are kept in a storage room. The Neo-Colonial Revival Booth House was built by D.C. Booth in 1905 as a home for himself and his family. The wooden house was built on a rusticated

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

foundation Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...

. The house has been preserved, and tours are offered to visitors. Fish Car No. 3 is a reproduction of a railcar that was used before the invention of

refrigerated The term refrigeration refers to the process of removing heat from an enclosed space or substance for the purpose of lowering the temperature.International Dictionary of Refrigeration, http://dictionary.iifiir.org/search.phpASHRAE Terminology, ht ...

tanker truck Tanker may refer to: Transportation * Tanker, a tank crewman (US) * Tanker (ship), a ship designed to carry bulk liquids ** Chemical tanker, a type of tanker designed to transport chemicals in bulk ** Oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanke ...

s. For about 66 years, ten railcars like this one were used to haul trout throughout the Black Hills. The nearby ice house is a replica of the 1899 original. Once used to store blocks of ice for transporting fish and their eggs, it currently serves as the Fish Culture Hall of Fame to honor pioneers and innovators in the field of

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...

. The Yellowstone Boat, or U.S. Fisheries Boat #39, was used by fish hatchery workers on expeditions to

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowston ...

to collect trout eggs. The operation began in 1901 and ended in 1911. The boat was restored and is on display. The Pond Gift Shop and information center is located in a restored turn-of-the-century hatchery building. The main fish viewing area includes feeding machines that visitors can operate. There is also an underwater viewing area beside the main fish area. Two

hiking trails A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...

run along the borders of the site.

History

This particular center was funded by a

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

passed through

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

to create a Black Hills fish hatchery. Hector Von Bayer was sent by the

United States Fish Commission The United States Fish Commission, formally known as the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries, was an agency of the United States government created in 1871 to investigate, promote, and preserve the fisheries of the United States. In 1 ...

to find a suitable site; Von Bayer reported back that he thought Ames Canyon, south of Spearfish, would be the best spot for the hatchery. That location was then occupied by a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

operated by John Johnson, but Johnson agreed to sell the land and left the area to participate in the Klondike Gold Rush. The building of the hatchery was supervised by H. A. Bush and was done mainly by John Russell. Construction was delayed by a harsh winter in 1898-1899, but the hatchery was completed by July 1899. The center opened as the Spearfish National Fish Hatchery in 1896 and was under the scope of the newly founded National Fish Hatchery System. The complex included 17 ponds and a main hatchery building; these facilities used

spring water A spring is a point of exit at which groundwater from an aquifer flows out on top of Earth's crust (pedosphere) and becomes surface water. It is a component of the hydrosphere. Springs have long been important for humans as a source of fresh w ...

. In late July 1899, 100,000 blackspotted trout eggs arrived to begin populating the hatchery. Dewitt Clinton Booth, the first superintendent and a

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

native, traveled to the new hatchery from the

Leadville National Fish Hatchery Leadville National Fish Hatchery established in 1889 west of Leadville, Colorado is one of 70 hatcheries in the National Fish Hatchery System. It is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. It lies within the Mount Massive Wildern ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

. A few days after the eggs arrived, the area was hit by a

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice or snow flowing o ...

, and all of the eggs were washed away and destroyed. Booth later added two storm channels to prevent further flooding. Booth and his employees cleaned up the grounds and finished the hatchery building. At completion, the building was able to hold a maximum of 2.5 million eggs among 48 troughs. Booth described the winter conditions at the hatchery as being "very favorable for incubation." The first trout were released in Little Spearfish Creek and Whitewood Creek in April 1900. Together, the creeks took 25,000 blackspotted trout and

brook trout The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae. It is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere ...

. One year later, Loch Leven brown trout were stocked in

Nemo Nemo may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Games * ''Nemo'' (arcade game), a 1990 arcade game by Capcom based on ''Little Nemo'' * NEMO (video game console), an unreleased console Music * Nemo (American band), an indie rock band * Nemo ...

, and that fall,

were stocked in Spearfish Creek and Iron Creek. In 1904, another flood occurred, causing further damage to the grounds. As a result, Booth built ten-foot-high bulkheads. Booth built a home for himself and his family in 1905 and stayed at the hatchery for 34 years. The hatchery closed in 1983 after

budget cut Austerity is a set of political-economic policies that aim to reduce government budget deficits through spending cuts, tax increases, or a combination of both. There are three primary types of austerity measures: higher taxes to fund spend ...

s forced the closure of the site. The hatchery, still managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, still allowed visitors but could not continue operations. The hatchery reopened in 1989 as the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, in honor of Booth, and after forming new partnerships. The hatchery was renovated in 1995. In August 2013, it was announced that the hatchery would shut down on October 1, 2013, after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a nationwide hatchery shutdown due to priority being given to other programs and insufficient funding. The announcement was met with opposition by U.S. Senator Tim Johnson and U.S. Representative

Kristi Noem Kristi Lynn Noem (; née Arnold; born November 30, 1971) is an American politician serving as the 33rd governor of South Dakota since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was the U.S. representative for from 2011 to 2019 and a member ...

, both from South Dakota; as well as Spearfish Mayor Dana Boke. Due to public efforts to keep the hatchery open, its closure was indefinitely suspended in September, with its operations allowed to continue through the 2014 Fiscal Year.

Tourism and economic impact

According to a 2007 study by

Black Hills State University Black Hills State University (BHSU) is a public university in Spearfish, South Dakota. Close to 4,000 students attend classes at its campus in Spearfish, at sites in Rapid City and Pierre, and through distance offerings. Enrollment comes from ...

, the hatchery's operations generate $2.1 million in revenue for local businesses annually. Approximately $1 million is spent in Spearfish by nonresidents who visited the town because of the hatchery. The Booth Society, a nonprofit group that aims to preserve the hatchery, estimated that in 2011, every tax dollar that supported the hatchery generated $28 for the local community. The hatchery has an annual average of 155,000 visitors.

Notes

References

External links