Keystone is a town 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 ...

region of Pennington County,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

, United States. The population was 240 at the 2020 census. It had its origins in 1883 as a mining town, and has since transformed itself into a resort town, serving the needs of the millions of visitors to the

Mount Rushmore National Memorial Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a national memorial centered on a colossal sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore (Lakota: ''Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe'', or Six Grandfathers) in the Black Hills near Keystone, South Dakota ...

, which is located just beyond the town limits. Keystone was heavily damaged in the

1972 Black Hills flood The Black Hills Flood of 1972, also known as the Rapid City Flood, was the most detrimental flood in South Dakota history, and one of the deadliest floods in U.S. history. The flood took place on June 9–10, 1972 in the Black Hills of Western ...

. The town took its name from a local mine, which most likely was named after the keystone Masonic symbol.

Geography

Keystone is located at . According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the town has a total area of , all land. Keystone has been assigned the ZIP code 57751 and the

FIPS place code The Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) of the United States are a set of publicly announced standards that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed for use in computer systems of non-military, American ...

33820.

Demographics

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 337 people, 153 households, and 81 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 230 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 93.8% White, 3.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.3%. Of the 153 households 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.1% were non-families. 34.0% of households were one person and 10.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age in the town was 42.8 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.5% were from 25 to 44; 33.5% were from 45 to 64; and 12.8% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.7% male and 49.3% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 311 people, 152 households, and 84 families living in the town. The population density was 108.6 people per square mile (42.0/km²). There were 209 housing units at an average density of 73.0 per square mile (28.2/km²). The

of the town was 95.50% White, 1.93% Native American, 0.32% from other races, and 2.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.54%. Of the 152 households 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.1% were non-families. 35.5% of households were one person and 11.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.60. The age distribution was 20.9% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 30.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males. The median household income was $26,406, and the median family income was $36,250. Males had a median income of $24,219 versus $17,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,828. About 13.9% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 17.9% of those under age 18 and 23.3% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Among its tourist attractions is the Black Hills Central Railroad, built in 1900 for

gold. It now operates passenger trains pulled by preserved steam locomotives. Another prominent local attraction is The National Presidential Wax Museum, which features wax sculptures of every president in U.S. history and several notable Sioux Chiefs, inventors, and international political figures. The wax figures are the work of world-renowned wax sculptor Katherine Stubergh whose notable works include wax figures used in

Gone With the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

and the 1953 film House of Wax. Carrie Ingalls (sister of ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books is a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adolescence in the American Midwest (Wisconsin, Kansas, ...

'' author

Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American writer, mostly known for the '' Little House on the Prairie'' series of children's books, published between 1932 and 1943, which were based on her childhood ...

) spent a significant part of her adult life there, living with her husband David N. Swanzey and his children. Her sister

Mary Ingalls Mary Amelia Ingalls (January 10, 1865 – October 20, 1928) was born near the town of Pepin, Wisconsin. She was the first child of Caroline and Charles Ingalls and older sister of author Laura Ingalls Wilder, known for her '' Little House'' book ...

lived with them as an adult. Both Carrie and Mary died in Keystone, but were buried in the family plot in De Smet, South Dakota, De Smet. Bobby Buntrock, who played Harold on the TV series ''Hazel (TV series), Hazel'', is buried in Keystone. This town was one of the filming locations for the Columbia Pictures 1994 comedy film ''North (1994 film), North''.

In popular culture

Photo gallery

File:Dean Franklin - 06.04.03 Mount Rushmore Monument (by-sa)-2 new.jpg, Mount Rushmore File:National Presidential Wax Museum.jpg, The National Presidential Wax Museum, a private museum in Keystone File:BHC RR in 2001.jpg, Black Hills Central Railroad File:Keystone Wye Bridges.jpg, Keystone Wye just north of the town File:Griphite-339032.jpg, Identification card of griphite mineral File:Spodumene - large crystals in granite - Etta mine, Keystone, Pennington County, South Dakota.jpg, Crystals at the Etta Mine File:Keystone South Dakota schools, 1895 and 1899, now a museum.jpg, Keystone schools from 1895 and 1899, now a museum

References

External links

Keystone History
{{Authority control Populated places established in 1883 Towns in South Dakota Towns in Pennington County, South Dakota Rapid City, South Dakota metropolitan area Black Hills 1883 establishments in Dakota Territory