South Dakota is rich in history and many museums across the state take measures to preserve their historical items for future generations to enjoy. A visit to the Homestake Adams Research & Cultural Center in Deadwood shows that preserving those items of old is a painstaking yet necessary process.
The gold rush of 1870’s brought scores of people to South Dakota and mining quickly became a way of life for many. As technology advanced old methods and equipment were discarded in favor of newer, more modern versions. But many of those old, outdated items survived more than a century and are housed in museums across the state.
Deadwood History Inc.’s Archiving Assistant Jessica Michak says the state’s historically significant items are meticulously cared for in order to preserve them.
“Basically what we’re trying to do is fight against anything that can deteriorate the records and it’s kind of things you wouldn’t even think about – temperature, humidity, light, and then there’s always the way things are stored, and pests as well,” says Michak.
Michak says the Homestake Adams Research & Cultural Center takes careful steps to keep its items - like original Homestake records from 1877, plattes, surveys, and old maps & photographs of the mine protected.
She says as items come in staples, tape, and rubber bands are also removed - and storing items correctly is critical to keeping them in good condition.
“Paper documents, the books, journals, correspondence, notes, anything like that – we try to keep the temperature at seventy degrees and thirty to fifty percent humidity,” says Michak.
Photos and film are kept in cooler temps. Michak says paper items are flattened and unfolded using a hydrating method. She says there is even a method for removing bugs.
“For pests, whether they’re living or not, if it’s just the remnants of them we deep freeze those materials and usually leave I believe it’s for forty-eight hours, if not more than that. By deep freezing them you can kill whatever is currently living and then you would vacuum the materials out,” says Michak.
The Homestake Adams Research & Cultural Center in Deadwood also houses furniture from the Homestake Mine, a geologic collection, and Potato Creek Johnny’s original gold nugget.
