New DAR Chapter honors area residents

Hank Frawley

Four residents of the northern Black Hills were honored today (9/20/14) by the Daughters of the American Revolution for their individual accomplishments in historic preservation and community service.  They were guests of honor at an afternoon recognition tea at the Whitewood Community Hall.  The event was sponsored by the Catherine Thybo DAR Chapter, which is based in Belle Fourche.

Leading the list of honorees was Henry J. (Hank) Frawley, who was awarded the National Historic Preservation Medal for his long and enduring work in historic preservation.  The 77-year-old Frawley has been a nearly life-long resident of the Centennial Prairie area between Deadwood and Spearfish.  His grandfather Frawley was a frontier attorney in the early days of Deadwood and expanded his interests to mining and ranching.  Once the largest ranching operation in Lawrence County, Hank Frawley has worked tirelessly to preserve significant portions of what remains of the original "Frawley Ranches,"  the Centennial School, a pioneer dugout, and more.   His efforts resulted in the Frawley Ranch being listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1977.

Lynn Namminga

An Historic Preservation Recognition Award was presented to Deadwood resident Lynn Namminga, whose restored Victorian home at 12 Lincoln Avenue is considered one of the "jewels in Deadwood's historical crown."  By the time he bought the home more than 10 years ago, it had fallen into major disrepair.  From the foundation to the roof, major repairs and restorations were made, and the home has been finished and furnished in a manner reflective of elegant homes at the beginning of the 20th century.  (Take a quick photo tour of our Namminga Gallery). Namminga continues to offer his skills for other community restoration projects, and he serves on both the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission and the Lawrence County Historical Society board of directors.

Al Shaw of Belle Fourche and Mary Gallup-Livingston of Whitewood were presented Community Service Awards from the DAR.  Both have long and impressive records of volunteerism in their communities.

Community Service award recipients
Al Shaw and Mary Gallup-Livingston

Gallup-Livingston was a key organizer for the 125th Anniversary of Whitewood's incorporation in Dakota Territory.  She served as chair of the Legacy Committee, which completed a major legacy activity for each month of 2013.  Her volunteerism has ranged from working with both the Whitewood Senior Citizen Association to young people alike.   She was instrumental in getting the "Tree City USA" designation for Whitewood and also is a member of the Genie Club, which provides volunteer genealogical work.  She serves on the board of directors for the Lawrence County Historical Society and was lead writer for Lawrence County Town Timelines.

Shaw is a World War II vet whose list of volunteer activities is also long and diverse.  And having served as ball turret gunner on a B-17, he has never forgotten the plight of less fortunate veterans.  Shaw has chalked up thousands of miles driving a Disabled Veteran's Van for veterans needing to get to Fort Meade and Rapid City.  He has served as part of a military color guard for many years and has been a classroom speaker regarding his experiences.  Among his most gratifying volunteer experiences was serving some 30 years as a member of the Belle Fourche Volunteer Fire Department.   He has been a regular volunteer with "Meals on Wheels" and a long-time member of the Belle Fourche Lions Club, assisting with projects like the picnic shelters in city parks.

This was among the first initiatives of the relatively new Catherine Thybo Chapter of the DAR.  For a few additional photos, visit our Black Hills Gallery.

In 2015, the DAR will be celebrating its 125th anniversary.  Organized in 1890, it is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women's service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better eduction for children.  It is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Winds don't deter history buffs on LCHS Fall Tour

By Norma Kraemer, LCHS President

The fall Lawrence County Historical Society had a great tour on Saturday, September 28.  The weather was bright and sunny, although high winds followed us on our route.  About 25 people drove to the various locations that started with the Anderson Ranch near Whitewood. 

Whitewood native Elaine Albrandt (left) poses with Hank Frawley (right) in front of her painting of the James Anderson Ranch, drawn from a circa 1890 photo.

We were blessed with Hank Frawley being our host and guide to his great grandparents’ ranch. He has spent the last few decades trying to restore the historic buildings that made up a very successful dairy farm before the turn of the 20th Century.  Most of the restoration is completed, which was aided by Deadwood Historic Preservation grants. 

Touring historic Anderson Ranch near Whitewood

The Anderson Ranch had beautiful stone construction that needed major renovation.  Hank found it better to gut the structures, repair the exterior walls, and redo the interiors.  He talked of the challenges of finding historically accurate materials to do the job right.  He also showed us some of the other artifacts found during restoration and talked of how the location of the ranch has probably been a popular place for human habitation for thousands of years, based on the Indian artifacts found.  Because of the spring that supplies water year round at about 40°F, it made the dairy possible before there was electricity. 

Little Dane Church

After over an hour at the Anderson Ranch we headed to the Little Dane Church to view the historic church and cemetery.  While no longer an active congregation, the church and its well-maintained cemetery are a tribute to the Scandinavian settlers along Dry Creek, south of St. Onge.

We then proceeded to the Minuteman Missile site K-05 as we drove towards St. Onge.  After explaining its significance during the Cold War, Vernon Davis talked about his experiences as a contractor in maintaining the sites. 

Next on the tour was a picnic lunch at the St. Onge City Park.  Thank goodness the park had a windbreak so we had a respite from the wind.  After showing historic pictures of early St. Onge and Vernon Davis talking about what we would be seeing we set out on a walking tour of the town to see what remains today.  

An historic building (1910) in St. Onge

Then we drove up to the Rodeo Grounds to see the tombstone of Jimmy Irons.  Headed back to St. Onge we looked at the abandoned school that had an enrollment at one time of 100 students, the last remaining church, the UCC church and then the city cemetery that has two entrances, one for the Catholics and one for the Protestants.  Vernon Davis had grown up in the area and added unique insights to the area history that is much appreciated. 

After this successful tour, we need to start thinking Spring and where we can go next?  

(Note:  Thanks to Sam Namminga, Mary Gallup-Livingston, and Norma Kraemer for sharing photos!  You'll find a wide array of photographs in our LCHS Gallery)