Big Bottom, South Dakota

Big Bottom (1878–1887) is a ghost town in Meade County, South Dakota, United States.[2]

Big Bottom, South Dakota
Town
Big Bottom Location of Big Bottom in South Dakota.
Coordinates: 44°35′08″N 103°31′22″W[1]
Country	United States of America
State	South Dakota
County	Meade
Founded	1878
Abandoned	c. 1887
Founded by	Thomas D. Pryor
Elevation [1]	2,995 ft (913 m)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)

History

Big Bottom was founded in 1878 by Thomas D. Pryor. He built a two-story frame house for himself and added a dance hall and saloon, both of which became very well known to the locals. In 1880, a post office was established, and a school soon followed. However, the anticipated railroad bypassed the town, and in 1887, the store and saloon closed their doors. Today, the town is completely abandoned, and little remains.[2]

Geography

Big Bottom is located on the Great Plains in western Meade County, South Dakota. The only remaining structure is the basement foundation of Pryor's house.[2]

References

1. "GNIS Detail - Big Bottom (historical)." USGS. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey., 23 Sept. 1986. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Web. 20 Aug. 2013.
2. Parker, Watson, and Hugh K. Lambert. Black Hills Ghost Towns. First ed. Vol. 1. Chicago, IL: The Swallow Press Incorporated, 1974. 46. 1 vols. Print.