Hefty Gold Bar Robbery — Pennington County

Sun shading (lidar)

Adjust simulated sun direction on the lidar hillshade. Azimuth = compass bearing of the light (0° north, 90° east). Altitude = height above the horizon (low = long shadows).

Historical map overlays

USGS scanned historical topographic maps. Enable an overlay and adjust its opacity. Works in 2D and 3D.

Sun azimuth: 315°   Sun altitude: 45°   Z factor: 1   Lidar opacity: 1
center: —   mouse: —   zoom: —

Hefty Gold Bar Robbery — Pennington County

Lost Treasure SD • Pennington County County
Description
Rapid City fringe legend of two 500-pound gold ingots buried in a small wash about ten miles east of town — among the boldest physical claims in Great Plains treasure literature.
Historical Notes
W.C. Jameson's South Dakota chapter and The Rocker Box Pennington County list repeat the twin ingot tale for the Rapid City eastern foothills — bars supposedly cached after a robbery rather than mined locally. The story imagines smelter or assay-office bullion hidden on the prairie margin between Rapid City and the Badlands escarpment, where shallow washes offered quick concealment. No smelter ingots of that size have been documented as lost in Pennington County archives; the tale remains active folklore. Coordinates mark eastern Pennington County wash country.
Status / Verification legend — Legendary or approximate

Take Add Data / Take Notes

Log in or create an account to save private field notes for this location. Your notes are only visible to you.

Forgot password?
or

Enter your email and we'll send you a link to reset your password.

Back to log in
or