The Homestake Mine Through the Years -- From Nuggets to Neutrinos, the Mine Continues to Evolve to Help Science and Society

STURGIS, S.D., Nov. 30, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Much has been written about the Black Hills (Custer) Expedition of 1874 and the famous battles of the Great Sioux War of 1876-1877. But, except for a few good works, not as much has been spared on the rich mining history of the Black Hills. Author Steven Mitchell takes this project and shares it with all so the historic information and story will live on. In Nuggets to Neutrinos: The Homestake Story, he recounts the Homestake story and shows how it continues to evolve today -- from a productive mine to an underground laboratory.

The Homestake legacy began to unfold with the discovery of placer gold in Deadwood Gulch in August 1875 -- just one year after the discovery of gold in the Black Hills of Dakota Territory by members of the Custer Expedition. The ensuing gold rush precipitated the Great Sioux War of 1876-1877 and culminated with the Battle of the Little Big Horn and the expropriation of the Black Hills from the Great Sioux Reservation. The famous Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota was located in 1876. A year later, George Hearst, Lloyd Tevis, and James B. Haggin purchased the mine and immediately formed Homestake Mining Company. This began the development of the company's flagship mine that produced forty million ounces of gold prior to its closure in 2001. But the mine's legacy continues to flourish. Today, the 8,000-foot-deep mine is being converted into a deep underground science and engineering laboratory where scientists will conduct research on dark matter, astrophysics, double beta decay, and solar neutrinos. Pending federal approvals, the laboratory will be transitioned into a world-class center for science, education, and outreach with primary campuses on the 4,850- and 7,400-foot levels.

Nuggets to Neutrinos is an informative, historical book that takes readers to the origins, development, and evolution of the great Homestake Mine. Featuring illustrations and images to supplement the reading material, the book describes history in the making. For more information on this book, log on to www.Xlibris.com.

About the Author

Steven T. Mitchell is a native of Lead, South Dakota, and a lifelong resident of the Black Hills of South Dakota. He obtained BS and MS Degrees in Mining Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 1976-77. During his summer breaks from school, he was employed by Homestake Mining Company. As a summer student, he gained invaluable experience working as a student laborer throughout the various surface departments and later as a student miner underground. In 1977, Mitchell went to work full-time at the Homestake Mine, making him a fourth-generation employee of the company. He subsequently worked in various engineering and management positions, including mine superintendent and Open Cut superintendent. After the mine closed in 2001, he participated in the early planning effort to transfer much of the mine property from Homestake Mining Company to the state of South Dakota for the purpose of converting the mine into a science and engineering laboratory. In 2002, he formed S. Mitchell & Associates Inc. After contracting with Homestake Mining Company, he helped define and implement a comprehensive decommissioning, closure, and reclamation plan for the Homestake Mine. Since 2007, Mitchell has been writing and working as a part-time employee and advisor for the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority, which is transforming the 8,000-foot-deep Homestake Mine into an underground science and engineering laboratory. His hobbies include fishing, hunting, golfing, gold prospecting, and researching early Black Hills history. He and his wife, Cindy, live near Sturgis, South Dakota. They have two grown children, Brian and Sheryl.

Members of the media who wish to review this book may request a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7479. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7876. Retail purchases may be made from Xlibris (www.Xlibris.com), Mitchell's Black Hills Books (www.MitchellsBlackHillsBooks.com), and local bookstores.