Location:
Lawrence County
Hwy 85 at intersection of Polo Loop Road (North)
Deadwood, SD 57732
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude: 44.42793438298953
Longitude: -103.71538375821203
Historical Significance:
In 1940, fourteen South Dakota chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) contributed funds for the planting of 18,000 Ponderosa “penny pines” in a 25 acre tract along the west side of Highway 85, about 4½ miles from Deadwood on the road to Spearfish. Penny pines, so named for their cost of one penny apiece, were planted by the Black Hills National Forest in conjunction with the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.). The planting commemorated the Golden Jubilee of the National Society DAR (50th anniversary of founding). In 1939, DAR President General Mrs. Henry M. Robert chose the Penny Pine program to help the National Forests recover from over-harvesting, devastating fires, and little replanting. Margaret March-Mount, “Ambassador of Trees,” envisioned a nation of healthy trees and was credited with inspiring the National Society DAR to plant five million seedlings in 36 states and the District of Columbia. This marker is a replacement of the original marker dedicated on November 3, 1940, and funded in 2017 by Mary Chilton DAR Foundation.
Historical Destinations:
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State/County: State Historical Commission
Historical Marker:
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Marker Date: November 3, 2017
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State of Marker Organization: South Dakota
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Marker Organization: Erected by Black Hills Chapter NSDAR, funded by Mary Chilton DAR Foundation
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Marker Text:
In 1940, fourteen South Dakota chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution contributed funds for the planting of 18,000 Ponderosa “penny pines” in a 25 acre tract along the west side of Highway 85, about 4½ miles from Deadwood on the road to Spearfish. Penny pines, so named for their cost of one penny apiece, were planted by the Black Hills National Forest in conjunction with the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.). The planting commemorated the Golden Jubilee of the National Society DAR (50th anniversary of founding). In 1939, DAR’s President General, Mrs. Henry M. Robert, chose the Penny Pine program to help the National Forests recover from over-harvesting, devastating fires, and little replanting. Margaret March-Mount, “Ambassador of Trees,” envisioned a nation of healthy trees and was credited with inspiring the National Society DAR to plant five million seedlings in 36 states and the District of Columbia.
This marker is a replacement of the original marker dedicated on November 3, 1940. Funded in 2017 by Mary Chilton DAR Foundation"
Funding:
This property is part of the Black Hills National Forest and is managed and maintained by the United States Forest Service. The original funding for the 18,000 trees was provided by the South Dakota DAR.
Physical Condition:
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Preserve
Tourism:
Catalogues: Yes - Website Link
Acknowledgement:
A 25-acre DAR Forest of 18,000 Ponderosa Penny Pines was planted in the Black Hills in 1940 on the west side of Hwy 85 about 4 1/2 miles north of Deadwood on the way to Spearfish. The original marker, dedicated on November 3, 1940, went missing at some point. Exactly 77 years later, a rededication ceremony took place on November 3, 2017. This rededication was spearheaded by the Black Hills Chapter NSDAR, Rapid City, South Dakota, and a new marker was placed on the east side of the road at the Polo Loop Road pull-out. The new marker was funded by the Mary Chilton DAR Foundation, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The 1940 DAR Penny Pines Forest is included on the South Dakota State Society Historical Markers list.
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