What the record shows
The federal survey describes the site: Ghost town; Rushmore Cave is located here.
Settled in late 1876 by Charles Hayward, for whom the community was named. Mr. Hayward found plcer diggings here along Battle Creek. (SD-T17/p132) Former county seat of Custer County, until it was discovered to be over the line into Pennington County.
Haywardappears in the U.S. Geological Survey's place-name archive as a historical populated place — a settlement that once carried a name and no longer does. Our editors are verifying its full story against census records, newspaper archives, and county histories; this record will grow as sources are confirmed.
Before you visit
Unverified sites may sit on private land, and coordinates from historical records can be imprecise. Verify land status and access before traveling. Take photographs, leave nails — removing artifacts from federal land is a crime.
See it in context on the national atlas map.
From the field
The most valuable part of this record is the part only visitors can write.
Stamp your passport
Check in at Hayward — GPS-verified visits earn an inked stamp.
File a field report
Road conditions, what's still standing, what's gone — your report joins the record.
Add photographs
Credited, dated, and preserved as part of Hayward's permanent record.
No field reports yet — sign in to file the first.