What the record shows
Mining town; named in 1878 by HN Maguire for the Pactolus River, source of the wealth of ancient Lydia. General George Crook established his camp there in 1875 to prevent miners from entering the Black Hills in violation of the treaty of Fourt Laramie of 1868. Inundated in early 1950s upon creation of the Pactola Reseroir.
Pactolaappears 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 Pactola — 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.
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Credited, dated, and preserved as part of Pactola's permanent record.
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