What's in a name? In the Black Hills, curious and interesting stories lurk behind many names. Take the case of Nemo. This village was named by a superstitious prospector who thought it was a good omen when a lump of quartz rolled down a hill in front of him. To keep from changing his luck, the miner spelled "omen" backwards when naming his town site.

    False Bottom Creek got its name in the summer of 1876. Before then it was just another nameless creek north of Central City. This creek had been thoroughly prospected down to bedrock under the creek was only a "false bottom." Riches were said to await those who dug still deeper. Miners stampeded back to the creek. But still no gold was found in what has since been called False Bottom Creek.

    The Homestake Mine was named by miners who only hoped they had staked out a claim big enough to pay their way back home. Perhaps they even dreamed of a stake that would buy a new home. But their Homestake turned out to be so much more-the Western Hemisphere's biggest gold mine.

    The town of Buffalo Gap is named for a nearby gap in the Hills. Through this canyon great herds of buffalo migrated from the plains into the grasslands of today's Wind Cave and Custer Parks. Evidence of this "buffalo highway' is still visible.

    The Holy Terror Mine of Keystone was discovered in 1894. The Owner, a man with a sense of humor, always said he named the mine after his wife.

    Finally, there is Hisega, a community established in 1908. It is the name dreamed up by six young girls who picnicked at their site. Their names were Helen, Ida, Sadie, Ethel, Grace and Ada. The initials of those names spell HISEGA.

10/01/03