If you have ever taken an American history course, you know that the mining industry was key to the formation of South Dakota and that many of these historic mines – although abandoned – still stand. One of the most famous and profitable of South Dakota mines was Homestake, which was officially closed in 2002 and then re-purposed into the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (AKA, the deepest underground laboratory in the country):

Before South Dakota even became a state in 1889, it was known near and far as a mecca for riches, thanks to General George Armstrong Custer's 1874 discovery, which, in turn, led to the iconic Black Hills Gold Rush. 
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, John C. H. Grabill Collection/Wikimedia Commons
After forcing Sioux tribes off the land, mines began to pop up all over the Mount Rushmore State, including Homestake, which was SoDak's biggest and most profitable.
Detroit Publishing Co./Wikimedia Commons
Between 1877 to 2002, Homestake Mine produced 41 million ounces of gold and 9 million ounces of silver, which amounted to tens of millions of dollars worth of gold each year.
James St. John/Wikimedia Commons

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In addition to being the most productive mine in the Western Hemisphere, Homestake is also reported to be one of the longest-listed stocks in the history of the New York Stock Exchange, where it was listed from 1879 to 2001. 
Flickr/Penn State
In 2006, after sitting empty for 4 years, Homestake Mine was transformed into the Sanford Underground Research Facility, which studies how the universe even exists  (which they predict to be not only equal parts matter and antimatter, but neutrinos).
Google/Matthew Kapust
Despite the Homestake Mine now being one of the premier scientific research facilities in the country, few have had a chance to get a good glimpse of it, which we now have thanks to this stunning drone footage from Camp Slasher:
Rachel Harris/Wikimedia Commons

To get a good look at the Homestake Mine during its prime, check out Rare Footage In The 1940s Shows South Dakota In A Completely Different Way.

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