Whiskey and Black Hills History

Beyond The Granite Faces: The People's History of Keystone

In the Season 1 finale, History Below The Pines steps away from the shadows of Mount Rushmore to explore the "People’s History of Keystone" at its most enduring landmark: Halley’s General Store. Founded in the 1880s by a ventriloquist wagon peddler known as "Cheap John," Halley’s has evolved from a 19th-century mercantile into a living museum that remains virtually unchanged today. Levi Kessler, the founder of History Below The Pines sits down with current owner Will Nelson and local historian Bernard to discuss how this single building served as the heartbeat of a mining town—supplying everything from 1880s fashion to the dynamite used by Gutzon Borglum’s crew to carve the faces on the mountain. This is another episode you will not want to miss! Thank you all for tuning in this season and we will be back soon for another season of The Storytellers' Collection Podcast! See you next season! - HBP

From Ore to "I DO"

In this episode of the Storytellers Collection, we journey deep into the Black Hills to explore the remarkable transformation of a 125-year-old mica mine. First claimed in 1901, this bustling pegmatite mine once employed 50 men and fueled the industrial boom of the early 20th century before falling silent in 1920. After decades of sporadic activity and quiet abandonment, the site has found a second life. We sit down with the owner, Bryan, to discuss his vision for turning a rugged industrial relic into a stunning, one-of-a-kind wedding venue. Join us as we bridge the gap between the grit of the 1900s and the celebrations of today, proving that history below the pines is never truly finished—it just waits for its next chapter.

The Richest Hill On Earth

In this episode of History Below the Pines, we travel to Butte, Montana—a city built on copper, grit, and 10,000 miles of underground tunneling. Known as "The Richest Hill on Earth," Butte’s legacy is one of staggering wealth and immense sacrifice. Levi sits down with Jeanette Kopf, the Executive Director of the World Museum of Mining. Located on the actual mine yard of the historic Orphan Girl Mine, the museum serves as a time capsule for a vanished way of life. Jeanette shares the history of the museum’s founding in 1963, the preservation of the towering 100-foot steel headframe, and the stories of the thousands of miners who descended 3,200 feet into the dark every day. In this episode, we explore: * The transition from gold and silver to the "Copper Boom" that put Butte on the global stage. * The history of the Orphan Girl Mine and its survival through legal battles and flooding. * Life in "Hell Roarin' Gulch"—the museum’s meticulously recreated 1890s mining town. * Why preserving the "privately-owned" and often forgotten history of the West is more important now than ever. Step back in time and go 100 feet underground as we uncover the secrets of the hill that changed America. This is an episode you will NOT want to miss!

Whiskey and Black Hills History

In this episode of the History Below The Pines Storytellers Collection, Host Levi Kessler pulls up a barstool at one of the oldest watering holes in the Black Hills: The Casino Bar (affectionately known today as Lumpy’s) in Central City, SD. Established in 1888, this landmark has survived 130 years of boom, bust, and Black Hills grit. We dive into the era when Central City was a titan of the territory—larger than both Lead and Deadwood—and explore why a bar that never held a legal gambling license earned the name "The Casino." This is another episode you do not want to miss!

The Landlocked Ocean

How did wild-caught dolphins end up in a knotty-pine tank in the Black Hills, or spending their winters in an Arizona car dealership parking lot? In this episode, we uncover the surreal and often somber history of Rapid City Marine Life, a roadside attraction that feels like a fever dream from a different era of animal entertainment. We trace the journey of these cetaceans from the Gulfarium in Florida to the unconventional indoor dolphinarium of South Dakota. From dolphins performing leaps for trainers on ladders to the bizarre logistical feat of transporting marine mammals to a Scottsdale Ford dealership for winter housing, we examine the ethics, the eccentricities, and the eventual closure of this local landmark. This is an episode you do not want to miss!