The Story
The Holy Terror Mine was discovered in 1894 by prospector William B. Franklin and his adopted daughter Cora at the base of Mount Aetna near Keystone. Its name comes from a well-worn local legend: Franklin had promised to name a big strike after his wife Jenny, but instead named it after her habit of hauling him home from saloon benders — reportedly musing, "Ain't she a holy terror?" Combined with the neighboring Keystone Mine, it became the largest gold producer in the southern Black Hills, helping push Keystone's population past 2,000 — briefly larger than Rapid City. It closed in 1903 (over lawsuits and water infiltration at 1,200 feet, not fire) and reopened for a final run from 1938 to 1942.
Surprising Facts
→ Franklin promised to name his big strike after his wife Jenny — then called it "Holy Terror" as a backhanded joke.
→ Combined with the Keystone Mine, it helped push Keystone's population briefly past Rapid City's.
→ Its 1903 closure came from lawsuits over miner deaths and water at 1,200 feet — not a fire or explosion.