The Story
The Homestake Slime Plant processed "slimes" — the ultra-fine ore byproduct left after milling — using a cyanide extraction process, built in the early 20th century with massive Douglas fir beams shipped by rail from Washington State. It served Homestake Mining Company until 1973, when process changes moved ore handling closer to the Lead mineshaft. Part of the building later became a Lawrence County equipment shop, then sat idle for years. Around 2011 a roughly $43 million redevelopment transformed it into Deadwood Mountain Grand — a hotel, casino, restaurant, and 3,000-capacity entertainment venue (a Holiday Inn Resort) — with the mining-era facade preserved.
Surprising Facts
→ The building's structural beams were Douglas fir shipped by rail all the way from Washington State.
→ After the plant closed in 1973, the county used part of it as a heavy-equipment repair shop.
→ Its 2011 conversion into Deadwood Mountain Grand cost around $43 million, keeping the industrial facade.