In stark contrast, the past and the future come together in Lead. For more than a century the community was home to the Homestake Gold Mine, the largest in the western hemisphere. The company's operations dominated the economy and culture of the community up until 2002 when mining operations ended. Today, the mine's facilities are being converted for use as a deep underground science laboratory with the potential to unlock some of the greatest mysteries in science.

The end of mining operations in 2002 caused a major disruption in the local economy. Increasingly, residents of Lead found employment in the growing gaming operations in nearby Deadwood. Local hotels, restaurants and the ski resorts at Terry Peak and Deer Mountain relied on a growing local tourist economy. As construction and the initiation of the first science experiments have moved forward at the Sanford Underground Laboratory, this facility accounted for more than 80 jobs at the end of 2011.

Historic Documents and Photographs Available Online

The Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress has hundreds of images of Lead available online, including an extensive collection of photographs by Joseph Elliott taken in 1992 for the Historic American Engineering Record. Library of Congress also provids photographs made by John Gabrill in 1888 and 1889 as well as historic postcards from the early twentieth century produced by the Detroit Publishing Company.

The Denver Public Library has images of Deadwood, Lead and the Homestake Mine from the late 1800s. 

The National Archives and Records Administration makes a number of images and digital documents related to 1940 Census enumeration records for Lawrence County available online. 

Chronicling America, a project sponsored by the Library of Congress, provides full text access to digitized historic newpapers from around the United States. Search historic newspapers from 1836-1922 or use the directory to find information about American newspapers published since 1690. Locate thousands of stories with references to Lead and the Homestake Mine.

Historic photographs and newsletters from Black Hills Power & Light are available on the Black Hills Knowledge Network.

The City of Lead was home to 3,124 people at the time of the 2010 Census. The median age was 40.5 years. Of the 1,420 households at the time, 25.6 percent included children under the age of 18. Single parents living with children accounted for 11.8 percent of all households. Slightly more than one in ten Lead residents was over the age of 65 and living alone.  

Race

Lead's population was overwhelmingly white (96.7 percent) in 2010. People with American Indian ancestry accounted for 3.4 percent of the community. Hispanics were 2.9 percent.

Poverty

One in eight residents of Lead was living below the poverty level in 2010, according to estimates by the American Community Survey of the U.S. Census.  

To access the demographic profile of Lead from the 2010 U.S. Census, click here.

Lead-Deadwood School District

Students in the Lead-Deadwood School District take the annual Dakota STEP test to ensure that the district is making adequate yearly progress (AYP) in reading and math. According the State of South Dakota's report card, Lead-Deadwood students achieved AYP in all categories in all grades tested in elementary, middle and high schools in the spring of 2011, with the exception of high school sudents, who did not make AYP in math.

According to the school district, 63 students graduated from Lead-Deadwood High School in 2011, compared to 62 in 2010. According to the South Dakota Department of Education, Lead-Deadwood's graduation rate was 58.7 percent in 2011, a substantial drop from the 71.8 percent rate posted in 2010 and also lower than the statewide average of 83.3 percent. However, state reporting of the district's high school graduation rate is distorted by the fact that the South Dakota Department of Education includes students enrolled at the Nemo Job Corps facility in Lead-Deadwood's graduation statistics. 

During the 2010-2011 academic year, the Lead-Deadwood School District's fall enrollment was 838 in grades K-12. Forty students took the ACT exam. The average composite score was 21.6. To compare Lead-Deadwood School District ACT scores with other Black Hills districts, click here. To view a statistical profile of funding, student and staff data, see the South Dakota Department of Education's 2010-2011 Profile of the Lead-Deadwood School District. A map of the Lead-Deadwod School District is available on the Lawrence County website.

A map of the Lead-Deadwod School District is available on the Lawrence County website.

City Government

The City of Lead is governed by an elected mayor and city commission. The City Commission meets on the first, third and fifth Mondays of every month at 5:00 p.m. Meeting agendas are available online. Meeting minutes are also posted on the city's website.

The Lead Comprehensive Plan was developed in 2004. It articulates a long range vision for the community, addresses physical planning issues, identifies key goals and issues and serves as a guide to city staff and local economic development entities.

Elections

Lawrence County administers state and federal elections in the City of Lead. For the city's voting history, visit Lawrence County's Voter Information website. The site also provides information on how to register to vote and a map of voting precincts in the county.

Major employers in Lead include the Lead-Deadwood School District and the Sanford Underground Laboratory.

For more information on local businesses, visit the Lead Chamber of Commerce.