In 1877, gold was found deep in a canyon in the western Black Hills. By the next year, there were 500 people living in Rochford. In 1889, the Burlington Northern Railroad built its tracks through Rochford to connect Custer and Deadwood. By 1900, the population was only 48. It kept on going down until the handful of residents that are left today. The abandoned railroad tracks were finally pulled up in 1985. There are many old buildings still here.
To get to Rochford, start in Lead. Take Highway 85 south for about 5 miles. Take a left on a gravel road. The gravel road will take you southeast 14 miles to Rochford.
Mystic was part of the big Black Hills gold rush. It was origanally called Sitting Bull, but changed its name to Mystic when the railroad came through in 1889. There used to be a large gold mill built in 1904, at the site of Mystic. It failed to make enough money by using a new process to extract gold from ore. The mill was removed and a sawmill was put on its foundations.
Today, the sawmill, a school, a store, and some homes are all that is left. To get to Mystic, you can start after visiting Rochford. From the four way county road intersection at Rochford, head southeast a few miles until the road comes to a "T." Take a right at the "T," and continue on the gravel road. Within a few miles you come to Mystic.