In 1982, the Fall River County Historical Society sponsored a series of programs on the history of towns in the county. One of these programs, "Memories of Igloo," took place in June. This meeting about the story of the Black Hills Ordnance Depot sparked the greatest interest and best attendance of the series. Former residents of Igloo from the Black Hills and as far away as Indiana attended the meeting and shared their experiences at that unique installation which existed for more than twenty-five years.

Established in 1942, the Black Hills Ordnance Depot was a major base for the storage, maintenance, function testing, renovation, and demilitarizing of ammunition, including chemical ammunition. The Black Hills Ordnance Depot was known by several official and unofficial names, including Provo, Igloo, and Black Hills Army Depot. It was obvious from the memories invoked at our meeting that this was not just. another military installation; it was a real community with all the characteristics that go into making a progressive town. The loyalty former residents feel for the community is in evidence each year when members gather at annual "Igloo picnics" in Rapid City and other areas, and when Provo High School alumni come together for their reunion, a yearly event for the past sixteen years.

The interest and enthusiasm of the former workers and family members who attended the meeting was so contagious that a committee was formed to explore the possibility of writing a history of the depot. We hoped to describe the development of the community there, and its effects on the lives of the residents and workers, as well as its impact on the surrounding area. The committee was composed of Marjorie Brown, Carol Goddard, Norman Ribble, Dorothy Schnute, Marshall and Marie Truax, Marjorie Tubbs, Berneice Timma Williams and Norman Wynia; Katherine Twomey later became a valuable addition. The committee believed that the Fall River County Historical Society had few members with the time to complete such a history, and that professional help was necessary. At the July, 1982, meeting of the Society, members decided to contact the South Dakota Committee on the Humanities to determine if a project of this type was feasible. We received a favorable response and a development grant from the Committee on the Humanities; as a result, we were able to secure another grant from the SDCH for writing the history. This volume is the culmination of that project. Our methods in developing the history were somewhat unorthodox. Committee members researched various aspects of the Black Hills Ordnance Depot and contacted other persons who had resource materials or particular knowledge. We submitted our notes, interviews, and other materials to the project's humanities consultant, Suzanne Julin, who utilized them in writing the historical narrative. The materials we collected will be donated to the Leland Case Library for Western Historical Studies at Black Hills State College, Spearfish.

Many people wrote us letters and sent information, or told us about their experiences and work at Igloo. These reports, pictures, documents, publications, and interviews have been very helpful in producing the history. Other people provided us with equipment and workspace. Therefore, we would like to thank the following: Mrs. Glen 0. Amy, Dave Bauer, Edward Biever, Matthew Biever, Arthur Bond, Ted Bonde, Matt Brown, Charles "Eddie" Clay, Clara Mae Clay, Fred Coates, Myrtle Conger, Louisa DeLeon, Celia DuBois, Dorothea Edgington, Ronnie Emery, Cordelia T. Erickson, Joyce Frary, Mrs. Dan Goodman, Mrs. Delbert Harbaugh, Laura J. Hendrix, Sadie Hoar, Mr. and Mrs. William Holt, Don Howe, Wilma E. Hurley, Dorothy Stearns Honadel, Wayne Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. John Johnle, Jerome Johnson, Asa Jones, Dora Jones, Duane Just, Edwin Just, William Knodel, Mildred Kutzor, Earl Larson, Joe and Claudia Marsh, Eva J. Nichols, John O'Neill, Donna Harbaugh Parks, Lanoir Pederson, Dr. D. W. Sewright, Paul Thompson, Adelaide Ward, and Doris Williamson. Special thanks are due the staff of the Hot Springs Star, who provided back files of that newspaper for research purposes. Several committee meetings were held at the Evans Apartments and the Brookside Apartments in Hot Springs, and we appreciate the use of those facilities.

We are especially grateful for the dedicated and valuable assistance and guidance given us by Suzanne Julin, the humanities consultant for the project. Without her help and encouragement, this history could not have been completed. We also appreciate the assistance and direction given by Jeanne Smith, the humanities scholar, who helped us with the development grant and in meetings that followed. She also edited the final draft of the history. We are grateful for the help of Calvin Jumping Bull, instructor at Oglala Sioux Community College, for his work in evaluating the history in regard to the inclusion of Native American history. We thank Dr. Paul Haivala of Black Hills State College for his advice and instruction, and his evaluation of the history. Jan Dykshorn did the layout for the volume and handled the other details of publication, and we appreciate her contribution to this book. We offer a special word of thanks for Marjorie Brown, the fiscal agent for the project.

And, finally, thanks to the members of our committee who gave so willingly of their time, helped collect materials about the project, and contributed their own accounts of life at Igloo. Many of the members had worked or lived there, and this added special meaning to our views of that unique installation.

Marshall Truax Project Director