Book Description

The D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives in Spearfish, SD has been active in fish culture since 1899. In the late 1800s, fisheries were established by the Federal Government to replenish depleted fish populations and to distribute food fishes to new areas. The Spearfish Hatchery, as it was called then, became an important supplier of trout to the region. Through it's first Superintendent, D.C. Booth, it helped further the science of fish culture as an important industry in the young nation. In 1989, the hatchery was rehabilitated with a new archive building, visitor center and underwater viewing area. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, their new mission is to assemble, preserve, protect, make accessible to researchers, and interpret the history and technology of fish culture. This book gives an introduction to the fascinating history of this industry and its role in opening the West as seen through the eyes of D.C. Booth's young son. It contains many coloring and activity pages, as well as background history of the Hatchery itself, its buildings, and the work that was accomplished at this site. The Hatchery today continues to distribute fish to regional lakes and streams and to carry on the archiving of this important economic and ecological industry.