7-Minute Less Taken V: Brews from Hell (Rockerville, SD)

A ghost town. A stubborn saloon. And a bartender who never clocks out. This July 4th, belly up to the saloon for one of South Dakota’s eeriest hauntings—where the beer’s cold, the steaks sizzle, and the shadows never leave.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
This take and contains content that may not be suitable
for all audiences. Listeners, discretion is advised less. Some say
the last light you'll see in Rockerville isn't from the highway,
but from a saloon where the bartender never leaves. Night

(00:34):
descends quickly over the black hills of South Dakota. Cars
streak along Highway sixteen, their headlights carving narrow beams through
the darkness as they speed east toward rapid City or
west toward Mount Rushmore. If you notice a ghost town
caught between a nearly forgotten relic, Once a gold rush boomtown,

(00:57):
it now lies mostly silent, save for one a few
stubborn survivors. Like the gaslight saloon. The doors creak open
to reveal a warm glow of old fashioned lamps, the
scent of grilled meat, and the hum of low music.

(01:19):
A couple steps inside, eager for a quiet meal, but
as their eyes adjust, a figure appears near the entrance,
A tall, neat man dressed like he stepped out of
another century. He watches silently from the shadows. When one
guest turns to speak, the man vanishes, as though swallowed

(01:43):
by the darkness itself. Rockerville is established in the eighteen eighties.

(02:07):
When miners flood the Black Hills in search of gold,
saloons and hotels thrive and the town grows. But when
the gold runs dry, Rockerville survives by becoming a roadside
stop along US Highway sixteen, offering families ice cream, souvenirs,
and the taste of history on their way to Mount Rushmore. However,

(02:33):
in the nineteen sixties, highway engineers split the road into
two lanes, leaving Rockerville stranded in the middle. Drivers speedby
on both sides, almost oblivious to the soon to fade town.

(02:54):
By the nineteen eighties, nearly every business shutters, except for
a few, including the Gaslight Saloon. In twenty thirteen, the
gaslight burns to the ground, but the following year it

(03:15):
rises again, rebuilt on the same spot and adorned with
pieces from Rapid Cities Old Harney Hotel bar. Soon after reopening,
odd happenings ensue. Glasses slide across the polished wood without
anyone touching them. Empty chairs shift as if pulled from

(03:36):
beneath by some invisible patron. Footsteps echo down empty hallways
when there's no one else around. Employees report seeing a
man near the door or behind the bar, a mid
fifties bartender inventage attire who watches quietly, sometimes smiling, but

(03:59):
he always disappears, but anyone is courageous enough to approach him.
They call him Samuelson Harney, though no one's completely sure
if he's ever real. Customers whisper of cold brushes along
their shoulders, flickering shadows in the corner of their eyes

(04:21):
like inverted tracers, and soft footsteps trailing behind them unless
anyone dares to take a look. Then they stop. The
gaslight remains a stubborn beacon of life in a town
frozen by time, serving steaks, burgers, cold beer, and perhaps

(04:43):
something else. If you visit after dark, you might leave
with more than memories. You might have the feeling of
being watched, watched by a bartender who refuses to leave.
I'm seem Humphries and this has been another seven minute

(05:03):
Let's Taken Real life horror stories from the Midwest. Find
us on Facebook, Instagram, and threads under the handle at
Let's Taken Pod. Visit lesstakanpod dot com for all things
less taken, merch and more. A quick note on our storytelling.
While we do our best to stick to the facts,

(05:25):
we sometimes take creative liberties to maintain narrative cohesiveness. Thanks
for listening, and I hope you join us next week
for the third seven minute less Taken of July. To
all the US listeners, Happy fourth of July.