Sturgis City, as it was originally called, was laid out by Major Jeremiah Wilcox on August 16, 1878. It was positioned to take advantage of the recently established site of Fort Meade, 1.5 miles to the east, and named for the commander of that post, General Samuel D. Sturgis. Just as Fort Meade replaced the temporary Camp J.G. Sturgis, near Bear Butte, Sturgis City replaced the temporary tent-town of vendors that had set up to scoop the pay of the soldiers and had been nicknamed Scooptown. Those vendors quickly relocated to the confines of the new town of Sturgis City, bringing along the nickname of Scooptown. Sturgis stood at a natural crossroads of most of the major trails coming into the Black Hills and served as a jumping-off point for both mining interests in the hills and agricultural lands on the plains, allowing the town to thrive. Early Sturgis was a very rough-and-tumble town, featuring saloons, dance halls, and other distractions for the soldiers of Fort Meade. Its first years were beset with shootings, murders, vigilante justice, and even a murderous armed invasion by some of the soldiers from the post. At one point the Deadwood paper referred to Sturgis as the Wickedest Town in the West. Sturgis saw strong, steady growth through its early years, avoiding the boom-and-bust cycles of many of its neighbors. The town was home to a sturdy business class, which quickly developed a core of respectable residents who built churches, schools, fraternal organizations, and a solid Victorian society separate from the hurly-burly of Main Street. Although it took time to separate itself from the activity and reputation of Scooptown, Sturgis eventually settled down and became a thriving and active city while embracing that history and reputation along the way.