Bonesteel was founded in 1902 and named in honor of H.E. Bonesteel an early settler. In the mid 1800’s wagon loads of pioneers stopped at Houston Springs, one mile northeast of Bonesteel, to get water and wood and rest their animals. In 1892 the Houston post office transferred to today’s existing site in Bonesteel. In May, 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt made a public proclamation that Gregory County was legally opened for settlement; bringing about the “Battle of Bonesteel”. Bonesteel suddenly grew from a few hundred people to over 15,000 eager land seekers. Unfortunately, thousands of these were crooks, gamblers, thugs, and highwaymen. Trains came every hour on the hour with representatives and money of the underworld. Fortunately this only lasted a short period of time and today Bonesteel is a quiet friendly town with many different camping areas as it lies near three Lake Francis Case Recreation areas.