Milk's Camp was the first community in Gregory County, and St. Charles was one of the last settled. In 1871, Chief Milk and his band of Ogalala settled on the Ponca Creek banks.  A commissary, school and churches were built.  St. Elmo was first platted in 1904, and settled based on false reports of a gold rush.  By 1905, the gold rush was bust, a tornado and a prairie fire had hit the town and the railroad had missed it.  The remaining buildings were moved to the railroad town of Hampill, which was renamed St. Charles in honor of the town of St. Elmo, and a prominent Bonesteel business man.