Deadwood, South Dakota

Deadwood South Dakota

Deadwood is located in Western South Dakota. Hidden in the Black Hills, Deadwood was built up as a gambling town for the gold miners in the 1800’s.
Visitors can still pan for gold. They can gamble 24 hours a day in Deadwood.
Deadwood got its name from all the deadwood they had to remove to build Main St.
Deadwood is a small town of a population of just over 2000 but it is full of history.
At my first visit, I went to Mount Mariah Cemetery. I could feel the spirit of the old west as if nothing had changed. I felt so dumb because there I stood in front of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane’s graves, but I did not know who they were. So I did a little research.

Wild Bill Hickok

Wild Bill Hickok’s real name was James Hickok. His father’s farm was part of the underground rail road.
Wild Bill was a gunfighter, army scout, spy and gambler.
He moved to Cheyenne , Wy. where he married a widow . That is most likely where he met Calamity Jane.
While in Cheyenne he spent all his time gambling and became known as a vagrant. He was ordered out of Cheyenne.
Wild Bill arrived in Deadwood Dakota Territory with Calamity Jane and Charlie Utter.
Wild Bill was shot in the back of the head while playing cards in Nuttal and Manning’s Saloon #10. Wild Bill was shot by Jack McCall, also know as Crooked Nose Jack. McCall was found not guilty and released.
When They looked at Wild Bill’s hand he was holding two aces, two eights. and one jack. Today this is known as a dead man’s hand.

Calamity Jane

Calamity Jane’s real name was Martha Jane Canary Burke. Calamity Jane was born May 1, 1852 in Princeton, Missouri. Calamity Jane died in Deadwood, South Dakota on August 1, 1903.
Calamity Jane was a frontierswoman, professional scout and famous for being a Native American fighter She was more famous for being a pal to Wild Bill.
The Bullock Hotel
Sheriff Seth Bullock’s spirit still protects the Bullock Hotel. The Bullock Hotel was built in 1870. After Sheriff Bullock’s death in 1919 his spirit remained in the hotel.

Sheriff Bullock

Sheriff Bullock could stop a fight by just looking at them.
The after day Seth Bullock arrival in Deadwood Wild Bill was shot in the back of the head. Deadwood was a lawless town so Seth Bullock was appointed the 1st sheriff of Deadwood..

Adams House

Mr. Adams out lived his 1st and his children. He remarried a much younger woman whose name was Mary. After Mr. Adams’ death, Mary kept hearing foot steps up stairs. So Mary left everything in the house and left South Dakota. She only came back once a year to visit here but she never stayed over night in the house.
Mr. Adams today loves to sing hello and welcome. Some times he can be seem in the up stairs bed room rocking.