There are few entire cities that are listed on the list of national historic landmark within the USA. One of these is Deadwood, South Dakota. You may have heard of Deadwood as the place where Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed or where gold miners came looking to strike it rich. Calamity Jane lived and is buried next to Wild Bill and a motorcycle rally is held nearby every year.
Memorabilia at one of the bars in Deadwood
Deadwood was founded in 1876, after gold is found in adjacent Deadwood Gulch. Thousands came to the city soon after, searching for a bit of luck. A year later, Homestake Mining Co. was established and operates for 126 years, finally closing in 2002. The mine had drilled down to 8,000 feet in the earth, uncovering an untold amount of gold and riches. While many came to stake their claim, in reality only a few struck it rich; the rest lived on their dreams and whatever money they could earn by gambling.
Reenactment of the shooting of Wild Bill
Shortly after the city was founded, Wild Bill and his posse arrived in Deadwood. He was only in town for a month before he was gunned down by Jack McCall. Because he died playing a hand of cards at Saloon #10 holding two pair (aces and eights), this became known as Dead Man’s Hand. Wild Bill was buried in the cemetery nearby, later resting next to Calamity Jane upon her death. Jack McCall was tried and found guilty of murder, hung and buried with the noose still around his neck.
A beer and $1 in the slots at the former site of the Gem Theater
Deadwood had quickly earned its nickname of The Badlands; Main Street was known for bars, brothels, and gambling. In 1877, Al Swearengen opened the Gem Theater. Ostensibly, it was a theater with musical performances and dances held in the hall. In reality, it was an infamous brothel known to everyone in town. Swearengen was adept at politics and had no scruples when it came to swindling his customers and bribing the officials. His staff was comprised of young women who had been lured west with the promise of a proper position in a theater. Once they arrived, having spent all of their money on stagecoach or train fare, they were forced to work in the brothel as prostitutes. Swearengen finally left town in 1899, to be found a few years later beaten to death on a Denver street corner.
A 2-headed calf with a crown in Saloon #10
Lawlessness continues for a number of years, eventually succumbing to political and social demands. Gaming was made illegal, and the last remaining brothels were closed in 1980. A short time later in 1989, in an effort to preserve the historic city, gambling is again legalized; Deadwood becomes the first area outside of Nevada and Atlantic City where it is legal.
Today, Main Street is a living memory of what the town used to be. Along the street are a number of bars and casinos, intermixed with souvenir shops. During the summer, there are daily gunfights in the street and reenactments of Wild Bill’s shooting in a saloon. Memorabilia is displayed prominently in most stores and restaurants, either for sale to tourists or with little plaques describing its origins. Seeing how it is today, with families taking pictures of old rifles and bartenders mixing a ‘Sweet Jane’ cocktail, it’s hard to imagine it as it was almost 150 years ago. But you can get a sense of the unruliness of the past, while still being thankful that you are living in the present.