East Bound & Down: Deadwood, South Dakota

Anne and I have been back East for over a week, and I am still working my way through the pictures and memories we collected during our Western swing. While my wife is something of an American history afficionado, my own sense of the Wild West is somewhat limited to my celluloid experiences. Much like in the film Cinema Pardisio, much of my (mis)spent youth was spent in movie theaters where I would see fims like Silverado (1985) over and over. Interestingly, it was our two day stop in the city of Deadwood, South Dakota that would, in the end, inform some of our future DVD selections. But first...

After spending the week prior in the Wyoming backcountry, I felt a little of the sense of civilized awe that the settlers must have felt as they moved from the trail West into the sin-laden gulch at Deadwood. Going from running trails to experimenting with slots necessitated a little bit of a shift in my thinking. Apparently, gambling (slots and poker) are the two largest forms of revenue in South Dakota, and I was a little surpised that nearly every shop, hotel, and restaurant was a front for a gambling operation. It was impossible to avoid the slots--not that we put up much of a fight!

As an adult, the "Wild West" history and landscape elements of Deadwood were very easy to soak in. An as a nascient to the world of gambling, the historc nature of this partclaur place provided a fascinating gateway exeprienec for me. On the other hand, I also got a sense of what someone taking a family trip to Vegas about 15 years ago must have felt--fortunately, Deadwood is located within a 60 minute drive to any number of tourist locations (Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument)--which are very family friendly.



Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Deadwood, was one of the centers of the 1876 Gold Rush, prompting visits from James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok and Martha Jane "Calamity Jane" Cannary
.



The entire city of Deadwood is a national historic landmark. Authentic re-creation of turn-of-the-century street lamps light the way through accurately, carefully restored architecture. The famous and infamous have left their marks here. Follow their footsteps as you explore the beauty and history of this one-of-a-kind Wild West town.



The historic location where Wild Bill was shot and killed by the cowardly Jack McCall. There are actually two different places called "Old Style Saloon 10" in Deadwood, both of which share parts of the Wild Bill story through displays and recreations. The establishment pictured above is (purportedly) the "real" location of the building where the infamous shooting took place.



Main Street, Deadwood, like much of the region, is a gambler's paradise. The only challenge we experienced in town during our visit was (surprise!) not finding an establishment to gamble in, but locating a restaurant in which to eat... with kids! All the restaurant's advertised by the street signs above are in actuality located deep within the buildings, past slots and tables, making them difficult to locate. The need to walk by some of the financially tapped-out appearing tourists did provide us a few object lessons to share with Anne's son about the "evils" of gambling and drinking.



Deadwood casts an exotic shadow during the day, and at night the buildings and streets come alive in the glow neon.



The Mount Moriah Cemetery overlooks the city of Deadwood, and is itself an interesting tourist attraction. Something of a hike, it truly is located "on the side" of Mt. Moriah.



The final resting places of Deadwood's two most famous residents: Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. We were in Deadwood less than a week after the large motorcycle ralley in nearby Sturgis and as a result, there were many biker-types stopping by the cemetery to pay their respects to Wild Bill.



The most unique piec of historical knowledge I wlaked away form Deadwood with was the realization of the influenec Jewish peopel had in the creationa nd success of the town. Like most, I suppose, when I think of the Wild West, I don't necessarily think of Jewish merchants and settlers, but was to pleased to see that the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation has acknowledged an documented this connection through signs located throughout the town.

As mentioned before, our trip through South Dakota has also influenecd some of our television viewing. We don't have cable or satellite television, and so had not seen any episodes of the HBO show Deadwood prior to our visit. Since the trip though, we are halfway through Season 1 of the show and have found the recreated landscape and historical detail a wonderful complement to our own experiences in modern Deadwood. Occassionally, there is a show which makes me appreciate cble television, and this would be one of them. Very aware of the shows popularity, the city of Deadwoodhas done quite a bit of marketing towards those folks who are fans of the show, by promtoing sites and events which are brought to life on the show.

Whether a fan of the television series, or a history buff, Anne and I (and my stepson, too!) would strongly recommend a trip to this distinctly American locale.

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!