Drizzly Deadwood

We breezed through Deadwood, just quickly visiting Mount Moriah Cemetary and driving down the touristy streets. Niall said we had to visit the gravesites of Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Seth Bullock. Niall knows a lot more than I do about these real life characters from this mining, lawless town – mostly because of the television show Deadwood.

I was terribly grumpy and it was rainy and chilly – appropriate for a visit to a cemetery.

     

I learned that anything went in Deadwood, because it was illegally settled. The land was part of the Treaty of Fort Laramie of 1868, which was the agreement between the United States government and the Oglala, Miniconjou, and Brulé bands of Lakota people, Yanktonai Dakota, and Arapaho Nation. This agreement gave ownership of the Black Hills to these Native American tribes. However, when gold was found there, this agreement was trashed. Many white people invaded this territory during this gold rush. 

     
    
I learned that Wild Bill was one of these people - a gun slinging frontiersman who was murdered while playing a game of poker.                                           

                                                                           

I learned that Calamity Jane pined after Wild Bill, who seemed to have no romantic interest in her. Her dying wish was to be buried next to him – records indicate that their romance was largely in her head. It seems that she was a real fabricator of many stories, though the truth is hard to say. There are many tales out there as to where she got her nickname. One says she assisted an overworked doctor when sickness overcame Deadwood, as a result helping save many lives. One says she would tell men that to challenge her would “court calamity.” Her own story was that she received the name from a captain when she rescued him from death after he got shot on his horse. She’s fascinating.                                                                 

There were offerings, such as coins, flowers, and mini bottles of Jim Beam, left on the grave sites of these two hard drinking, tough figures.

                                                                 

There was also Seth Bullock. I learned he moved to Deadwood to open a hardware store with a friend after serving as sheriff in Helena, Montana. The day after his arrival,  Wild Bill was murdered. It was clear that Deadwood needed his expertise, so he assumed the role of sheriff.

It was quite interesting to learn about these folks, despite my bad attitude that morning.