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Deadwood oldtimer stayed out of jail

By: Lois Miller

DEADWOOD n Interviewing John Lee of Deadwood, trying to capture his personality, is like a lively battle of barbs and repartee. This pioneer is one of those rare individuals whose humor is still keenly alert even though he has just passed his 85th birthday.

Born in Highland county, Ohio, Sept. 8, 1865, he grew up in an age when living conditions were plentifully colored by the aftermath of the civil war. His father was a civil war soldier.

The Lees were descendants of Richard Lee who came to this country from Strafford, Eng., in 1841, during the reign of King Charles. Richard was later secretary of the colony of Virginia. General Robert Lee was also of that same line and therefore a relative of John Lee.

Lee came to the Black Hills in 1896 from his home in Missouri, where he had already been married to another Missourian, and brought her to the Hills with him. He even admits that he still thinks Missourians are all right.

“I was on a farm for the first few years in the Hills. It was the J. B. ranch down below Whitewood.

Then I came to Deadwood in 1900 and have been here ever since," said Lee.

The couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and are now working on the second 50 years of life together. They have one son. Robert Lee, who resides in Missoula, Mont.

"I was in the butchering business here in Deadwood, down in the second ward. I was in a shop with a couple of other fellows as partners. Then I worked down at the Golden Reward Mill down in the first ward," said Lee.

"The big smelter was running in full swing in those years, and it seems to me there were a lot more people here than there are now. I worked on what they called the slime press, but it was a lot different from the process the Homestake uses these days.

“Say, you know where Louie’s Chicken Hut is now?" he asked. "Well, for 16 years I was in the produce business right in that place. I used to hitch up the horses and drive out all over the country to buy up produce which I brought back to sell in Deadwood - lots of chickens especially."

"He always did like chickens, liked to raise them," his wife said.

"I could eat a half a one right now if I had it," said Lee. "One thing I want to say though and that is I always had good quality chickens for sale, and folks knew they could depend on that. They knew, too, if I promised chickens by a certain time I'd get 'em even if I had to drive all night."

When asked if he would still like to raise chickens he said with a lot of enthusiasm, "I sure would." But the produce business was his last business venture for he was ill a long time and had to retire. His portly figure is as familiar to Deadwood citizens as the flag pole high on the hill. He feels his way along with his cane.

"My eyesight went bad 10 years ago, but I don't have any pain and my hearing is none too good," said Lee, then added, "I'm proud that I'm 85 years old and never once been in jail. Whee!"

"My, you must have been a model citizen," was the comment.

"Sh - sh - just careful was all,' he said with a laugh. "I'm not much good for anything any more," he sighed.

"But he eats like a horse and sleeps like a kid," his wife said.

"You seem to spend a lot of your time sitting on the bench down in front of one of the bars with a lot of old guys. What do you find to talk about?" I asked him.

"What do women talk about?" his eyes fired up with mischief when he gave that answer. His wife commented that she had an appointment at the beauty parlor for the next day, and Lee put up his hand and rubbed his pink shining bald pate and commented: "I need a permanent, too - just the back half," Then he added, "Whee " which is a habit he has when he thinks he's one jump ahead of you.

When asked what he thought of world conditions as they are today, Lee said he thought the whole situation came about because people had forgotten about God.

Then he added, "If you'll read the Bible carefully though, you will see the whole thing is according to Bible prophecy.

"That's the trouble - all my life I always read a lot, now look at me. Why my eyes are so bad I can't even tell who you are when I see you on the street. I can't even see that picture you took of me, but if my wife says it's good it must be.

"My, my, how times have changed, too. Why we used to buy Arbuckles coffee at 15 cents a pound. Look what it is now, 95 cents. Can you beat that?

"But I go to church regularly every Sunday and am glad I can get out and walk that far n glad, too, that at 85 I've never been in jail yet. Whee!"

Published Online: March 23rd, 2007