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The Spirits of Deadwood's History

One generation of historians follows another in the process certain truths are clarified and new myths are born. And sometimes history has to be restrained from taking the dizzying plunge into legend. But in Deadwood legends soar to ever-present heights of living history.

The legends of James Butler ‘Wild Bill’ Hickok, Seth and Martha Bullock, Calamity Jane, Turkey Creek Jack Johnson and others still walk the Main Street of Deadwood transporting the visitors on a ghostly journey back to a time when it was a bustling and lawless gold camp.

The 2007 summer season saw Deadwood Alive present five live shows every day – during the thrice daily gunfights nearly 2,000rounds were fired leaving dozens of gunslingers lying in the middle of Main Street; Jack McCall was narrowly captured every night for the killing of ‘Wild Bill’ Hickok and forced to stand for a “fair” trial. Both Seth or Martha Bullock conducted hundreds of Ghost Tours at the Bullock.

Hotel exploring the ghosts and spirits of Deadwood’s past and present; and, ‘Wild Bill’ was dealt his last poker hand four times daily at the Old Style Saloon #10. But the end of the gun-fighting season on Deadwood’s Main Street does not mean the end of Deadwood’s living history.

The month of October will find even more spirits walking Main Street during our annual Deadweird celebration.

The AdamsMuseum’s new “Digging Deadwood” exhibit reveals the rich Chinese heritage still living underneath our lower Main Street. The original location of ‘Wild Bill’s’ assassination in the Eagle Bar with its interpretive center is open daily. And let us not forget the hundreds of workers that provide the service to the thousands of visitors that come to Deadwood – they are the people who continue to provide the living history that is the Deadwood experience. Every day our bartenders, waitresses, front desk staff, cleaning people, and gaming personnel can be overheard regaling our visitors with their unique versions of Deadwood’s rich western history. They may not be wearing a Navy Colt on their hip or be attired in 1870’s fashion, but they are as much a part of Deadwood’s living history as the reenactors on Main Street.

Every one of them lends his or her own personal touch and dedication to service that keeps open Deadwood’s rich window on the past.

The 2007 season of Wild Bill Days, the Days of ’76, the Black Hills Motorcycle Rally, Kool Deadwood
Nights and the JAM may be behind us, but now the next season begins as dozens of touring buses arrive every month full to capacity with visitors seeking a Deadwood experience. We shall not let them down. Wild Bill will still be wandering Main Street looking for a poker game. The ghosts will still be haunting the Bullock Hotel and Deadwood’s hundreds of working class hero’s will still be helping our visitors realize their own living history Deadwood experience.

In the life of history, there is a tendency to tag events with precise dates. In Deadwood we know that everyone of our visitors becomes a part of our history. The past and the present have always walked side-by-side on our streets. Deadwood does not restrain its old west legends; it brings them to life every day.