Our last stop in South Dakota was in Deadwood, where the whole city is considered a National Historic Landmark.
Deadwood of the past was known for its gold rush in the 1870s that brought along with it gamblers, brothels, saloons, and a general lawlessness. But Deadwood is probably most famous for being where Wild Bill Hickok was murdered by Jack McCall.
Deadwood of today features a downtown with casinos, shops, restaurants, and bars, many of which are named with a nod to the past: Calamity Jane this, Wild Bill that, Goldrush something, and Silverado something else. During the peak season of summer there's also a daily reenactment of the shooting of Wild Bill (we unfortunately missed the show).
We walked through the cemetery where Wild Bill and Calamity Jane are buried side by side (her dying wish). At the cemetery there is also an outlook in the back of the property that gives a wonderful vantage point to see the town of Deadwood down below.
-Amanda
PS - be sure to stop at the Antique Emporium on your way into town!
Oh wow! Your Deadwood experience was so much better than ours! We were hurrying through but we were so disappointed to discover that none of the things we'd been excited about were open anymore!
ReplyDeleteOh, no! We actually lucked out here because it wasn't a planned stop at all - just happened to be nearby when it was about time to stop driving for the day. Once we stopped we learned about Wild Bill and Calamity Jane and I was so happy we didn't miss it!
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