Deadwood, SD

Deadwood, SD is a city  and the county seat of Lawrence county.  The town was named after all the dead tress laying on the mountain sides.  Population 1284 with a median income of $28,600 and a median age of 48.  Deadwood began in the early 1870's illegally.  The Black Hills belonged to the Lakota people but when Colonel George Armstrong Custer discovered gold in present day Custer, SD that triggered the Black Hills Gold Rush.  In early 1876 Charlie Utter and his brother Steve brought a wagon train to Deadwood containing commodities to bolster business. The wagon trail also brought gamblers and prostitutes which became the start of Deadwood as a prosperous town.  Saloons and brothels were the means of the towns.  It had the reputation of being wild and lawless, a rough and rowdy town.  Deadwood came to real fame on August 2, 1876 when Wild Bill Hickok was shot in the back of the head during a poker game and died.  Wild Bill Hickok, James Butler Hickok was a folk hero.  He was a skilled gun fighter and army scout.  He was a lawmen and a professional gambler too.
The man who shot and killed Wild Bill  was Jack McCall who was tried twice for the crime even though it broke the Double Jeopardy law.  It was claimed the first time he was tried it was in an illegal town in Indian territory where he was found innocent.  He was then tried again in Dakota territory, found guilty and hung.  Wild Bill Hickok was buried at Mt Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood.
Another folk hero of the wild west who lived in Deadwood was Calamity Jane, Martha Jane Canary Burke.  Calamity Jane was a frontierswoman, professional scout and gained fame as an Indian fighter.  She also had a big heart for the sick and needy and would help out anyone who needed it.  After the death of Wild Bill, Calamity Jane claimed to be married to Wild Bill.  It was never proven she was.  Her last dying wish was to be buried next to him and it was granted.  She lies next to Wild Bill Hickok in the Mt Moriah cemetery.  After the gold rush turned to mining Deadwood lost its rough and rowdy reputation and became a prosperous town.  In 1961 Deadwood was designated as a National Historic Landmark.  In 1989, Deadwood was the first town to have legalized gambling outside of Las Vegas and Atlantic City.  Today Deadwood is still a prosperous town with new developments. 
Deadwood's downtown historic district is really nice in that they kept with the old town theme and you feel like you are in the old west while walking through the area.  Inside the buildings are casinos or restaurants.  I was told at the Visitor Center that is was full of casinos and they were right.  After we toured downtown Deadwood we went to Mt Moriah cemetery to visit the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.  The cemetery is set up with a walking tour to visit the graves of notable people from Deadwood.  It was an interesting town and it was neat to walk the streets that were once traveled by Wild Bill and Calamity Jane.