BLACK HILLS & BADLANDS REGION History Lives on in Deadwood DEADWOOD WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LEGENDS Come let loose in Deadwood. Their roots go back to 1876 when outlaws, gamblers and gunslingers came to town looking for gold and a good time. They still know how to have a good time today. From modern-day casinos, full-service spas, big-name concerts and some of the best parties in the entire U.S. Become a part of the excitement that this small town is known for. DEADWOOD’S GLORY ROAD Luckier than most with its proximity to the Homestake Gold Mine, the nation’s most productive gold mine for over 100 years, Deadwood managed to avoid the pitfalls and snares along the glory road. But by the late 1980s, the ride that began as a wild and rowdy, gold-fueled rampage was steadily grinding to a halt. Lady Luck was about to fold up her hand. As the community leaders surveyed the vacant downtown, the cracked pavements and the dwindling trickle of traffi , the decision was made to deal Deadwood a new hand. Town promoters succeeded in getting a constitutional amendment to allow limited-stakes gambling on the ballot. In November 1989, voters overwhelmingly approved the measure. Deadwood was reborn. That big vote of confiden e was based on South Dakota’s enthusiasm for protecting and preserving Deadwood’s heritage. Events like the Days of ’76 Parade and Rodeo, held annually in July, had kept history alive through good times and bad. Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and other legendary characters were permanent residents, HISTORIC DEADWOOD The discovery of gold in the southern Black Hills in 1874 set off one of the greatest gold rushes in America. In 1876, miners moved into the northern Black Hills. That’s where they came across a gulch full of dead trees and a creek full of gold, and Deadwood was born. Practically overnight, the tiny gold camp boomed into a town that played by its own rules. It attracted legends like Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Potato Creek Johnny, Seth Bullock and Poker Alice, who earned their notoriety in this tiny Black Hills town. Deadwood has survived three major fi es and economic hardships, pushing it to the verge of becoming another Old West ghost town. Deadwood Continued on page 48 46 // #DiscoverBlackHills
South Dakota Vacation Guide South Dakota Vacation Guide 2019: Page 46
