For those of us who were fortunate enough to grow up in the ‘50s and ‘60s, Deadwood is a magical name. Cowboy shows were the norm. They came on every night and most weekends. It seems as though they were headed to or from Deadwood, or passing through. Ah, the good ole days…..
Deadwood was established in 1876 during the Black Hills gold rush. The year before a miner found gold in a nearby canyon. This canyon became known as "Deadwood Gulch," because of the many dead trees that lined the canyon walls at the time and the name stuck.
It was not long until a thriving commercial community evolved and began to boom. As with many frontier towns in the 1870s and 1880s, gold brought the miners, miners spent the gold; prosperity brought the bad guys which established a need for law and order. With the likes of Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane frequenting this town, its reputation as a wild frontier town soon became legendary. Given its colorful, violent, and lawless beginnings, few could have imagined that Deadwood would someday serve as the county seat for Lawrence County, as it does today.
Imagine an entire town on the National Historic Register. What you'll see in Deadwood today is a careful, accurate restoration of a historically significant city. Deadwood's extensive Victorian architecture is unique to the West. By the mid-1980's, many of the City's historic buildings were dilapidated. In 1986, Deadwood citizens formed the "Deadwood U Bet" organization and pushed for legalized gambling in order to increase tourism and generate historic preservation funds. The introduction of gaming has enabled Deadwood to preserve its historic buildings and dramatically increase tourism. Guess what? It worked. The intrigue and fun of gambling is not the only reason tourists and visitors flock to Deadwood; they are also fascinated by its colorful history.
According to the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce, approximately 1.5 million tourists visit this small town of 1,300 each year. There are reasons why so many vacationers include Deadwood in their vacation route and I wish there was space to list, in detail, the casinos, museums, restaurants, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, and souvenir shops, but it would not be fair to mention a few places over the many places that are equally worthy. Suffice it to say that you can fully immerse yourself in the colorful history of our wild west by visiting the down town area.
Deadwood tickles the imaginations of all baby boomers. It is less about historic accuracy and more about the Deadwood that is portrayed in movies and TV shows that draws you in. Listen, the atmosphere that permeates Deadwood, South Dakota can’t be described in words. It’s like an awakening of youthful exuberance when you see the town limit sign. If you don’t come visit and experience this, well you don’t know what you’re missing.
Seriously, come see us in Deadwood, located in the Black Hills, for an unforgettable vacation!