Deadwood - Where Wild Bill Hickok Was Shot, Deadwood, South Dakota Wax version of the killing of Wild Bill Hickok. Deadwood - Where Wild Bill Hickok Was Shot Deadwood, South Dakota Deadwood enjoyed a surge in popularity thanks to the HBO series (2004-06) that featured the 19th century Wild West town and its skanky yet colorful characters. Although the show was filmed in California, its outdoor set in Santa Clarita ( Gorn Battle country ) was inspired by historic photos of the original Deadwood. The real town of Deadwood even had plans to construct an Old West town facade partly inspired by the series, but its cancellation put an end to that. Whatever. We liked ol' Deadwood even before the TV hoopla, with its gritty museums, casinos, low key Chinese Opium Tunnel Tour, monuments and grave sites of Wild West legends. Nestled in the crook of an evergreen-forested gulch, the attractions run along a road or two through town.

The most important event in Deadwood history was a poker game in Saloon #10 on August 2, 1876, where the sniveling coward Jack McCall snuck up and shot Wild Bill Hickok in the back of the head. Hickok had arrived in Deadwood only a few weeks earlier, played a succession of card games, and never in his life sat with his back to the door. Until that day. The events of that day are restaged every night during the summer (except Sundays) in the Trial of Jack McCall. The show is free, and starts with a live gunfight on Main Street at 7:30 pm, then moves into the Masonic Temple for the trial. Today, the bar called Old Style Saloon #10 is neither the original saloon where Hickok was done in, nor the original location. According to Judge Kuykendall, a performer in the Jack McCall show, the real Death Chair isn't even on display -- just one that resembles it.

But Old Style Saloon #10 is nevertheless a must-see -- a museum and tourist destination during the day, and a rowdy wet t-shirt party bar at night (although maybe only during wet t-shirt season and the Sturgis rally). Real places and things in Deadwood are hard to come by, since most of the town was leveled in the great fire of 1879, or the medium fire of 1894, and 1948, and 1951, and 1954. And whatever was left may have gone up in the great fire of 1987. The gulch's abundance of dry, fallen timber blessed the town with a name and cursed it with a wicked combustibility.... In the absence of anything more authentic, we must visit the Death Chair. It sits in an alcove in a glass frame above Saloon #10's front door. The bar and tables are crowded with tourists. We grab beers and head for the back to watch a re-enactment of the fateful poker game. Tourist children have been enlisted to sit at the card table and play parts.

Shots are fired, bad guys run from the table, kids giggle nervously. Wild Bill slumps dead over and over, four times a day, all summer long. Saloon #10 displays other items, such the Poker Dead Man's Hand (8s and Aces) among the blackjack tables and slot machines. Exhibited above the floor is a two-headed calf labeled "Double Cheeseburger." Dummy heads of Wild Bill, Poker Alice, and others are mounted over the bar. Down the block at 622 Main Street is the location of the original saloon #10 -- before it burned. Today it's The Wild Bill Bar, and includes an interpretive center about the shooting, and another Wild Bill dummy playing cards. The ghost of Seth Bullock haunts the Bullock Hotel, which he built in 1895. His apparition has been seen dozens of times by hotel guests and staff. The Adams Memorial Museum is known locally as "Deadwood's Attic," built in 1930 by W. E. Adams. They exhibit Wild Bill Hickok's Boot Gun, Potato Creek Johnny's gold nugget, and other treasures.

Above the town, on a ridge, tourists can visit the graves of Wild Bill and Calamity Jane in Mount Moriah Cemetery. Also buried here are are townful of lesser Deadwood personalities with equally colorful names, such as Preacher Smith and Madame Dora DuFran. Deadwood - Where Wild Bill Hickok Was Shot No. 10 Saloon Wild Bill Hickok is murdered - Aug 02, 1876 - HISTORY.com Wild Bill Hickok is murdered Share this: Wild Bill Hickok is murdered Author Wild Bill Hickok is murdered URL Publisher A+E Networks “Wild Bill” Hickok, one of the greatest gunfighters of the American West, is murdered in Deadwood, South Dakota. Born in Illinois in 1837, James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok first gained notoriety as a gunfighter in 1861 when he coolly shot three men who were trying to kill him. A highly sensationalized account of the gunfight appeared six years later in the popular periodical Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, sparking Hickok’s rise to national fame. Other articles and books followed, and though his prowess was often exaggerated, Hickok did earn his reputation with a string of impressive gunfights.

After accidentally killing his deputy during an 1871 shootout in Abilene, Texas, Hickok never fought another gun battle. For the next several years he lived off his famous reputation, appearing as himself in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West show. Occasionally, he worked as guide for wealthy hunters. His renowned eyesight began to fail, and for a time he was reduced to wandering the West trying to make a living as a gambler. Several times he was arrested for vagrancy. In the spring of 1876, Hickok arrived in the Black Hills mining town of Deadwood, South Dakota. There he became a regular at the poker tables of the No. 10 Saloon, eking out a meager existence as a card player. On this day in 1876, Hickok was playing cards with his back to the saloon door. At 4:15 in the afternoon, a young gunslinger named Jack McCall walked into the saloon, approached Hickok from behind, and shot him in the back of the head. Hickok died immediately. McCall tried to shoot others in the crowd, but amazingly, all of the remaining cartridges in his pistol were duds.

McCall was later tried, convicted, and hanged. Hickok was only 39 years old when he died. The most famous gunfighter in the history of the West died with his Smith & Wesson revolver in his holster, never having seen his murderer. According to legend, Hickok held a pair of black aces and black eights when he died, a combination that has since been known as the Dead Man’s Hand. Related Videos Jack McCall - The Coward That Killed Bill Hickok Jack McCall - Cowardly Killer of Wild Bill Hickok Jack (John) McCall, also known as "Crooked Noseï¿½ Jack, would probably have never been remembered in history if he hadnï¿½t shot Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood , South Dakota . Not specifically an "outlaw," McCall was more notorious for his drunkenness and stupidity, and perhaps as a scoundrel. However, as he utilized several aliases throughout his lifetime, there may very well have been more dastardly deeds in his past of which we are unaware. Born around 1850 in Jefferson County, Kentucky, he was raised there along with his three sisters.

McCall drifted west as a young adult and was working in the Kansas - Nebraska border country with a group of buffalo hunters by about 1869. Later he was known to have been in Wyoming before arriving in Deadwood , South Dakota in 1876, going by the name of Bill Sutherland. Newspaper accounts described him as having thick chestnut hair, a small sandy moustache, a double chin and crossed eyes. Soon after his arrival in Deadwood , he was drinking at the bar at Nuttall and Mannï¿½s No. 10 Saloon on August 1, 1876. Getting steadily drunk, he watched as Wild Bill Hickok played poker at a full table. When one of the players dropped out, McCall quickly took his place. Drunk and overmatched, McCall lost hand after hand until he had not a dime left in his pocket. Hickok then gave McCall some money to buy himself something to eat and advised him not to play again until he could cover his losses. Though McCall accepted the money, he felt insulted. The next afternoon when Wild Bill entered Nuttall & Mann's Saloon he found Charlie Rich sitting in his preferred seat.

After some hesitation, Wild Bill joined the game, reluctantly seating himself with his back to the door and the bar---a fatal mistake. Jack McCall, drinking heavily at the bar, saw Hickok enter the saloon , taking a seat at his regular table in the corner near the door. Seeing an opportunity to avenge himself of the insult, and perhaps to make a name for himself, McCall came up behind Hickok , pointed his .45 caliber revolver at the back of his head and pulled the trigger as he shouted, "Damn you, take that!ï¿½ Hickok , holding a hand of Aces and Eights, fell instantly dead to the floor. Afterwards, the cowardly McCall ran immediately from the saloon and attempted to escape on someone elseï¿½s horse that was tethered nearby. However, because the saddle had been loosened, he fell to the ground. He then ran down the dusty street and hid in a butcherï¿½s shop, but within minutes, he was found by a large crowd. The very next day, the mining camp assembled a minersï¿½ court, convening at the McDaniels/Langrishe Theater.

Though the City of Deadwood had no legal jurisdiction, they went about appointing a defense attorney, prosecutor, and judge and began McCall's trial for murder. McCall claimed he had shot Wild Bill in revenge for killing his brother back in Abilene, Kansas and maintained that he would do it all over again given the chance. In less than two hours the jury returned a "not guiltyï¿½ verdict that evoked this comment in the Black Hills Pioneer: "Should it ever be our misfortune to kill a man ... we would simply ask that our trial may take place in some of the mining camps of these hills." McCall lingered about Deadwood for several days, until a man called California Joe strongly suggested the air might be bad for McCall's health. McCall got the message and believing heï¿½d escaped punishment for his crime, headed to Wyoming bragging to anyone who would listen that he had killed the famous Wild Bill Hickok . Less than a month later, the trial held in Deadwood was found to have had no legal basis, Deadwood being located in Indian Territory. [MURDER OF WILD BILL HICKOCK AT DEADWOOD MURDER OF WILD BILL HICKOCK AT DEADWOOD.

TRAVELER, AUGUST 30, 1876 - FRONT PAGE. Murder of Wild Bill at Deadwood, and the Trial of the Murderer. [Special Correspondence of the Inter-Ocean.] DEADWOOD, D. T., Aug. 3, 1876. Yesterday afternoon about 4 o'clock the people of this city were startled by the report of a pistol shot in the saloon kept by Messrs. Lewis & Mann. Your correspondent at once hastened to the spot and found J. B. Hickock, commonly known as Wild Bill, lying senseless upon the floor. He had been shot by a man known as Jack McCall. An examination showed that a pistol had been fired close to the back of the head, the bullet entering the base of the brain, a little to the right of the center, passing through in a straight line, making its exit through the right cheek between the upper and lower jaw bones, loosening several of the molar teeth in its passage, and carrying a portion of the cerebellum through the wound. From the nature of the wound, death must have been instantaneous. A jury was convened which decided that J. B.

Hickock came to his death from a wound resulting from a shot fired from a pistol in the hands of Jack McCall. THE TRIAL OF THE MURDERER. A meeting was called during the evening at McDaniels' Theater, which was given up by Mr. Languishe for that purpose. Officers were elected to conduct the trial, which was set for 9 o'clock this morning. Three men were selected, one to go up Whitewood, another up Deadwood, and the third down Whitewood early this morning, for the purpose of informing the miners of the trial. At the time appointed, the prisoner was led into the theater by the guard, and in charge of Joseph Brown, who had been elected Sheriff, and placed upon the stage beside the table at which was seated Judge Kuykendall and other officers of the court. The Judge called the meeting to order, and, in a neat address asked the people to sustain him in the discharge of the duties which devolved upon him in the unenviable position which they had forced him to accept. THE PRISONER. Never did a more forbidding countenance face a court than that of Jack McCall.

His head, which is covered by a thick crop of chestnut hair, is very narrow as to the parts occupied by the intellectual portion of the brain, while the animal development is exceedingly large. A small sandy mustache covers a sensual mouth. The nose is what is commonly called "snub," cross eyes, and a florid complexion, and the picture is finished. He was clad in a blue flannel shirt, brown overalls, heavy shoes; and as he sat in a stooping position with his arms across his breast, he evidently assumed a nonchalance and bravado which was foreign to his feelings, and betrayed himself by the spasmodic heavings of his heart. A hundred names were selected, each written upon a slip of paper and placed in a hat, from which they were taken by one of the committee who had been selected to draw the jurors. Nearly all the list was exhausted before the jury was declared full. THE TESTIMONY.

The first witness called was Charles Rich, who said he was in the saloon kept by Lewis & Mann on the afternoon of the 2nd, and was seated at a table playing a game of poker with Wild Bill and several others when the prisoner, whom he identified, came into the room, walked deliberately up to Wild Bill, placed a pistol to the back of the deceased, and fired, saying: "Take that." Bill fell from the stool upon which he had been seated without uttering a word. Samuel Young testified that he was engaged in the saloon; that he had just delivered $15 worth of poker checks to the deceased, and was returning to his place behind the bar, when he heard the report of a pistol shot. Turning around, he saw the prisoner at the back of Wild Bill, with a pistol in his hand, which he had just discharged, and heard him say "Take that." Carl Mann, who was one of the proprietors of the saloon, testified that he was in the poker game. He noticed a commotion and saw the prisoner (whom he identified) shoot Wild Bill. THE DEFENSE. The defense called for the first witness, P. H.

Smith, who said he had been in the employ of the defendant for four months. He testified that Mr. McCall was not a man of a quarrelsome disposition, that he had always considered him a man of good character. The witness testified that he had been introduced to Wild Bill in Cheyenne, and drank with him, and that the deceased had a bad reputation, and had been the terror of every place in which he had resided. H. H. Pickens said that he had known the defendant four years and believed him to be a quiet and peaceful man. Wild Bill's reputation as a "shootist" was very hard; he was quick in using the pistol and never missed his man, and had killed quite a number of persons in different parts of the country. Ira Ford testified he had known the defendant about one year and stated: "Like a great many other men, he would go upon a spree like the rest of the boys." Wild Bill had the reputation of being a brave man, who could and would shoot quicker than any man in the western country, and who always "got away" with his antagonist. The defense called several others, the tenor of whose evidence was but a repetition of the foregoing.

No attempt was made to show that Wild Bill had ever seen the prisoner. THE PRISONER'S STATEMENT. The prisoner was called upon to make a statement. He came down from the stage into the auditorium of the theater, and with his right hand in the bosom of his shirt, his head thrown back, in a harsh, lewd, and repulsive voice, with a bulldog sort of bravado, made the following statement. "Well, men, I have but few words to say. Wild Bill killed my brother, and I killed him. Wild Bill threatened to kill me if I ever crossed his path. I am not sorry for what I have done. I would do the same thing over again." The prisoner then returned to his place on the stage. WILD BILL'S CHARACTER. The prosecution then adduced testimony to prove that Wild Bill was a much abused man; that he had never imposed on anyone, and that in every instance where he had slain men, he had done so either in the discharge of his duty as an officer of the law or in self defense. Bill's reputation as a gambler was bad. THE VERDICT--NOT GUILTY.

The case having been placed in the hands of the jury, the theater was cleared, with the understanding that the verdict should be made known in the saloon where the murder was committed. The prisoner was remanded to the house where he had been imprisoned during the night. At 9 o'clock the following verdict was read to the prisoner. Deadwood City, Aug. 3, 1876: We, the jurors, find the prisoner, Mr. John McCall, not guilty. CHARLES WHITEHEAD, Foreman. THE FUNERAL OBSEQUIES. After the inquest the body of the deceased was placed upon a litter made of two poles and some boards; then a procession was formed, and the remains were carried to Charley Utter's camp, across the creek. Charles Utter, better known as Colorado Charley, had been the intimate friend of the deceased for fifteen years, and with that liberality, which is a feature among mountaineers, had always shared his purse with him. Charley was much affected by the death of his friend, and incensed at the villain who had murdered him. A tepee was pitched at the foot of one of the giant trees which rise so majestically above Charley's camp.

Preparations were at once made for the funeral. The following notice was printed and sent out. "Funeral notice. Died, in Deadwood, Black Hills, August 2, 1876, from the effect of a pistol shot, J. B. Hickock (Wild Bill), formerly of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Funeral services will be held at Charley Utter's camp, on Thursday afternoon, August 3, 1876, at 3 o'clock. All are respectfully invited to attend." SOMETHING FOR BRET HARTE. At the time appointed a number gathered at the camp. Charley Utter had gone to a great deal of expense to make the funeral as fine as could be had in this country. Under the tepee, in a handsome coffin covered with black cloth and richly mounted with silver ornaments, lay Wild Bill, a picture of perfect repose. His long chestnut hair, evenly parted over his marble brow, hung in waving ringlets over the broad shoulders. His face was cleanly shaved excepting the drooping mustache, which shaded a mouth--which in death almost seemed to smile, but which in life was unusually grave.

The arms were folded over the stilled breast, which enclosed a heart which had beat with regular pulsation amid the most startling scenes of blood and violence. The corpse was clad in a complete dress suit of black broadcloth, new underclothing, and a white linen shirt. Beside him in the coffin lay his trusty rifle, which the deceased prized above all other things, and which was to be buried with him in compliance with an often expressed desire. A clergyman read an impressive funeral service, which was attentively listened to by the audience, after which the coffin lid hid the well known face of Wild Bill from the prying gaze of the world forever. SCENES AT THE GRAVE. A grave had been prepared on the mountain side, toward the east, and to that place in the bright sunlight, the air redolent with the perfume of sweet flowers, the birds sweetly singing, and all nature smiling, the solemn cortege wended its way and deposited the mortal remains of Wild Bill. Upon a large stump at the head of the grave, the following inscription is deeply cut: "A brave man--the victim of an assassin--J. B.

Hickock (Wild Bill), aged 48 years; murdered by Jack McCall, August 2, 1876." The city is now exceedingly quiet, although the people are determined to have no more jury trials. [JACK McCALL, KILLER OF WILD BILL, ARRESTED IN LARAMIE CITY.] TRAVELER, SEPTEMBER 13, 1876 - FRONT PAGE. Jack McCall, or Sutherland, the man who killed Wild Bill at Deadwood, has been arrested in Laramie City by Deputy Marshal Balcombe. He was taken to Cheyenne for examination before U. S. Commissioner Bruner, when, if the evidence against him be sufficient, he will be held to await a requisition from the governor of Dakota, and be taken to Yankton for trial for his crime. McCall admits that Wild Bill never killed a brother of his, but that he killed Wild Bill because he snatched a card from him during the progress of a game between them. --- [MORE ABOUT WILL BILL, KILLED BY JACK McCALL.] TRAVELER, JANUARY 3, 1877. More About Wild Bill.

[From the Black Hills Pioneer.] A Deputy United States Marshal, with a posse of five men, has started in pursuit of John Varnes, now on the "new stampede," who is charged with having procured the death of Wild Bill by paying a sum of money to Jack McCall, alias Sutherland, for committing the deed. It appears that some time ago, Wild Bill and Varnes had a difficulty in Denver, and the animosity between the two was augmented by a dispute over a game of poker at the Senate saloon, in this city, a short time previous to the death of Wild Bill, at which time Bill interfered in a dispute between Varnes and another man. Bill covered him with his pistol, and arrogated to himself the position of umpire, after which friends interfered and ended the difficulty. It is not necessary to speak of the arrest and trial of the murderer McCall. Suffice it to say he was arrested by the United States authorities at Cheyenne and taken to Yankton for trial. It appears that he now desires to turn state's evidence, and charges Varnes with having paid him money to murder Wild Bill.

--- [DEADWOOD, IN THE BLACK HILLS, DESCRIBED.] TRAVELER, JANUARY 24, 1877. The Black Hills Pioneer says: "Five months ago where there was a tangled mass of pine and other brush, there stands the city of Deadwood, a city of three thousand inhabitants. The city is a mile long, has over two hundred business houses, a mayor, and a municipal government. --- [MISCELLANEOUS.] TRAVELER, JANUARY 24, 1877. Some person or persons drove off Mr. Huff's team from the school house at Salt City Sunday evening, Jan. 14th, and at noon, Monday, he had no trace of them. --- Jack McCall, the murderer of Wild Bill, is to be hanged on the first of next March. He says his name is not Jack McCall, but refuses to give his true name. --- [TOPICS OF THE TIME.] TRAVELER, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1879 - FRONT PAGE.

If Reno had got himself killed at the Little Horn, he would have avoided no end of trouble. Wild Bill has been killed again--this time in Texas. There cannot be more than two or three of him left alive now. [ARTICLE ABOUT W. B. HICKOK, KNOWN AS WILD BILL.] TRAVELER, JULY 25, 1877 - FRONT PAGE. Wild Bill. The murder of W. B. Hickok, known as Wild Bill, a frontiersman, whose fearlessness, skill, and manly beauty Gen. Custer has praised in a magazine article, attracted wide attention about a year ago. A Cheyenne correspondent of the World gives this new account of the killing. "Fate brought him to the same card table with Jack McCall, a gambling sharper. On the last hand McCall bet $10 and lost; and when he came to settle, found that he had only $7.50. Bill, remarking, "You oughten't to overbet your pile; that's no way to play cards," handed him back $5 to pay for his lodging and breakfast.

Next morning Bill was in a saloon, when McCall came behind him noiselessly, placed the muzzle of his revolver to the back of his head, and killed him." The same writer sketches the widow of Wild Bill. She has had two husbands, both public characters, and both doomed to a violent death. In 1847, at the age of 15, she married William Lake, a clown, of whose circus she became financial manager. In 1869, while the circus was at Granby, Missouri, a loafer named John Killion, slipped in without paying. Lake ejected the deadhead, who armed himself, returned to the tent, paid his way in, and seeking out Lake, shot him dead. After her husband's death, Mrs. Lake took the management of the circus, which she conducted for three seasons, visiting all parts of the Union. She then sold off her menagerie, apparatus, and stud [?], and in 1875 went to San Francisco. There she remained but a few weeks, going to Cheyenne a year ago last April, where a little afterwards she was married to Wild Bill.

--- TRAVELER, SEPTEMBER 3, 1879. Wild Bill Petrified. The Atchison Globe says that the Black Hill Times gives an account of the exhuming of Wild Bill, the celebrated border desperado, on Sunday, the 3rd inst., to be transferred to Mount Moriah cemetery. It will be remembered by our readers that Wild Bill was killed by Jack McCall at Deadwood in 1876, McCall being hanged for the murder afterwards. The Times says that it gets information from Louis Schaenfiel, an old friend of Bill's and in whose memory Bill's many endearing qualities are still bright and green. Colorado Charlie, a partner of Bill at the time of his death, has purchased a lot in the new cemetery, and at his own expense produced a fitting monument of Italian marble that is now daily expected, which will be raised over his new resting place as soon as it arrives. At 4 o'clock Sunday morning the body was uncovered, and at 9 o'clock it was taken out of the grave. The body at interment weighed 180 pounds, but upon its removal it weighed not less than 390.

There was no odor or no perceptible decay, and it is supposed by those who examined it that petrifaction had taken place, as it was hard as wood and returned the same sound as a log when struck with a stick. Everything in the coffin was found just as it was placed there, and the rumor that the grave had been rifled was all bosh. The only article buried with the body was a carbine, and that was in as good a state of preservation as ever. There was no knife and revolvers buried with him as reported, and those who should know say that he never owned a pistol in the Hills. His hair was as glossy and silky as when in life, and a lock of it is now in the possession of Wm. Leonard, musical director of the Gem theatre. His mustache was as hard and seemed like his body to have been petrified. --- Poker History - Dead Man's Hand Smack Dog Favorite Banner DEAD MAN'S HAND The Dead Man's Hand is one of the classic Wild West legends.

It is reputed to be the hand that "Wild" Bill Hickok was holding when he was shot to death by Jack McCall in Deadwood's Saloon Number 10 on August 2, 1876. "Wild" Bill Hickok Hickok was one of the most colorful characters that the early West produced. While he had a number of strings to his bow - stagecoach driver on the Santa Fe Trail, army scout and spy during the Civil War, professional gambler, US Marshall and sheriff, Wild West Show performer, and gold prospector - he was probably most famous as a gunman with a deadly eye. His adventures were truly the stuff of legends. While a stagecoach driver he was attacked by a bear, which he managed to kill using only a knife (or a knife and a pistol, depending on which version you read). But his exploits as a gunfighter were the basis of aura that came to surround him. The myth seems to have begun with his shooting of Dave McCanles over a Pony Express station. Hickok apparently killed McCanles and two others, but the story was exaggerated and ended with 10 deaths being attributed to him. As word spread, his stature assumed larger than life proportions.

Because of this it is often difficult to separate the man from the myth, something that he readily exploited, growing a wild mane of hair and actively cultivating his image as a flamboyant yet very tough customer. His time as a scout in the Army further served to embellish Hickok's reputation, in particular the tale of his single-handedly breaking through a force of 350 Kiowa braves surrounding 40 men of the 3rd Infantry Battalion from Fort Russell in Colorado, in order to summon rescuing reinforcements. After his stints in the army he held law-enforcement positions in various towns, and became a professional gambler and card player, as well performing in the Wild West Show. It was at the card table that his past caught up with him. His reputation had naturally ensured that there was any number of men seeking revenge for dead friends, or to enhance their own stature, by gunning him down. In the end it was a fatal error on Hickok's part, which allowed a small-time thief by the name of Jack McCall to shoot him from behind as he was playing.

Although Hickok always insisted on sitting with his back to the wall, facing the door, to prevent an ambush from behind, for some reason he accepted a chair with his back to the door. This allowed McCall to step up behind him and shoot him in the back of the head. The Hand The actual cards have long been lost, so the composition of the hand cannot be proved absolutely, but it is universally accepted that it consisted of two pairs - Aces & Eights. Most agree that they were the black suits - clubs and spades. The kicker (5th card) is another matter altogether. This card is hotly debated; the favorite candidates are: Jack of Diamonds - according to the transcripts of McCall's trial, a witness claims that this was the card. Five of Diamonds - the town of Deadwood purportedly has this card on display, claiming it to be the actual card. Nine of Diamonds - according to supposed eyewitness accounts at the time. Queen of Clubs - Ripley's Believe It Or Not has this card on display. Movies, documentaries and plays have variously portrayed it as the King of Spades, Jack of Spades and Queen of Spades.

Although perhaps we will never know for sure exactly what cards "Wild" Bill Hickok was holding when he was shot, you're on pretty safe ground claiming that you have the Dead Man's Hand if you're dealt black Aces and black Eights. Deadwood travel guide - Wikitravel Understand[ edit ] Dead man's hand In 1876 "Wild Bill" Hickok, a legendary gunfighter, was shot in the back of his head while he was playing poker. Legend has it that Hickok was unable to find a seat in the parlor where his back would be against a wall, thus preventing any sneak attacks from behind. As a result he sat with his back to the door and was later killed by Jack McCall. Legend has it that Wild Bill's hand when he was murdered was a pair of aces and eights, a hand that has become known as the Dead man's hand due to Hickok's unfortunate luck. The fifth card is a matter of debate, with some people claiming that it had not been dealt or that it was possibly a five or nine of diamonds.

In 1874, famed Army commander George Custer led an expedition into the area and announced that he and his men had discovered gold nearby, in what is today Custer, South Dakota . Two years later brothers Charlie and Steve Utter led a wagon train into Deadwood containing essential business supplies - prostitutes and cards - which led to a boost in industries such as booze, gambling parlors, and brothels. During this time notorious gunfighter "Wild Bill" Hickok helped the Utter brothers by scouting out any troubles the train might encounter. That same year "Wild Bill" was shot in the head while playing poker at the Saloon No. 10. His killer, "the coward Jack McCall", was captured, tried by a group of miners, freed, re-captured, re-tried by a court, and hanged. Legal proceedings have, thankfully, grown somewhat more standardized in the years since that famous crime. Historical marker, Deadwood Another legendary event was the Horsemeat March of 1876 where General Cook led an expedition pursuing a band of Sioux natives fleeing the site of Custer's last stand, the Battle of Little Big Horn.

General Cook and his men set off in pursuit with reduced rations in order to give a quicker chase, but they did not predict that the Sioux would burn the grass behind them. As a result, both the horses and the men had no food and the men eventually were forced to shoot their own horses for food. Two major fires struck the town in the late 19th century. In 1879, nearly the entire town burned to the ground, including the popular brothel known as the Gem Theater. The owner, Al Swearengen, rebuilt the Gem bigger and more extravagantly than its predecessor. The town lost many of its residents, itinerant miners whose only possessions were destroyed in the fire, but Deadwood eventually recovered. Swearengen's command of vice led him into conflict with Sheriff Seth Bullock, a stern Western lawman and another of the town's earliest residents. The town began to flourish again, but was devastated once more by fire in 1894. Sheriff Seth Bullock and some of the other residents stayed and rebuilt even stronger than before, but this time, Swearengen left town. He was last seen as a penniless drunk, killed while trying to catch a train to Colorado.

The town's storied history was the inspiration for the HBO hit TV series Deadwood, which centered around Bullock, Swearengen, and the struggles of Deadwood to rise from a lawless miners' camp to a community and a civilization. The show incorporates many of the town's early residents and events including the depiction of a man who survived for half-an-hour after being shot in the head by a prostitute. In 1989, Deadwood legalized gambling, making it the third place in the United States to legalize gambling after Atlantic City and the state of Nevada , albeit at more limited stakes than its predecessors. Keep in mind that despite its high aspirations, Deadwood is still a very small town (fewer than 2000 people) in a sparsely populated area. Get in[ edit ] Deadwood lies 42 miles northwest of Rapid City on US Route 14A. If you're driving from Rapid City you'll need to follow I-90 to Sturgis and merge onto US Route 14A West and drive for 12 miles before arriving in Deadwood.

If you're coming from Wyoming on I-90, take exit 17 towards Deadwood and drive for 8 miles to get into town. Deadwood and the Black Hills area are best traveled by car (or horse), but Airport Express (605-399-9999), Discovery Tours (1-888-524-5655) and Dakota Taxi (605-920-2020) can provide transportation from the Rapid City airport. Prairie Hills Transit offers 1 way and round trip transportation to and from Rapid City for 15$ 1 way and 22$ R/T.Rates [2] (PDF File) Get around[ edit ] Most of the restaurants, hotels, shops and sights are located on Main Street, within easy reach of each other on foot (save for snowstorms). Free parking is available in the lot on Sherman Street which is a few blocks from main street, but there is metered parking scattered throughout most of the town as well. There is also a parking garage near main street.

A trolley service runs Sunday-Thursday 7AM to 1:30AM and Friday & Saturday 7AM to 3AM for most of the year, but Sunday-Thursday hours are reduced to 8AM to 12:00 midnight during the winter. The cost is very cheap at $1 per ride. The Visitors Bureau (767 Main Street, 1-800-999-1876) has maps and the usual array of tour brochures. They're also available at the History and Information Center on Sherman Street. Driving in Deadwood is fairly easy, as the streets are lightly trafficked and all of the sights are either on Main Street or clearly marked. Deadwood winters can be very severe, however, so if you want to rent a car in the winter months (Late September-Late April, with snow still being possible as late as May and even June) be sure it can get around. Recently, a company called Rushmore Segway has been offering guided, 90-minute Segway tours of the town. The tour office is located at the Days of '76 Rodeo grounds.

(September 2013 these segway tours are NO LONGER OFFERED) See[ edit ][ add listing ] Adams House Museum, 22 Van Buren Ave, ☎ 605.578.3724, [3] . 9-5. Built by the Franklins, this Queen-Anne styled mansion is nearly perfectly preserved since being purchased by W.E. Adams. Tours are about half an hour. $5. edit Adams Museum, 54 Sherman Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-1714, [4] . Summer (May 1 - September 30): Daily: 9AM to 5PM Winter hours (October 1 - April 30): Tu-Sa: 10AM to 4PM During the winter the museum is closed Sundays, Mondays and winter holidays.. Free admission, however a $3 per adult, $2 per child is encouraged. edit Mount Moriah Cemetery, ☎ +1-(605)-578-2600.

Overlooking the town from a steep hill to the north, Mount Moriah offers remarkable views of the area and the entire town, as well as the graves of Wild Bill, Calamity Jane and a few lesser-known luminaries from the Old West. (Seth Bullock's grave lies on a hill above the rest, a quiet ten minute climb away.) It is a well-kept cemetery with a beautiful cover of trees. Mount Moriah can be reached on foot from the town, although it's a steep climb. Maps are available at the gate. edit Nelson's Garage Car Museum, 629 Main Street (Located in the Celebrity Hotel & Casino), ☎ +1-(605)-578-1909, [5] . This museum has collected some of the world's most recognized automobiles such as the jeep from TV's M*A*S*H, Magnum P.I.'s Ferrari and James Bond's Aston Martin. Free admission. edit David Young's Bronze Sculpture Gallery, 608 Main Street (Located in Wild West Winner's Club), ☎ +1-(605)-578-3990.

edit Tatanka: Story of the Bison, Highway 85 (One mile north of Deadwood), ☎ +1-(605)-584-5678 ( tatankadebp@rapidnet.com , fax: +1-(605)-578-2070), [6] . Hours: May 15th - September 30th 9AM - 5PM. Tatanka explores the history of the North American buffalo, which at one time had a population in excess of 30 million, but by the close of the 19th century the bison population was estimated at only 1,000. Admission: Daily Passes: Senior (65+): $6.50; Adult (12+ years): $7.50; Child (6-11 years): $5.50; Children (5 years and under): Free. edit Do[ edit ][ add listing ] Historic Ghost Tour (Historic Bullock Hotel), 633 Main Street. Participate in this famous historic Ghost Tour hosted by costumed reenactors portraying Sheriff Seth Bullock or his wife, Martha. $5.

edit Madam Henrico Fortune Telling (Miss Kitty's Casino), 649 Main Street. Friday & Saturday Evenings. Experience an historical reenactment of Madam Henrico Livingstone, Deadwood Gulch's first female clairvoyant, card reader and fortune teller. Free. edit Gambling[ edit ] Many of the hotels, bars and restaurants also offer gambling, although that may range from a row of slot machines to private poker and blackjack rooms, depending on the quality of the establishment. Most casinos also offer free food and drinks so long as you're gambling (Or at least looking like you are) First Gold Hotel & Gaming, 270 Main Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-9777 ( gold1876@firstgold.com , fax: +1-(605)-578-3979), [7] . * Deadwood Gulch Gaming Resort, 304 Cliff on Hwy 85 South, ☎ 800-695-1876, [8] . Tucked back in the trees, this in town resort/casino has an out of town feel.

It's known for its hospitality, up to date gaming, and great food. edit edit Midnight Star, 677 Main Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-1555. One of Deadwood's casinos, but this one is notable for being owned by Kevin Costner, whose film memorabilia line the walls. edit Silverado Casino, 709 Main Street, ☎ 800-584-7005, [9] . The Silverado recently acquired the Franklin Hotel, making them one of the largest full-service gaming establishments in Deadwood. edit Old Style Saloon No. 10's The Utter Place, 657 Main Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-3346, [10] . Daily: 11AM - 1AM. Named for the establishment where Wild Bill was murdered. It's one block south of the actual location. There are signs noting where Wild Bill was actually shot and were they captured the hook-nosed assassin Jack McCall.

edit Eat[ edit ][ add listing ] Miners Den Steakhouse, 681 Main Street (At the end of Deadwood Main across the street from the Gold Dust), ☎ 605-578-3430. 4PM-10PM. The Miners Den Steakhouse offers great food, a relaxing atmosphere and a friendly and helpful staff. The menus items range from appetizers and salads to seafood and steak. There is a great childrens menu for kids,a 10% senior discount for people 55 and over, and cheap beer. The domestic bottles are 1.75, 12 oz drafts 1.50 and 22 oz drafts 2.50. Menu price ranges from 5.99-25.99. edit Best Western Hickok House, 137 Charles Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-1611, [18] . The Hickhok house offers amazing food. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner. They do however specialize in breakfast. They have an awesome country fried steak that comes with hashbrowns, toast and eggs for only $8.99!

The staff is friendly and the place seems very clean. edit Bourbon Street Casino, 669-671 Main Street & 29 Lee Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-1297. Celebrate Mardi Gras every day! Guests enjoy Free "dirty-rice" prepared with fresh onions, peppers, garlic, and sausage. 63 liberal slots! edit Deadwood Gulch Gaming Resort - Creekside Restaurant, Highway 85 South, ☎ +1-(605)-578-7740 ( ), [19] . Award-winning creak-side resort, restaurant, casinos, and convention center, with plenty of parking edit Deadwood Social Club, 657 Main Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-1544, 1-800-9529398, [20] . Deadwood's finest Italian Steakhouse specializing in handcrafted Mediterranean cuisine. edit Diamond Lil's, 677 Main Street.

edit Four Aces Restaurant, 531 Main Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-2323, [21] . Breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet every day, homemade salad and desserts. "Prime & Crab" Friday and Saturday nights edit Jake's Fine Dining, 677 Main Street, ☎ 16055783656, [22] . 5PM-10PM. edit Main Street Deli & Coffees, 594 Main Street, ☎ +1-(605)-717-3354 ( ericandina@aol.com ). edit Mustang Sally's, 634 Main Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-2025 ( sallys@rushmore.com ). Open Late! Outdoor Main Street dining. Sports bar and grill. Best burgers in town. edit Oyster Bay Restaurant, 626 Main Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-2205 ( oysterbar@mato.com ).

As seen on HBO, the History Channel Discovery Channel and Travel Channel- the world famous Oyster Bay Bar. Italian seafood restaurant and casino, not Featuring a Japanese Sushi Kiosk edit Silverado Grand Buffet, 709 Main Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-3670, [23] . Stay, play and dine at Deadwood's best! Live poker, blackjack and large variety of slot machines. Prime and Crab on Friday and Saturday nights edit Taco Johns, 90 Charles Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-3975. edit Tin Lizzie Casino and Restaurant, 555 Main Street, ☎ 1-800-643-4490 (fax: +1-(605)-578-3168), [24] . Enjoy out 1/2 pound Angus Lizzie Burger or any of the other menu items priced at $7.99 or below!

edit Oggies Sports Bar and Emporium and the Deadwood Grille at the Lodge, 100 Pine Crest Lane, ☎ 18773935634. Oggies was designed for service and fun. They offer competitive spirits with pool tables and darts. For the sports nuts they have 10 large high-definition flat screen televisions always tuned in for non stop sports.The Deadwood Grille features contemporary casual with a chef-inspired Northern Black Hills cuisine, The Grille is open for breakfast and dinner, 7 days a week. More than just a restaurant, the Deadwood Grille is a celebration of intriguing food, thoughtful wine and cocktails, in inviting, yet elegant surroundings. Menu selections, daily features and private label wines available. Serving Breakfast and Dinner daily. edit Boondocks Diner & Amusement, 21559 US HWY 385, ☎ 605-578-1186, [25] . Vintage diner, automobiles, rides, costumed photos, Studebaker museum all circa 1950's!

9 miles south of Deadwood on highway 385 edit Brown Rock Sports Cafe (Cadillac Jacks), 360 Main Street, ☎ 605-578-1500, [26] . Brand new in 2009! Specialty pizzas and delicious American fare. Starbucks coffee. edit Buffalo Steakhouse (Buffalo-Bodega), 658 Main Street, ☎ 605-578-9993, [27] . edit Bully's (Historic Bullock Hotel), 649 Main Street, ☎ 605-578-1745, [28] . Intimate fireside dining with steak, seafood, and pasta specials. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. edit Aught Six Grille (Deadwood Mountain Grand), 1906 Deadwood Mountain Drive, ☎ 877-907-4726, [29] . Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner with creek side dining available.

edit Gem Steakhouse & Saloon (Mineral Palace), 601 Main Street, ☎ 800-847-2522, [30] . Specializing in hand-cut Angus Steak. Full service lounge. Open daily fr breakfast, lunch and dinner. edit Gold Dust Restaurant, 688 Historic Main Street, ☎ 800-456-0533, [31] . Lunch and dinner buffet every day, homemade salads and desserts. "Prime and Crab" Friday and Saturday nights. edit Lee Street Station Cafe, 9 Lee Sreet (corner of Sherman and Lee St in the Wooden Nickel Casino), ☎ 605-578-1952, [32] . The "best" breakfast and great lunches in Deadwood provided by Tami! Hamburgers, sandwiches, homemade soups and daily specials. Family and local favorite! Open daily from 7 to 2PM. edit The Pub N Grub, 21399 US HWY (SteelWheel Campground), ☎ 605-578-1260. Open breakfast, lunch and supper.

Great food and great price. edit Super 8 Pizzeria, 196 Cliff Street, ☎ 605-578-2535, [33] . Personal pan, medium, and large pizza made from scratch with fresh toppings. Burger deluxe, salads, fresh-baked cookies. edit Mannequins above the Wild Bill Bar All casinos and most restaurants in Deadwood serve alcohol. Buffalo Bodega Complex, 658 Main St, [34] . The Bodega has a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights, and usually has bands during special events. edit Old Style Saloon # 10, 657 Main St, ☎ 6055783346, [35] . The Saloon number ten features a 40-foot long Brunswick bar. The walls are adorned with historical artifacts and oddities, and there is always fresh sawdust on the floor. edit The Deadwood Mountain Grand, 1906 Deadwood Street, ☎ 6055590386. The Deadwood Mountain Grand not only has regular concerts, but also has a nightclub that operates during special events.

edit Sleep[ edit ][ add listing ] Barefoot Resort, 21111 Barefoot Loop Lead, SD 57754 (Outside of Lead on Nevada Gulch Road going towards Terry Peak Ski Area.), ☎ 800-424-0225, [36] . This resort has two pools, three hot tubs, two exercise rooms, saunas, and a sports court for basketball tennis, and volleyball. This resort offers hotel rooms and condominiums. With timeshare options available. This resort is owned by RCI and a RCI memberships are available for added benefits. edit Cadillac Jack's, 360 Main Street, Deadwood, SD, ☎ 605.578.1500, [37] . checkin: 3PM; checkout: 11AM. All rooms include in-room coffee, microwaves, refrigerators, safes, HBO, and High Speed Wireless Internet access. Enjoy the indoor pool, hot tub, steam room, guest laundry, and free parking during your stay. Brown Rock Sports Cafe offers a breakfast buffet, lunch, and dinner daily.

edit Cadillac Jack's, 360 Main Street, Deadwood, SD, ☎ 605.578.1500, [38] . checkin: 3PM; checkout: 11AM. All rooms include in-room coffee, microwaves, refrigerators, safes, HBO, and High Speed Wireless Internet access. Enjoy the indoor pool, hot tub, steam room, guest laundry, and free parking during your stay. Brown Rock Sports Cafe offers a breakfast buffet, lunch, and dinner daily. edit Cedar Wood Inn, 103 Charles Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-2725 ( gamack@spe.midco.net ), [39] . edit Deadwood Gulch Gaming Resort, 304 Cliff on Hwy 85 South, ☎ 1-800-695-1876. checkin: 3PM; checkout: 11AM. Nessled in the pines beside Whitewood Creek, just one mile from Main Street. Deadwood Trolley service from our front door. Convention facilities available.

Range from $39 to $169, depending on the season and room. edit Holiday Inn Express, 22 Lee Street, ☎ 605-578-3330. checkin: 3PM; checkout: 11AM. Located right in the middle of Main Street, within easy walking distance of all the other locations on Main. Anywhere from $59 to $169, depending on the season. edit Lodge at Deadwood, 100 Pine Crest, ☎ 1-866-290-2403, [40] . The Lodge at Deadwood is one of the newer hotel and casinos. It offers 270 different slot machines, 12 card tables on the main floor and the Rounders Poker Room. It is recommended casino participants take part in the Club 76 priority membership. Random drawings and rewards are only given to those who are using their rewards cards. They also offer a variety of packages throughout the year to those wanting more than just a hotel room.

edit Celebrity Hotel, 629 Main St, Deadwood, ☎ (888) 399-1886, [41] . Stay at our Hollywood themed Hotel and Casino and enjoy Celebrity status. Has affordable luxury with a very attentive staff, heated towels, fine soaps, spotless rooms, and timeless elegance. starting at $100. edit Budget[ edit ] Black Hills Inn & Suites, 206 Mountain Shadow Lane (Highway 385 South), ☎ +1-(605)-578-7791, [42] . $39.95 - $109.95 per night depending on time of the year. edit First Gold Hotel & Gaming, 270 Main Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-9777 ( gold1876@firstgold.com , fax: +1-(605)-578-3979), [43] . checkin: 4PM; checkout: Noon. $49 - $129 per night depending on day and time of the year.

edit Mid-range[ edit ] Bullock Hotel, 633 Main Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-1745 ( reservations@historicbullock.com ), [44] . This sandstone giant was built in 1895. Legend has it the ghost of Deadwood's legendary sheriff haunts the hotel, possibly annoyed at the rooms of slot machines on the first floor. $110 per night. edit Iron Horse Inn, 27 Deadwood Street, ☎ (605) 717-7530 ( info@ironhorseinndeadwood.com , fax: (605) 722-6258), [45] . Located in the Railroad district,it is one block from the center of downtown, but far enough away from the larger noisy casinos on mainstreet. Located next to the historic railroad station. $90 per night. edit Cole's Cabin, 21357 US 385 (Located five miles south of Deadwood on Highway 385), ☎ +1-(513)-578-2800, [46] .

One bedroom cabin: $125 per night + tax. Two bedroom cabin: $165 per night + tax. edit Splurge[ edit ] Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid, 57 Sherman Street, ☎ +1-(605)-343-8126 ( info@butchcassidysuites.com , fax: +1-(605)-555-5555), [47] . $100 - $250 per night. edit Historic Franklin Hotel, 700 Main Street, ☎ +1-(800)-688-1876, [48] . $100 - $250 per night. edit Many notable guests have stayed at the Franklin, from Babe Ruth to Theodore Roosevelt. Martin & Mason Hotel, 33 Deadwood St. (Located above the Wooden Nickel Casino), ☎ 605-722-3456 ( info@martinmasonhotel.com , fax: 605-578-3250), [49] . Beautiful historically renovated hotel decorated with period antiques and exquisite king beds.

Very centrally located, an easy walk to everything in downtown Deadwood. $109-$375 per night. edit Mineral Palace, 601 Historic Main Street, ☎ +1-(605)-578-2036 ( amber@mineralpalace.com ), [50] . May, October - December: $89 - $209 per night. June- September: $ 139 - $259 per night. edit

Question: Who was shot dead by Jack McCall in 1876 at a poker table in Number Ten Saloon?
Answer: Wild Bill Hickok