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Deadwood's lore has become its lure

By SEAN CONNEELY
Published December 25, 2005

DEADWOOD, S.D. - "Take a seat," barked Wild Bill Hickok, "it's just sawdust."

So some of the more than 100 folks who had come to see Wild Bill be murdered sat on the gritty floor of the Old Style Saloon No. 10. And in a few minutes, the costumed re-enactor was sprawled across a poker table, shot from behind, the now-infamous "Dead Man's Hand" of black aces and eights slipping from his fingers.

The actual murder of James Butler Hickok took place on the afternoon of Aug. 2, 1876, in what was then a bustling gateway to the gold-mining claims in the Dakota Territory's Black Hills. A renowned lawman and frontier scout, Hickok had been in Deadwood just three weeks when he strolled into this saloon to play poker; card playing for money was how he earned his living then.

But this day he was denied his preferred seat facing the door. (Hickok had killed at least seven men while a law-enforcement officer, had many enemies and was worried about being ambushed.)

And so it was that day that Hickok was shot in the back of the head by a drifter named Jack McCall.

In the commotion after the shooting, McCall escaped but was soon caught and put on trial. He was acquitted when he said he shot Hickok as revenge for the slaying of his brother. That was apparently considered acceptable justice on the frontier.

But while McCall was smart enough to quickly leave Deadwood, he was foolish enough to boast in Cheyenne, Wyo., that he had gotten away with murder - the murder of the great Wild Bill.

McCall was again arrested, and this time he stood trial in an established courtroom in Yankton, the capital of the Dakota Territory. Despite the protection against double jeopardy, he was convicted of murder and was hanged.

As had Hickok, many visitors now come to Deadwood for the gambling, which was legalized (again) in 1989.

The tourists bounce among from small casino to casino along Main Street.

Other tourists are drawn by the fame the town has received after two seasons of the hit HBO series, Deadwood, which embellishes the real history in a gritty adult soap opera.

But an interesting way to glimpse the town's most-famous resident is to follow an artistic trail: Even before his murder, the charismatic Hickok was a popular subject for artists.

After witnessing his "murder," the next logical stop is to visit his grave. Pilgrimages to the grave, in hilltop Mount Moriah Cemetery, became popular soon after his murder. Unfortunately, many of the early visitors either carved their initials in, or chipped pieces from, his grave markers.

In 1891, a 9-foot-tall red sandstone work, sculpted by J. H. Riordan, was placed on the grave. In less than 10 years, it, too, had been all but destroyed by souvenir hunters.

Then, in 1903, Alvin Smith sculpted a life-sized sandstone figure of Wild Bill, but though it had been placed within a tall fence for security, that statue also was badly damaged. What is left of it, a grotesque, headless, thing, is on display at the Adams Museum in town.

Present-day visitors to the grave find a bronze replica of the 1891 sculpture. The piece is distinguished by a far-away look in Hickok's eyes.

And buried next to Hickok is another legendary figure from the Old West: Calamity Jane. Her true name was Martha Jane Cannary (sometimes spelled with one N) Burke. She had been an orphan who earned a living any way she could, including as a scout with the Army and as a prostitute.

While she claimed to have had a child by Hickok, he had been married only a few months before reaching Deadwood and he publicly wanted nothing to do with Jane. Nonetheless, her dying wish was to be buried next to him, and that is what happened in 1903.

Back down in Deadwood, visitors to the Adams Museum see not only the remnants of the Hickok sandstone grave marker, but also an array of Deadwood artifacts - including more renditions of Hickok.

An oil-on-canvas by Louis Marak has Wild Bill seated, well-groomed, impeccably and looking refined.

But a pencil sketch by N.C. Wyeth portrays Hickok as a bloodthirsty lawman, two pistols drawn; they seem to be trained on the viewer at all times.

Across the street from the Adams Museum is still another interpretation of Hickok. Sitting atop a brick pedestal is a bust carved in 1951 by Korczak Ziolkowski. This was done four years after Ziolkowski arrived in the Black Hills to undertake the sculpting of a mountain to become the Crazy Horse Memorial, a monument to the legendary American Indian.

Ziolkowski chose to portray Hickok in a fur hunting cap, perhaps from his scouting days on the Great Plains. Wild Bill's head is cocked slightly skyward, his eyes focused rather than having the far-away look of the 1891 sculpting.

The Ziolkowski work is a reminder to drive an hour or so to see the mountainside monument dedicated to another of Hickok's contemporaries, Crazy Horse.

While watching the work that sculptor Gutzon Borglum was creating on Mount Rushmore, Sioux Chief Henry Standing Bear wrote to Ziolkowski and asked him to carve a mountain to show that "the red man has great heroes, too."' Standing Bear had read that Ziolkowski's bust of Polish musician and statesman Paderewski had taken first prize at the 1939 World's Fair in New York.

Other projects and then World War II interceded before Ziolkowski accepted the chief's offer.

Standing Bear and his fellow chiefs chose Crazy Horse for the carving because they believed he embodied the independent spirit of the American Indian people. Crazy Horse was respected as a warrior and a brilliant military strategist.

A little more than a year after his triumph at Little Big Horn, Crazy Horse surrendered and was at Fort Robinson, Neb., when he was was stabbed in the back and died on Sept. 6, 1877 - 13 months after Hickok died.

The first blast on the mountain was in 1948. Fifty years later, and 18 years after Ziolkowski had died, enough of Crazy Horse's face had been carved that it was dedicated. Ziolkowski's wife, Ruth, and seven of their 10 children have carried on the blasting and carving on the mountain, which is 563 feet tall.

And completing the circle is a bronze sculpture of Hickok, created by one of those children, Monique, and by her sculpting partner, John Borglum - Gutzon Borglum's grandson. In this work, Hickok is rocked back in his chair, legs casually crossed, but his gaze is uneasy, countering the otherwise laid-back feel the piece evokes.

Following the artists' trail of Wild Bill Hickok may not bring you closer to understanding the man, but it will keep you away from the slot machines and out of the sawdust.

- Sean Conneely is a freelance writer living in Sheridan, Wyo.

GETTING THERE: There is connecting air service on Northwest, United and Delta airlines from the Tampa Bay area to Rapid City Regional Airport, which is about 45 miles from Deadwood.

WHEN TO GO: Deadwood hosts many tourist events, including Wild Bill Days, which next will take place June 15-18. This will include gun-twirling exhibitions, quick-draw competitions, historical re-enactments and free concerts on Main Street.

Adams Museum is at 53 Sherman St. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, it is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. The rest of the year it is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and it is closed on Christmas and during the month of January. For more information, call 605 578-1714 or go to www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org

If you like Wild Bill or just fancy a game of cards, try the Old Style Saloon No. 10, 657 Main St. Every day but Sunday, the saloon holds a free Texas hold'em tournament. This works as an instructional tool for those who want to learn the game.

Call toll-free 1-800-952-9398; www.saloon10.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce & Visitor's Bureau at toll-free 1-800-999-1876; www.deadwood.org

Crazy Horse Memorial

Some visitors to Crazy Horse, especially those who have just come from nearby Mount Rushmore, are disappointed because the project is not finished. Unlike Rushmore, which was federally financed, the Crazy Horse carving is undertaken by a nonprofit organization funded by donations, gift sales and admission fees.

Among the special events is the annual volksmarch, a popular organized hike to the front of the sculpture's face. The uphill walk is held the first weekend in June; it is 6.2 miles round trip and is the only opportunity the public has to access the carving.

Legends in Light is a relatively new multimedia event. Using the side of the mountain as a "screen," huge lasers create spectacular images, accompanied by music from a sound system. The light show starts at 9 p.m. during the summer, and earlier in the fall. It does not take place in the winter or early spring.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 605 673-4681; www.crazyhorse.org

STAYING THERE: To help sort through the numerous accommodation options Deadwood has, call Black Hills Central Reservations at toll-free 1-800-344-8826.

[Last modified December 23, 2005, 10:30:05]