The Black Hills are full of charming, historic little towns. It’s a great place to spend a weekend, or even a longer vacation, and those who live there are lucky to be surrounded with some of South Dakota’s most beautiful scenery. There was a time when some of the small towns in the Black Hills were pretty tough places to live. In fact, this little town was one of the most dangerous in the entire country in the 1870s. Take a look!

In 1875, a prospector found gold in a little gulch in the Black Hills. The gulch was full of dead trees. It didn’t take long for word to spread, and soon miners filled the hills, looking for "Deadwood Gulch."
Library of Congress
By 1876, the town of Deadwood was the home of thousands of men hoping to strike it rich, and others who were ready to help the prospectors spend their money as soon as they made it. Deadwood was full of brothels, saloons and gambling halls, and those establishments were full of drunk, rough men.
Public Domain/Wikimedia

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Murders were common in Deadwood during that time. Men were shot over disputes about women, gambling and gold. Some were shot while innocently walking down the street. In August of 1876, "Wild Bill" Hickok was shot in the back of the head while playing poker at a saloon.
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By the late 1870s, the town was starting to evolve into a more civilized place. The establishment of law enforcement helped cut down on crime, and Deadwood slowly became a place for commerce and civility.
Library of Congress

Today, Deadwood is a historic landmark, and a great place to visit. Check out our article on today’s Deadwood.

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