Gold Is the Operative Word for Deadwood and Lead, South Dakota
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Gold is the operative word for Deadwood and Lead, South Dakota. In 1874 gold was discovered in the southern Black Hills. The gold rush of miners followed. By 1876 that rush extended into the northern Black Hills. It destroyed and created a lot of rich people, but also a lot of lives, Native American cultures. Town communities figured prominently in that area of South Dakota, they were Deadwood and Lead, both were still in Indian territory. "Deadwood was established in 1876 during the Black Hills gold rush. In 1875, a miner named John B. Pearson found gold in a narrow canyon in the Northern Black Hills. This canyon became known as "Deadwood Gulch," because of the many dead trees that lined the canyon walls at the time. The name stuck, and, over 125 years later, the U.S. 2000 Census cites Deadwood's population as 1,380; and the town sits some 4,533 feet above sea level. 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." "Once Deadwood was established, the mining camp was soon swarming with thousands of prospectors searching for an easy way to get rich. Such luck happened to fall upon Fred and Moses Manuel, who claimed the Homestake Mine, which proved to be the most profitable in the area. Although the Manuels had been lucky, others were not so fortunate. Most of the early population was in Deadwood to mine for gold, but the lawless region naturally attracted a crowd of rough and shady characters. These particular individuals made the early days of Deadwood rough and wild. A mostly male population eagerly patronized the many saloons, gambling establishments, dance halls, and brothels." <cityofdeadwood.com> "Lead (pronounced “leed”) was officially founded on July 10, 1876, after the discovery of gold. Lead comes from a mining term; it means an outcropping of gold bearing ore. A common phrase among Miners was “lead the miners to the mother lode”. One of the first enterprises of the Gold Rush of 1876 was Homestake Gold Mine. The Homestake Gold Mine was claimed by two brothers, Fred and Moses Manuel, and their partner, Hank Harney on April 9, 1876. In June of 1877 George Hearst purchased the claim from the Manuel brothers for a mere $70,000. The Homestake Gold Mine would go on to produce over 40 million ounces of gold during its lifetime, valuing over a billion dollars. The mine would also go on to accomplish many technological and civic achievements. The Homestake Gold Mine was America’s longest continuously operated gold mine. It closed in 2002 as the oldest, largest and deepest mine in the western hemisphere, stretching over 8,000 feet below the town of Lead." <leadmethere.org> Much has changed since the gold rush days. Several events caused changed. The first were several devastating fires in Deadwood and in the Homestake Gold Mine. Businesses ceased to stay open due to various economic reasons. Other reasons were forest fires, an epidemic of Spanish influence and even a deliberate flooding of the Homestake Gold Mine. During World War II, the U.S. War Production Board ordered that the gold mining operations be suspended. This was done to shift workers over to work in copper mines, to help in war plane production. Another reason was to encourage enlistment into the military. <leadmethere.org> Deadwood's population growth was due to the gold rush. It also attracted several people whose lives became legendary in Deadwood. Some of them included: "(James Butler) Wild Bill Hickok was one of those men who came looking for fortune. But just a few short weeks after arriving, he was gunned down while holding a poker hand of aces and eights – forever after known as the Dead Man’s Hand. Calamity Jane (Martha Canary‐‐Martha Burke) also made a name for herself in these parts and is buried next to Hickok in Mount Moriah Cemetery. Others like Charles Utter, Madam Mustache, Dirty Em, Potato Creek Johnny, Seth Bullock, Solomon "Sol" Star, W.E. Adams, Ethan Bennet Farnum, Al Swearengen, Poke Alice Tubbs and Jack McCall, who murdered Will Bill Hickok, created their legends and legacies in this tiny Black Hills town." <deadwood.com> <historynet.com> <history.com> Deadwood also experienced change, most of it into a downturn. Three major fires struck Deadwood. Economic hardships caused Deadwood to almost become a ghost town. In 1989, however, legalized limited‐wage gambling was approved. This has turned Deadwood into a tourist attraction that includes the old west and legends of the past like Wild Bill and Calamity Jane. This photo program shares scenes of Deadwood and Lead today, especially the place where Wild Bill Hickock met his end. Sources: https://www.deadwood.com/history/, https://www.cityofdeadwood.com/?SEC=269A8C80‐9F36‐4D72‐A17D‐DF18E23E10FF, https://www.leadmethere.org/history/, https://www.historynet.com/the‐real‐men‐of‐deadwood.htm and https://www.history.com/this‐day‐in‐ history/wild‐bill‐hickok‐is‐murdered. acuri.net John R. Vincenti Deadwood and Lead, South Dakota .