The Wives and Times of Al Swearengen - Part 1, Continued from Page 1

Volume 5, Number 4 Fall 2004 The Wives and Times of INSIDE Al Swearengen – Part I From the Director’s Desk.......2 Ellis Alfred Swearengen was born in Mahaska, Prince of Sportsmen.” The fight lasted 52 EIowa, on July 8, 1845, to Daniel and Keziah rounds and, in the end, was declared a draw by E.B. Farnum...........................3 Swearengen. Ellis, or Al as he would later be Nuttall. The Black Hills Pioneer, commenting Calendar of Events..................4 known, came from a family of eight children. on every round, devoted two columns of the Ellis and his twin brother Lemuel were the oldest front page to the fight coverage. The Incredible Mrs. Smith.........5 of the children who are named in the 1860 On the evening of April 7, 1877, Swearengen Web Research........................6 census. According to the 1870 census, Al was no opened the Gem Variety Theater. The Black Hills longer living in Iowa. He showed up in the 1880 Daily Pioneer hailed it as being as “neat and census in Dakota Territory. Al was perhaps one tastefully arranged as any place of its kind in the ADAMS BANNER of the earliest non-mining men to enter west.” Al had the new stage drop curtains Deadwood Gulch. His first appearance in designed by Mr. Rhodes, who would later go on SPONSORS Deadwood’s newspapers had nothing to do with to decorate the Bella Union. J. M. Martin painted saloons or entertainment but, rather, was a all the scenery panels and was also the Gem’s first declaration to creditors that he was no longer manager. The Daily Pioneer congratulated Al for responsible for his wife’s debts. being able to secure the services of such an able The population of and talented manager Deadwood in 1876 and predicted that the was starving for Gem’s first season entertainment. By would be brilliant. For late 1876, that opening evening Swearengen, who was Al brought in then managing the comedian Sam Murdy Cricket Saloon, was from Cheyenne. ready to exploit this The idea of deprivation to the importing talent to fullest. The Cricket entertain in was not what one Deadwood was a might consider a large concept Swearengen enterprise; in fact the thoroughly believed structure was so In this photo of the Gem Theater, Al Swearengen is driving the in, and Cheyenne narrow that the news buggy on the left . His far horse is a grey called Tredway. The was one of the media referred to it as near horse is a black called Capri. Johnny Burns is driving the closest places he a hall. It was in the buggy ahead of him. All of the horses in the photo have the traveled to find his back part of this Star and Bullock brand. entertainment. At building that Al Swearengen staged Deadwood’s the end of May 1877, Swearengen brought in first prizefight. The term “prize fight” might be Mr. Walter Parkes, “the best and most amusing a bit misleading, however, because no one took of Negro comedians.” Billed along with Mr. home any prizes, except of course, Al Parkes was “Baby McDonald”, who was a child Swearengen. The fighters were Johnny Marr, wonder, gifted singer and dancer. Baby’s father known as the “Belfast Chicken,” and George Jim performed a skating routine on an 18-inch Latimer, formerly called “Cook, the Kid.” The square elevated pedestal. He was also described fighters had no formal training, except placer as a world champion clog dancer. work, and were attired in stocking feet, trousers With this sort of entertainment one would The Banner and shirt. The fighters’ shirts were discarded in think the crowd at the Gem might have been Editors: Jerry Bryant & Mary Kopco the 40th round. The ring was an area 5 feet by 5 dignified and demure, except for the occasional Layout & Graphics: feet, and the only thing that separated the news article which would yank the reader back TDG Communications, Inc. fighters from the audience were a few benches to mining camp reality: “Al Swearengen gazed Contributors: Kate Bentham, Jerry Bryant, lined up across the hall. The ringside into the barrel of a revolver which was aimed at Joyce Carlsen,Arlette Hansen, Mary Kopco, arrangement was not a real crowd pleaser in that him last night. The hostile was disarmed by a Diana Kranz, Cookie Lance, Darrel Nelson viewers trying to get a look at the fight almost bystander, and was put in his little bed.” By the Printing: Dakota Graphics started one of their own. Billy Nuttall was end of July 1877, Swearengen had crossed chosen to be the referee. The Black Hills Pioneer enough of the locals that Sheriff Bullock was apparently approved of Nuttall, calling him “the Continued on page 4 Life and Safety CONSTRUCTION PROJECT By the time you receive this This phase includes site demolition, The museum and Adams Brothers’ newsletter, the Adams Museum’s Life and excavating the basement and ramp, Bookstore will remain open for the Safety Construction project will be well installing a meeting room, work room most part during construction with and new bathroom in the basement as sections of the building roped off to the from the well as creating a new emergency exit public. Progress reports and changes in from the basement. Phase Two starts in hours of operation will be published Director’s Desk mid-December and will be concluded by regularly in the local newspapers. Anyone with questions may call the underway with MAC Construction at the AM&H Administrative Offices at helm as general contractor and Williams 605/578-1928.The Adams House hours & Associates as the architects guiding the will not be affected. project. Funded by the Deadwood Speaking of hours, the Adams Historic Preservation Commission, the Museum and the Adams House will be work will address modern needs and open during the fall and winter from concerns in a creative fashion that will Tuesday through Saturday from 10-4 retain the integrity of the historic and Sunday from noon-4. Both facilities structure.The project is the result are closed on Mondays and winter of much discussion over the years holidays. In addition, the Adams by the AM&H’s board of directors House is closed during the entire who have been troubled by the month of January to do conservation fact that the mezzanine is work on the collections. inaccessible to anyone who has If you plan on giving gifts during difficulty climbing steep stairs; that the upcoming holidays, please the only function of the ramp to consider shopping at the Adams the basement is to collect water Brothers’ Bookstore (Adams which periodically seeps into the Museum) and at the Adams’ Treasures building; that there is no place for Gift Shop (Adams House). Members staff to prepare exhibits and conserve receive a discount at both stores. Of collections; that a public bathroom course, giving the gift of membership to awkwardly opens into an exhibit; and the Adams Museum & House also makes that public lectures, workshops, and a thoughtful gift. meetings must be held offsite. Credit for the overall plan goes to the creative Please call me at 605/578-1928, write The Adams Museum, the oldest history efforts of Lyle Murtha of Williams & museum in the Black Hills. me at P.O. Box 252 Deadwood, SD Associates who translated 57732, or email me at recommendations made by museum staff Memorial Day in 2005.The major [email protected] if and board members, the Deadwood construction involved in this phase you have any questions, concerns or Historic Preservation Commission and includes installing a new elevator and suggestions about construction, and our staff, members of the Deadwood City compact storage in the vault, building a upcoming 75th (Adams Museum) and 5th Commission, and staff at the Deadwood bridge on the south side of the (Adams House) year of operation. Post Office into a concrete set of plans. mezzanine to mimic the north side, and It has truly been a collaborative effort in insulating the walls.The final phase begins Sincerely, every respect. in May and focuses on exterior work Phase One of the project began including masonry restoration, September 27, 2004, and will be installation of glass in the windows in the completed before the end of the year. bell tower, and landscaping. Mary A. Kopco Deadwood, 1876-77 ca. E.B. Farnum was one of the first non-mining residents in petition signed by the citizens of Deadwood requesting that the Army EDeadwood Gulch where he opened a retail store in 1876. build a fort somewhere near the Black Hills in order to protect the good He was farsighted enough to realize the value of commercial property people of Deadwood from “the murdering bands of Indians that in Deadwood and secured claims on several Main Street lots besides surround us.” Mayor Farnum’s letter prompted General Crook to visit his business property and his residence on Lower Main Street. To the town with a small entourage of officers in late September 1876. ensure that solid supply lines were open to Deadwood, Farnum and In October 1876, Farnum and the town commissioners drew up the seven other men financed and promoted the Deadwood-to-Centennial first city charter, establishing the town limits and defining the offices that Toll Road project which was completed in the first week of August would be established. This document set the mayor’s salary at $100 per 1876. Over this road came flour, feed, ice, nails, saw blades, steam year, the marshal’s pay at $150 per month, and the city clerk’s at $75 per engines, and mining equipment.

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