Deadwood History The Black Hills of South Dakota were long part of Lakota Indian territory and were considered sacred by the Lakota. These characters were all flesh-and-blood folks who inhabited the real Dakota Territory (present-day South Dakota) town of Deadwood during the Black Hills gold rush. The large placer gold deposits of Deadwood Gulch were discovered in November 1875, and in 1876, thousands of gold-seekers flocked to the new town of Deadwood, although it … Deadwood, city, seat (1877) of Lawrence county, western South Dakota, U.S. It was founded after gold was discovered in 1874 in the Black Hills. Days of '76 Museum. Located just northeast of Lead and about 40 miles (65 km) northwest of Rapid City, Deadwood lies in a canyon formed by Whitewood Creek in the northern Black Hills, more than 4,530 feet (1,380 metres) above sea level. After the death of Wild Bill Hickok and the acquittal of his killer, Jack McCall, it became apparent that Deadwood needed law and order. Deadwood is a famous western town in South Dakota that gained notoriety for several reasons. 1987 - Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission is established. May 21, 1980 – Final raid and permanent closure of prostitution establishments in Deadwood. Grants ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 given to projects that retain, restore, or rehabilitate historic buildings, structures, and archaeology sites in South Dakota … Built Deadwood Fund Grant Funded by a portion of the gambling revenue generated in Deadwood, South Dakota. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 established the Great Sioux Reservation in the Black Hills. National Archives. Prospectors found gold in 1874 near present-day Custer, South Dakota, but the deposit turned out to be small. The Days of '76 celebration began in 1924 as a way to honor Aficionados of the HBO drama, now in its third season, may find it hard to believe that the true accounts of these men’s lives sometimes rival those played out on the screen. In its early days the town of Deadwood took pride in being lawless, murdering anyone who dared to bring civility. Seth Bullock, a Deadwood businessman, answered the call to be the first appointed town’s sheriff. Founded in America’s centennial year, Deadwood, South Dakota, has always celebrated Independence Day with great fanfare and parades, even in its earliest decades. Although a small town, it is rich in history. Deadwood was established in 1876 by a gold rush in the Black Hills of Dakota Territory. 1964 – 1967 – South Dakota Department of Transportation (SD-DOT) encloses a portion of Whitewood Creek as part of the box culvert project. The mining camp known as Deadwood Gulch, in a photograph taken in 1876. Here are some true events and persons which made Deadwood, South Dakota, one of the legendary towns of the days of America’s Wild West. 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