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Some DEADWOOD and

WILD BILL HISTORY

His birthplace is said to be Troy Grove, LaSalle County, Illinois. Although that is true it is not generally known that at the time of his birth Troy Grove was called Homer. It was only after it became known there was already a larger town in Illinois also called Homer, that the name was changed to Troy Grove.

His parents were William Alonzo Hickok and Polly Butler. George Bush, the 41st President of the United States is a descendant of Hickok’s mother.

Hickok left home around 1856 with his brother Lorenzo and except for a two month period never went back. In 1858 he drove a stagecoach on the Santa Fe Trail. He was also a Civil War scout and spy for Captain Richard Bentley Owen, Quartermaster.

He also worked for General Custer during the Indian Wars. On one occasion they were mistaken for each other. It happened when a stagecoach got stuck in a snowdrift. One of the riders rode off to the next station for help while the others found a cave to keep warm in and pass the time. The others were playing cards when Custer himself entered the cave and asked them if they had seen any Indians about. Since they hadn’t, the General then left. One of the men playing cards said to the others. “Have you ever seen Wild Bill? Well, that was him. Purty boy, wasn’t he?”

There is a tale about his meeting up with a grizzly bear on one of his expeditions. This is probably not true but has added to the legend of Wild Bill Hickok.

As to how he got the name Wild Bill, it has generally been attributed to a lady watching him stop a lynching and saying “My God, ain’t he wild.” There are many stories to how he actually got his name but the first published story referring to him as Wild Bill was in the Springfield, Missouri paper, Weekly Patriot in 1865.

In 1871 he took over as marshal of Abilene after Marshal Tom (I carry no guns) Smith was gunned down. It ended when he was forced into a shoot-out with Phil Coe over a sign Hickok thought improper. After shooting Coe, Hickok turned toward a sound and killed his deputy Mike Williams by mistake. Wild Bill was going blind from glaucoma.

On August 2, 1876, Wild Bill sat down to a poker game in a saloon in Deadwood, he took a seat with his back to the saloon. Jack McCall shot him in the back of the neck, killing him instantly. Wild Bill was holding 2 black aces, 2 black eights, now known as the Dead Man’s Hand. The fifth card has been held up for speculation.

1877, Jack McCall was hanged in Custer City for the death of James Butler (Wild Bill) Hickok.

History of Deadwood, South Dakota

The history of Deadwood, South Dakota. It is about how the town was created and all the famous people that passed through it.

If you go to visit Deadwood, South Dakota, you can see that the history of the town is not long forgotten. Looking around you can see the casinos and old time buildings that are forever a part of the old west history. This may lead you to wonder how did Deadwood first came about.

Deadwood was first founded during the gold rush of 1875, somewhere around August of that time of year. After three years of people digging up gold, and Deadwoods population growing, the gold rush in this town had come to a halt due to people moving on to bigger and better gold strikes. Those who stayed were put to work by extracting gold from rock (which many found was tedious and left the town for this reason). Due to this reason the town had its up downs of gold findings, population growths, and industry spurts after the gold rush fever was over.

After the gold rush the town started to get left behind and was loosing money. To make money the people in Deadwood started to attract tourists by having the famous Days of 76 festivals and parade (as in 1876), which began in 1924. Another thing that attracted tourists was when President Coolidge visited. This brought 400,000 people to the area around 1929. Yet, the most important historic event that attracts tourists today is the gambling and the famous reenactment of Wild Bill Hickock’s death.

Most people know Wild Bill as a famous outlaw that was gunned down in Deadwood, South Dakota while playing poker with his back to the door of the bar. He held in his hand what is now called the dead mans hand. There is a certain casino in Deadwood now that claims to hold the famous chair and dead mans hand that Wild Bill held that same night. Another famous person that is well known in this town is Calamity Jane who was a woman that claimed to be more manly than any other man around town. She could out do anything any man could do. There have also been many more people that passed through this town that later on in their life were famous for something or other. Billy the kid and many, many other outlaws all saw the potential Deadwood held for high stake gamblers and gunmen. This is what makes this town so famous. Virtually every tourist that comes to visit Deadwood wants to see the rich history it holds. Most people even take a walk up to Wild Bill’s grave. While up there you can visit other famous characters’ graves, too. As you look around at this small town you can just imagine how it used to hold so much excitement in high stakes and gunmen.

Now Deadwood is known for its old cowboy stories and rich history. Not to mention the high antes in gambling. It has nearly 2 million visitors a year, and with every new face, there is an old story to be told. So, if you ever get the chance take a trip to Deadwood, and see the rich history of our nation’s old west, do so. You will take great appreciation in Americas old west. Thank you.