Photograph as originally submitted to this page in the Historical Marker Database www.HMdb.org. Click on photo to resize in browser. Scroll down to see metadata.

Photographer: Postcard by W.B. Perkins
Taken: 1911
Caption: Tombs of "Wild Bill" and "Calamity Jane", Mt. Moriah Cemetery, Deadwood, Black Hills, S.D.
Additional Description: ...The story of Wild Bill’s grave is almost as intriguing as that of the man himself, having been vandalized repeatedly since he was laid to rest in 1876. The original grave was located below Mount Moriah, but was relocated to the cemetery in 1879 to accommodate the town’s growth. The original, simple wooden headboard was moved as well, but it quickly fell victim to souvenir hunters that whittled away pieces of the marker. A nine-foot rock sculpture by J.B. Riordan took its place in 1891, but within ten years it too was destroyed. The Alvin Smith sculpture shown here was placed at the grave in 1903, but in spite of the fence barrier it was soon relieved of its head, arms, and gun. The remains of the statue, a Venus de Milo-like torso, is now on display at the Adams Museum in Deadwood. Recently a new statue has been placed that closely resembles the earlier Riordan monument. -- Postcardroundup.com, June 24, 2014 blog entry (This was actually written concerning a different postcard, but applies as well here.)
Submitted: September 25, 2015.
Database Locator Identification Number: p330605
File Size: 0.105 Megabytes

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