Deadwood in Lawrence County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Wild Bill Hickok
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 12, 2018
1. Wild Bill Hickok Marker
Gunfighter, Peace Officer, Gambler
Born: May 27, 1837, Troy Grove, Illinois
Died: August 2, 1876, Deadwood, Dakota Territory
Wild Bill Hickok was shot in the back while playing cards in a Deadwood saloon. He is buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery overlooking the city. The poker hand he was holding, two pairs, black aces and black eights, became known as “The Deadman’s Hand.” His assassin, Jack McCall, was later tried, convicted and hanged in Yankton, Dakota Territory’s capital.
This life-size bronze statue of Wild Bill was commissioned by the Four Aces and sculpted by Monique Ziolkowski and James Borglum. It is a memorial to Deadwood’s most famous citizen, and a lasting reminder of Deadwood’s colorful past.
Erected by The Four Aces Casino.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is August 2, 1876.
Location. 44° 22.804′ N, 103° 43.479′ W. Marker is in Deadwood, South Dakota, in Lawrence County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street and CanAm Highway (U.S. 85), on the right when traveling north on Main Street. Marker and "Wild Bill" Hickok Statue are located in a small
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Elizabethtown (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Chinatown (about 600 feet away); Historic Facade Replication (approx. ¼ mile away); Historic Site Saloon Number 10 (approx. ¼ mile away); Deadwood's Chinese Ceremonial Burner (approx. ¼ mile away); Chinese Immigrants (approx. ¼ mile away); Wall & Main Street: Commercial Center (approx. ¼ mile away); The Badlands (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Deadwood.
More about this marker. Marker is a metal plaque, mounted horizontally on a waist-high post, facing a statue of "Wild Bill" Hickok, seated, as he might have appeared when sitting at a poker table.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. It is of a marker in Ohio repeating this claim.
Also see . . .
1. Wild Bill Hickok. Infamous Deadwood website entry:
Wild Bill is probably the most famous Deadwood resident, even though he was only in town a few short weeks. James Butler Hickok arrived in Deadwood, along with Colorado Charlie Utter and Calamity Jane, in July of 1876. He was a well-known gambler and gunslinger, participating in many shootouts before coming to Deadwood.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 12, 2018
2. Wild Bill Hickok Marker (tall view; statue & US Highway 85 in background)
2. Wild Bill Hickok. Wikipedia entry:
James Butler Hickok, better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his work across the frontier as a drover, wagon master, soldier, spy, scout, lawman, gunfighter, gambler, showman, and actor. He earned a great deal of notoriety in his own time, much of it bolstered by the many outlandish and often fabricated tales that he told about his life. Some contemporaneous reports of his exploits are known to be fictitious, but they remain the basis of much of his fame and reputation, along with his own stories. (Submitted on July 14, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Soldier, scout, lawman, and legend. Britannica website entry:
Hickok may have picked up the nickname “Wild Bill” for his daring fighting in the Union army during the Civil War, which included service as a spy, a scout, and a sharpshooter. After the war Hickok continued his adventurous ways, at times just skirting the right side of the law. On July 21, 1865, in a shootout in Springfield, Missouri, he killed David Tutt, a skillful gunfighter who had been flaunting the watch he won from Hickok in a poker game. Hickok was arrested
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 12, 2018
3. Wild Bill Hickok Statue
Credits. This page was last revised on February 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 13, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,177 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 13, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2, 3. submitted on July 14, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
