Deadwood is an historic town that was front and center in the action surrounding the settlement of the west and the displacement of the Native Americans. It is a town rich in the lore of the West. It was here that Wild Bill Hickok was shot in the back in a bar named the No. 10 saloon while holding two pair, aces and eights, now known as the dead mans hand. He lies up on the hill overlooking Deadwood next to the grave of Calamity Jane, and just across the 'road' from the grave of the notorious Madam Dora DuFran and her parrot Fred. (Weirdly, Hickok was born on the same day I was (different year) and his grave is on 'David Street" in the cemetery.) Deadwood is also in an area filled with the beauty of the Black Hills (which it is in, and not the Badlands), and the fine architecture of the late 19th century. It should be a tremendous tourist destination. But they have absolutely ruined it by bringing in gaming.
The lobby of the Bullock Hotel, where I have been these past four days, is typical. Upon entering you find 15 foot ceilings with elaborate decoration, paneled walls, walnut staircases, deep pile carpets and all the trappings of a luxurious hotel of the period. But what immediately assaults you is the row upon row of gaming machines that fill every room and blast the senses with neon flashing lights, bells and rock and roll music. It is like walking into a cheap casino/gas station in Reno. And the Bullock is simply the worst travesty...the entire town is that way. I found not a single store restaurant or hotel in town that wasn't primarily a casino. I think I would come back to the Black Hills someday for the riding, but not to Deadwood. It is Virginia City without the charm.
Today we found the real highlight of the trip though (aside from the scenery) at the Crazy Horse Memorial. I had not realized that it was begun before I was born, and that it is predicted to be finished --at its current rate of progress-- several hundred years hence. The reason for this being the financing problem. Commissioned by the elders of the Oglala Sioux nation, the sculpture was the lifelong work of a polish immigrant sculptor, and is now carried on by his wife and seven of his children. (Don't ask me to spell his name...I don't think my keyboard has enough consonants.) It will be their lifetime work as well. But it receives --by intention--no government funds and depends totally on entrance fees and donations. Here it is in its current state, with a white line overlay of its future shape:
and here is the scaled down sculpture from which the artist/stone workers are working:
Tomorrow we leave the Black Hills behind us and turn back westward. Our target destination for tomorrow is Cody Wyoming and thence on, the following day, to Yellowstone Park. More to come...
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