Tombstone, Arizona, may be "the town too tough to die," but Deadwood, South Dakota, is a close rival in its notoriety in Old West folklore. If anything, the lawlessness of this mining town was probably even worse. It was first settled by white men in 1876, but in 1868 the U.S. had signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie, agreeing that the Black Hills belonged to the Sioux/Lakota nation. Unfortunately for the local tribes, gold was discovered in them there hills in late 1875. The find turned out to be quite significant. It was the biggest gold strike to ever occur in the history of North America. So big, in fact, the Homestake Mine operated for several generations and closed as recently as 2001. (Most other big strikes were worked out within a decade of World War II, if they lasted for any significant amount of time.) Despite the U.S. Army's early attempts to block Caucasians from settling in the territory, their greed was overwhelming. How hard the troops tried to keep the intruders out is another issue, but ultimately white men took over and Native Americans lost their reservation. For a while Deadwood was in a state of flux with no form of jurisdiction at all. Between Native American and personal conflicts and its high profile citizens vying for power, it brewed trauma. Trauma frequently leads to ghosts. It was an ideal place to go in my search for true ghost stories. Find them I did. I'd even be willing to go back and look for more. Deadwood is one of the U.S.'s best kept secrets as a tourist destination.

Deadwood initially came to my attention about 15 years before in a segment Unsolved Mysteries did on the Bullock Hotel. I thought it might also be a good idea to see the HBO series, Deadwood, before I left. As I learned in Tombstone, something like that is a big talking point for a small town and it certainly was a good way to start a conversation. During our trip, one of the things I noticed about the people of South Dakota was how easy-going they were. Unlike those of us from either of the coasts, they were not so hung up on professionalism. At two different restaurants, my parents and I were seated without our menus. After waiting several minutes for them, I finally rose to fetch them myself. At one of the places, the hostess couldn't understand why I was being so high-strung. On the other hand, I was impressed at how well behaved SoDaker drivers were. They immediately came to a stop as soon as a pedestrian stepped in a crosswalk. In California, drivers just wait for clearance. (But to be fair, we also have some obnoxious pedestrians who cross against red lights, among other things.) With today's relaxed attitudes, it's hard to believe Deadwood ever saw much stress.

Before I go on to the sites I saw in this pretty little town, I have one warning. I was disappointed in how little variety there was in the cuisine of the restaurants we visited, being from a region as diverse as the San Francisco Bay Area. Most of what South Dakota had to offer was bar and grill food. I was traveling with my parents, so their mobility was also a limitation in finding different places to eat. While I was more than happy to sample the local fare, buffalo and walleye (a bountiful fish found in the Mount Rushmore State's waters), the limited selections quickly became tiresome. Deadwood does have one Chinese restaurant that both my parents and I were anxious to try, but it was on the second story of a historic building and my mother, whose legs were aching at the time, simply didn't have the energy to climb the stairs. We did eventually run across an excellent bistro, the Deadwood Thymes, which served continental food. It may not have been exotic, but at least we could choose something that was sautéed for a change.

Be that as it may, the primary things I look for when I travel are history and ghost stories. In 1961, the whole business district of Deadwood was declared National Historic Landmark 66000716 by the National Parks Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Interior. Of all the mining towns that sprouted up during the rush to go west, the role this one played was significant. Aside from being the site of the murder and burial of the great 19th-century celebrity Wild Bill Hickok, it was fast to introduce some of the most advanced technology of the time to its settlers. Deadwood had a telephone exchange before San Francisco did. In its early days, it was believed thousands swarmed there looking for the best R&R. Today, it has a permanent population of roughly 1,300, but welcomes thousands of visitors every year. Following were the sites I personally visited in my search for true ghost stories and are accessible to the public in some form. The ones I have written more extensively about have had their titles linked to their reviews.


The Bullock Hotel; 633 Main Street, Deadwood, SD 57732; Telephone: 800-336-1876. http://www.historicbullock.com/bull_hotel/index.php

This refurbished historic hotel was originally opened by one Deadwood's most famous pioneer settlers, Seth Bullock. It is centrally located to see most of the town's shops, restaurants, and attractions. It has 28 sleeping rooms (two of them Jacuzzi suites) available and three casino halls to play one-armed bandits.

Housekeeping staff says cleaning carts have moved on their own. In room 305, a broken, antique clock chimes while they tidy. The shower in room 208 turned on and sprayed a maid as she worked. A rose and lilac scent permeates the casino floor in the winter when hardly anyone is around. At the front desk, as someone took a phone call, a hanging mirror shook and fell to the ground. Only the frame shattered around the delicate glass, which remained unbroken. While I stayed there, the guest in room 312 said the doorknob started to rattle, but when she answered it, no one was there. Later on that night, she was awakened when the knob on a connecting door rattled. She ignored it and quickly fell back asleep. She showed no distress whatsoever.


Adams Museum; 54 Sherman Street; Deadwood, SD 57732; Telephone: 605-578-1714. http://www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org

In 1930, this building was purpose built by William Emery Adams to be a museum from its very beginning, in memory to his first wife and the two daughters he survived. There are bigger museums out there, but its three levels are packed with exhibits devoted to the history of Deadwood. The first floor covers its legends, ethnic subcultures, law enforcement, J.B. Haggin Train, the town's founding & survival and has a cabinet devoted to its curiosities. The mezzanine includes an exhibit on cultures in conflict, Black Hills stories, folk art, Poe's Nudist Colony, John Sogge's wagon train models, and a gallery. The basement has the Verne P. Haas Family Educational Center, which appeared to be function room frequently used for seminars. There were also a more exhibits, including local women and their activities. Of interest to paleontologists is the remains of a plesiosaur, which is unlike any found elsewhere in the world as it shares traits with both older and later generations of this species, which could be further evidence that Charles Darwin's theories were accurate. Little pamphlets, sold on the honor system for about 50¢, can be found by a few exhibits with more detailed background on the topic. Historically speaking, prostitution had been considered a legitimate business in Deadwood and merited a panel on the first floor. The town's last remaining brothel remained open until it was shut down in 1980. My mother was amazed how far a woman could go in that town if she was "a slut." A corner of the street level was cordoned off as its gift shop with a good selection of books, DVDs, CDs, and souvenirs to purchase.

When I asked if the museum had any ghost activity, apparently several on the staff believe W.E. is keeping his eye on the place. Whenever his portrait is removed from its spot over the first floor fireplace, lights unexplainably go on and off and its alarm systems misbehave until it is returned. Curator Arlette Hansen was working in the vault, which is a staff-only area, one day when she heard distinct footsteps. She waited for someone to peek around the door, but when nobody appeared, she looked out herself. There was no one around to explain the footsteps. She immediately left the vault to go somewhere with people.

There is no charge for admission to the Adams Museum, but donations of $3 per adult and $2 per child are greatly appreciated. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily, from May 1 through September 30. From October 1 through April 30, it is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.


Mount Moriah Cemetery; Deadwood, SD 57732; Telephone: 605-578-2600.

Deadwood's boot hill began in the lower Ingleside district of the town, but as the town expanded, its developers decided to move the cemetery up to Mount Moriah so the town could continue to expand in the most convenient path available. When Wild Bill Hickok's remains were moved three years after his death, the laborers were stunned to find that limestone had seeped into his coffin and petrified his body. His grave now takes a prominent place close to the entrance of the cemetery. Because of his popularity, visitors have chipped away tombstones and statues placed on his grave and kept the shards as souvenirs. One statue was moved to the Adams Museum to prevent further vandalism. Another bust had been placed there fairly recently before our arrival, but now a sturdy fence is around Wild Bill's grave to keep vandals out. When Calamity Jane died in 1903, her body was lain beside his. A few decades later, John Perrett, aka "Potato Creek Johnny," was given the honor of being placed beside the Old West legends. Many of Deadwood's other high profile citizens were laid to rest there and their accomplishments provide many good stories about the town. Among the ghost stories that were previously published about Mount Moriah were sightings by its caretakers. When sweeping its grounds at closing time to usher visitors out, some would swear they saw a shadowy figure behind them. When they doublechecked, no one could be found. Employees closing up the gift shop, which is just outside the main entrance, would hear conversations and strange noises coming from the cemetery. They would sweep the grounds, but find no one was there.

When my parents and I went to visit, there was $1 entry fee. I was a little concerned as we approached because it looked like it would require some arduous walking. My parents are in their eighties and moving about is difficult for them. However, they made the trip to Deadwood and wanted to make the most of it. The man in the ticket office asked if we had a handicap placard and when we said yes, he said we could take the car in. While that was a relief, it proved to be pain when a tour bus entered. I tried to park as close to the curb as possible, but the roads in Mount Moriah are really only big enough for one vehicle to use comfortably, so passing was a real tight squeeze. When we swung around to the side where the flag was flying, there was an amazing view overlooking the town. I had hoped to see the graves of the Bullocks, but because of the logistics of the road and how far away they were to the heart of the cemetery, I let the urge go. Eventually, I heard a story of how one visitor left three cigars for Seth at his grave. When Seth's visitor later played the slot machines at the Bullock, he won three big jackpots.

Mount Moriah Cemetery is open daily, year round, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Admission for children, 12 and under, is 50¢. All proceeds go to the upkeep of the cemetery. The visitor center and gift shop is open from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day weekend.


Historic Adams House; 22 Van Buren Street; Deadwood, SD 57732; Telephone: 605-578-3724. http://www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org

As it turns out, W.E.'s posthumous activity is not limited to the museum. He is much busier at the home where he died.

This house is one awesome time capsule with a melancholy history. It was originally built by Harris and Anna Franklin to showcase their lifestyle. The work on it was completed in 1893. Aside from being much larger than any other home in Deadwood at the time, it had indoor plumbing. Despite the wealth of those who owned it, the outcome of those who lived in it was rather sad. After Anna died, Harris married again and moved out of state, selling the house to their only child, Nathan, for $1 in 1905. Nathan eventually completed his last term as mayor of Deadwood and he and his wife, Ada, also left South Dakota in 1920. They sold the house to their political rivals, W.E. and Alice Adams. After a year of poor health, Ada died in 1925. Nathan committed suicide in 1940 by jumping out a second floor window at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. (Allegedly, he was apprehensive over surgery he was due to have the following morning.) In the meantime, the Adams seemed happy enough at the house on Van Buren Street. W.E. and Alice had lost their eldest daughter, Lucile, in 1912, but their second, Helen, married a developer and moved to Pasadena, California, in 1915. The news that they would be grandparents for the first time in 1925 was soon followed by Alice's diagnosis of cancer. Despite her illness, she went to Pasadena for the birth of her grandbaby. When she died during Helen's confinement, the grief triggered her labor the following day and she died in childbirth. The new baby died a few hours later. Within a couple of days, W.E. lost his whole family. However, he moved on. The 73-year-old W.E. met 29-year-old Mary Mastrovich Vicich on a train and married her in 1927. W.E. suffered a stroke and died in his home in 1934. Shortly after his death, Mary packed nothing but a few personal items and moved to Los Angeles, leaving the contents of the house intact. It became a time capsule of life in the 1930s, right down to the cookies in the cookie jar and the vanity set on her dresser. She made annual trips to Deadwood, but stayed at the Franklin Hotel (which was an enterprise of Harris's). She told people her house was haunted. In 1987, the elderly Mary sold the property to Bruce and Rebecca Crosswait, who retained the contents, but did some maintenance and turned it into a B&B. They, in turn, sold the house to the city of Deadwood several years later. A thorough refurbishment was done of the structure to restore it to the condition it was in when Mary moved to California.

Since our flight home from Rapid City was during the five o'clock hour, my parents and I squeezed this one last attraction into our visit of Deadwood. By today's standards, its size may not be so impressive, but at the turn of the 20th century it was positively grand. All of its furnishing and accessories are original to the last family who lived there. The first floor had what many might expect in a mansion, including a parlor, sitting room, dining room, library, and kitchen. There was also a breakfast nook and enclosed porch, which our guide explained was originally an abandoned attempt at a conservatory. The dining table was set with the china the Adamses had used. What captured my interest was seeing a small, curtained-off area that had a small sink with running water. This was called the mud room. Since the weather in South Dakota can be harsh and roads had yet to be paved when the house was built, a side entrance provided this discreet section for folks to clean off the mud. My father, the bookbinder, immediately took interest in the family Bible that was displayed prominently in the library. The ones he usually sees are in ratty condition, which he may not always be able to repair. Our guide, Emily, told us that if anything ever happened to the house, such as a fire, the staff has been given clear orders that this item has absolute priority in being rescued. I give my folks a lot of credit for taking the tour, since it required climbing up stairs to the second story, but I guess they were going to make the most of it. There were three bedrooms upstairs. Neither W.E. nor Mary used the master bedroom as they apparently felt uncomfortable using Alice's bed. Instead, Mary had turned the upstairs parlor into her bedroom. Even more amazing, there were three bathrooms, one each for the purpose-built bedrooms and a smaller one for the maid. The tower had a third story, which was basically a single room used for smoking and not a part of the tour.

We were shown the bed that W.E. died in and many believe his spirit still roams his home. Emily said she has seen lights turn on and off when she knew no one else was in the house. While she and one other staffer were in the house, the alarm went off and they knew neither of them triggered it. One of the house's neighbors on Van Buren Street swears she saw the silhouette of W.E. in the window.

Cost of the tour is $5 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under. Tickets are sold in the gift shop behind the house. The Adams House is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., May 1 through September 30. From October 1 through April 30, it is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.


The following attractions are actually found in the neighboring town of Lead (its pronunciation rhymes with need), but that town is a three-mile drive away, so Deadwood can remain a base of operations.


Homestake Visitor Center; 160 West Main Street; P.O. Box 887; Lead, SD 57754; Telephone: 605-584-3110. http://www.homestakevisitorcenter.com.

This was the big attraction my father, the geology buff, was hot to see when we started planning our trip to South Dakota. Fortunately, it was convenient to my quest to see the Bullock Hotel. Discovered by brothers Moses and Fred Manuel in 1876, George Hearst bought it the following year for $70,000. When operations shut down in 2001, 40 million troy ounces of gold had been mined. Miners have a reputation for being just as superstitious as sailors and baseball players and considering how spooky those drifts (miners' jargon for tunnels) can be, who can blame them? Their jobs can be dangerous, which probably contributes to these fears. I never ran across any stories about tommyknockers at the Homestake Mine, but previously published documentation recorded how a few men found a strange, unusually bright light in their section of the mine. Since they were the first to arrive in the morning, they could find no explanation for it. Later that day, they found their way blocked by a huge boulder and wondered if the light was meant as some sort of beacon. Another account is about a night shift operator who was drilling at the 3,800 foot level looking for ore that might have previously been overlooked. At one point, he felt as though he as being watched and about six feet before him a small cloud was forming. Gradually, the silhouette of a face appeared, yet the only feature he could distinguish was that of white bushy eyebrows. Then the whole manifestation disappeared.

The visitor center is a manufactured building that can be found at the edge of the open cut, which is the surface quarry where work first started on the mine. It is 1,250 feet deep and a half mile across with a spiral of ledge roads along the side of this huge bowl. Inside the visitor center is a book store and gift shop, which sells several rocks and minerals that were mined from the Homestake. One thing visitors will find plenty of in South Dakota is rose quartz, which is the state mineral. I picked up pieces of bismuth, sculptured copper, and gypsum desert rose, among others. They were accompanied by little cards with more information about them, such as bismuth is a stable element that is non-radioactive. The visitor center also had a video room showing a short documentary about the Homestake and a patio overlooking the open cut with those sightseers' telescopes for closer looks. At one point, I noticed some people filing onto a bus. The thought it might be going into the mine occurred to me, but I had a feeling it would require disembarking and walking around some uneven surfaces, which might be difficult for my parents, so I never asked about it inside. Now that I read the brochure, I'm sorry I didn't. It was an "air-conditioned, handicap accessible trolley for a narrated ride through the city of Lead and onto the grounds of the Homestake Mine itself, where guides will explain the buildings and the process of milling gold." I'm disappointed in myself for that one. Gold panning demonstrations are also available, but it appears this was done elsewhere. Having done this at Columbia State Historic Park, though, my attention focused on other things, but at the Homestake, gold is guaranteed in every pan and this activity is only offered May through September.

The underground mine burrows even deeper into the earth, 8,000 feet to be precise. Over the course of its roughly 124 years of operation, about 120 miners died in the drifts, with plenty more who died above ground from injuries or other hazards that occurred. Many stories of phenomena have circulated about the Homestake, but finding someone who give me a good anecdote was complicated. In the end, I made some phone calls. The curator at the Black Hills Mining Museum said there were plenty, but could only tell me that there were many explained lights and noises in those drifts. One retired miner said he never heard about any ghosts. Well, I'm sure the stories are there, I was just unable to find the right person to ask.


Black Hills Mining Museum; P.O. Box 694; 323 West Main Street; Lead, SD 57754; Telephone: 605-584-1605. http://www.mining-museum.blackhills.com.

My parents and I decided to wander through this museum because it was right across the street from a restaurant where we had dinner, no foreplanning went into our visit at all. If we had been paying more attention, we might have taken advantage of more of what it had to offer. According to their brochure, "The Black Hills Mining Museum is a non-profit, educational corporation dedicated to the preservation of the rich mining heritage of the Black Hills." Its biggest feature is the prototype mine that was drilled by professionals to illustrate mining practices from the past and present and tours are given every half hour, from 10:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., except at noon. While I'm sure my father would have loved to venture down there, my parents would likely have problems moving around its uneven levels. Once again, I failed to ask when I probably should have. Like the Homestake, it also offers demonstrations on how to pan for gold. For anyone wanting to pan gold himself, there is a $7 fee because gold is guaranteed. Unlike the Homestake Visitor Center, though, the museum's setup is indoors and available year round. The museum also has a video presentation, but not even noticing the video room, I missed this altogether. However, seeing the exhibits the museum had were worth a look. This museum is about more than the local mining industry. It had snippets of the lifestyles and culture that grew around it. Some of it, such as extracurricular high school activities, show how some things never change, while other aspects were rather disturbing. The Klu Klux Klan had a foothold in the community, but apparently it was too weak to gain any stamina. There were exhibits of an old phone switchboard, medical supplies, and old saloon relics. There was a tribute to the local winemaking community. It displayed noteworthy stones found in local soil, along with a mastodon molar that looked larger than my head. There were also tributes to George and Phoebe Hearst, parents of William Randolph, among others important to locale.

With all of the relics this building contained, there was a chance that some of them might have ghosts attached to them. When I asked, I was told no paranormal activity was known at the museum. Most of the stories in Lead took place at the Homestake. This attraction disappointed in that regard, but it is still worth visiting.

Admission to the Black Hills Mining Museum is $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for students or seniors, children 6 or under free, and $20.00 families. It is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., May 15 through September 3. Call museum for winter hours.


The bottom line

Overall, I really enjoyed my trip to Deadwood and highly recommend South Dakota. Even though I found some of its obvious places for ghost stories, there are plenty of more. The Franklin Hotel has a few as does Miss Kitty's and the Wild West Winner's Casino. The Deadwood Visitor Center can be found in its former train station and it probably has a few ghost stories too. I'm surprised no one has put together a company for ghost walking tours yet.

The Black Hills is a beautiful region and has so much more to offer in addition to Mount Rushmore. Most Americans who end up there think of Deadwood as a secondary diversion while on a motor trip going somewhere else, but it deserves more attention than that. Visitors looking for ghost stories should find plenty of those to boot. Just don't expect to find San Francisco-caliber cuisine there. SoDakers have simpler cuisine expectations



Recommended: Yes

Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug