Feb 21, 2023
Welcome to this episode of The Radio Vagabond, where I continuemy road trip in the old west of the USA. We started in Billings,Montana, went to Yellowstone, and east to Devil's Tower in Wyoming.And in this one, I've driven an hour further east to a place with aWild West History – and a place that is said to be one of the mosthaunted hotels in the American West.
My name is Palle Bo. Welcometo f*ing Deadwood… as they say in the TV series.
BLACK HILLS OF SOUTHDAKOTA
I'm in The Black Hills, arange of South Dakota mountains known for their stunning naturalbeauty and rich history. The hills are home to several nationalparks and monuments, including Mount Rushmore National Memorial,with the iconic carved faces of four American Presidents, and alsoBadlands National Park, which features unique geological formationsand diverse wildlife. More on both of these a bitlater.
The Black Hills are also animportant cultural and spiritual center for several Native Americantribes, including the Lakota and the Cheyenne. In the late 1800s,the Black Hills were the site of the famous Black Hills Gold Rush,which brought thousands of settlers to the area in search ofriches.
THE GOLD RUSH PUTTHIS PLACE ON THE MAP
And we start in a small townin South Dakota that was a big part of this Gold Rush and souniquely the old Wild West that it became the location and name ofa TV series and a movie.
I'm in Deadwood, SouthDakota, a town with a rich and wild history that makes it one ofthe unique places in the United States. Deadwood attracted some ofthe most famous figures of its time, including Wild Bill Hickok andCalamity Jane.
Today, the town has embracedits history, with many original buildings still standing and usedas hotels, restaurants, casinos, and museums. And I start my visitto Deadwood by going to one of these museums.
ADAMSMUSEUM
TheAdams Museumis the oldestin The Black Hills, and I go to learn more about the rich historyof Deadwood. In 1930 pioneer businessman W.E. Adams founded theAdams Museum right here in Deadwood to preserve and display thehistory of the Black Hills.
He donated the building tothe City of Deadwood. Inside, I speak to Visitor Services Associateat the museum, Diane.
"The Gold Rush attractedmany people here, and at the time there were 5,000 people livinghere. Today only around 1,200."
Deadwood was founded duringthe Black Hills Gold Rush of 1875, and it quickly became one of themost dangerous and lawless towns in the American West.
Lots of legendary figuresused to hang out here, and let me fill you in on two of the mostwell-known.
WILD BILL HICKOK ANDCALAMITY JANE
Wild Bill Hickok was alegendary gunslinger and lawman of the American West, and his deathin Deadwood, South Dakota, is one of the most famous events in thehistory of the Wild West.
Hickok arrived in Deadwood inthe summer of 1876, and he quickly became one of the mostrecognizable figures in town. He was known for his gun skills andreputation as a lawman, and he has often seen playing cards inlocal saloons.
His friend, Calamity Jane wasanother famous figure of the American West who called Deadwoodhome. She was known for her rough-and-tumble lifestyle and was askilled marksman, but she is best remembered for her associationwith Wild Bill Hickok.
Calamity Jane claimed to havebeen married to Wild Bill, but no historical evidence supports thisclaim. Nevertheless, she remained a popular figure in Deadwood andwas known for her wild and adventurous spirit.
Wild Bill Hickok and CalamityJane represent the spirit of adventure, the lawlessness of thefrontier, and a big part of the rich history ofDeadwood.
MAIN STREETDEADWOOD
I'm taking a stroll down MainStreet. In the Deadwood series, this street was dusty in the sunand muddy when it's been raining. Now the street is paved, and nohorses are tied outside the saloons. And it doesn't smell of horsemanure and sweaty cowboys. It's still got that iconic Wild Westlook feel.
It's incredible to thinkabout all the stories and legends created in this smalltown.
Walking the streets ofDeadwood, I can feel the energy of the past and the spirit of thewild west. It's like stepping back to a place where gunslingers,gamblers, and gold miners roamed the streets.
I will explore some of thesehistoric sites Diane told me about at the museum, and my first stopis the saloon where Wild Bill played his last hand ofpoker.
WILD BILL GOT SHOTHERE PLAYING POKER
On August 2, 1876, Wild Billwas playing a game of poker at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon (Saloon no.10), when he was approached by a stranger named JackMcCall.
Wild Bill, with his long hairand iconic mustache, was sitting with his back to the door, andMcCall came through the door, drew his gun, and shot Wild Bill inthe back of the head, killing him instantly.
It was later discovered thatMcCall was seeking revenge for killing his brother, and he claimedthat Wild Bill was responsible.
The death of Wild Bill Hickokshocked the people of Deadwood, and it quickly became a part of thetown's folklore.
Hickok's death remains one ofthe most famous events in the history of the American West, andit's a testament to the lawlessness and violence of the frontier.Although he was known for his skills as a gunslinger, Wild BillHickok will always be remembered as one of the most legendaryfigures of the Wild West.
She lived on for 26 yearsafter Wild Bill got killed, and today, their graves can be foundside by side in Mount Moriah Cemetery right here in Deadwood. Thesigns at the cemetery read:
James Butler Hickok,alias "Wild Bill." Born May 27, 1837. Died August 2, 1887. Victimof the assassin Jack McCall.
Martha Jane Burke, alias"Calamity Jane." Born May 1, 1851. Died August 1, 1903. Her dyingrequest: "Bury me beside Wild Bill".
Even though they are bothlong gone, their stories continue to captivate people worldwide,and their grave sites are now popular touristattractions.
THE GHOSTS OFDEADWOOD
With such a rich history andthe lawlessness of many people being killed in these streets andsaloons, it's no surprise that many people believe that Deadwoodalso is home to many ghost stories.
One of the most famous ghoststories in Deadwood is that of Wild Bill Hickok, and inside SaloonNo 10, I've just seen the chair he was sitting in and in a framethe playing cards he was holding in the poker game – theso-called"Dead Man's Hand."
And it is said that hisspirit still haunts the town and that, on occasion, visitors toDeadwood have reported seeing his ghostly figure wandering thestreets at night. Some had even claimed to have seen him playingcards in local saloons, just as he was when he wasalive.
Another famous ghost inDeadwood is that of Calamity Jane. She is said to haunt the town,and visitors to the cemetery where she is buried, have reportedseeing her ghostly figure wandering the grounds. Some have evenclaimed to have heard her ghostly laughter or the sound of herspurs clanging against the hard ground.
But there are also severalother ghost stories associated with Deadwood. The Bullock Hotel,for example, is said to be haunted by the ghost of former ownerSeth Bullock, who is said to still walk the halls of the hotel. Andthe Bella Union Saloon is said to be haunted by the ghost of awoman who died in a fire there many years ago.
And then, the place I'mheading to now: The Fairmont Hotel. It is said to be one of themost haunted hotels in the American West and the site of one of themost popular ghost tours in the area.The Fairmont Hotel GhostTouris a guided tour that takes visitors through thehotel's dark and creepy halls, exploring its haunted history andsharing tales of the spirits that are said to haunt theproperty.
Inside I meet George, who cantell me more about this place.
GEORGE SAW AND HEARDGHOSTS
According to local legend,the Fairmont Hotel is home to several ghostly entities, includingthe spirit of a former hotel employee who died on the job and theghosts of several former guests who never checked out. Some peoplehave reported seeing ghosts wandering the halls or hearing strangenoises coming from empty rooms, and the hotel staff has evenreported seeing objects move on their own or hearing footsteps whenno one is there.
"I didn't believe inghosts before I got here but I've seen two ghosts in the year and ahalf, I've been here. I was working upstairs, I saw a guy, dressedin black walk into a room. I went down to chase him, but he wasn'tthere. I also built a shoe rack, and I go up there and the sneakersare all over the place."
George also tells me thathe's only been afraid one time.
"I was sleeping up thereone night, and in between our two properties, there was a bangingon the wall that shook both places. It was four o'clock in themorning, pitch black, and it was like "BOOM, BOOM, BOOM" about tentimes. And that scared me because, I thought, if that ghost can hitthe wall like that, he could hit me. And that's the only time, Iwas really afraid."
The Fairmont Hotel Ghost Touris a popular activity for visitors to Deadwood, and it's a greatway to experience the town's rich and haunted history. The tourguides are knowledgeable and passionate about the hotel's historyand the area. They are sure to keep you entertained as they sharethe stories and legends of the Fairmont Hotel and its ghostlyresidents.
So, whether you believe inghosts or not, there's no denying that Deadwood, South Dakota, is atown with a rich and colourful history, and it's a place that issteeped in mystery and intrigue. But what I love about Deadwood isthat it's not just a place of the past; it's a thriving communitywith a bright future. The town has been able to preserve itshistory while also adapting to the changing times, and it's a greatexample of how a community can come together to celebrate itsheritage while also moving forward.
MOUNTRUSHMORE
I drove about an hour southto Mount Rushmore, a famous landmark in the Black Hills of SouthDakota, USA. It is a massive sculpture that features the faces offour American Presidents carved into the side of a granitemountain: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt,and Abraham Lincoln.
Historian Doane Robinsonfirst proposed the idea for Mount Rushmore in the 1920s to attracttourists to South Dakota. In 1927, sculptor Gutzon Borglum wascommissioned to carve the faces of the four presidents, and work onthe project began in October of that year. It was completed in1941, after over a decade of work.
As you approach this massivesculpture, you can't help but feel a sense of awe. The sheer scaleof it is mind-boggling, with the precision of the carving and thesheer determination and hard work that went into this project. Tothink that this massive carving was created by hand, using onlydynamite and chisels, it's just unbelievable.
Today, Mount Rushmore is oneof the most popular tourist destinations in the United States,attracting millions of visitors from around the world each year. Itis considered a symbol of American democracy and a tribute to thecountry's rich history. The sculpture also represents the valuesand ideals that have defined the nation, such as freedom,democracy, and patriotism.
In addition to the carving ofthe four presidents, Mount Rushmore is surrounded by a NationalMemorial Park that features trails, scenic overlooks, and a visitorcenter with exhibits about the site's history and the presidentsdepicted. Visitors can also attend a lighting ceremony in theevening, where the faces of the presidents are illuminated in apatriotic display.
THE CRAZY HORSEMEMORIAL
I know; I rolled that outpretty thick, didn't I?"A symbol to the land of the freeand the home of the brave"and all of that. And evenbefore it was finished, some felt that the Mount Rushmore projectwasn't that brilliant an idea – when you consider how the land ofthe free and the home of the brave was stolen from the NativeAmericans.
And just half an hour's drivefrom Mount Rushmore, another massive rock carving is in progress.So, I drove out to see that one too.
The Crazy Horse Memorial is amonumental sculpture in the Black Hills of South Dakota anddedicated to the Native American warrior Crazy Horse. It isconsidered to be one of the largest sculptures in theworld.
The sculpture is being carvedout of Thunderhead Mountain, and when completed, we will see CrazyHorse mounted on a horse with his arm outstretched, pointing to hispeople's land.
The Crazy Horse Memorial wascommissioned in the 1940s by Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear as aresponse to the Mount Rushmore project, which he felt was adesecration of sacred land. And The sculpture is being carved byPolish Sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski and now his family (as hepassed away in 1982). He started working on it since 1948, and now,about 75 years later – it is still a work in progress.
The Crazy Horse Memorial wasenvisioned as a way to honor and celebrate Native American cultureand history, and to provide a counterpoint to MountRushmore.
While the two monuments arelocated relatively close, they have different themes and messages.The two monuments serve as reminders of the complex and oftenfraught history of the region and the ongoing efforts to reconcileand recognize the diverse cultural perspectives and contributionsthat have shaped it.
BADLANDS NATIONALPARK
The next day, I was headingsoutheast to Nebraska and passed through Badlands National Park.It's some of the most unique and dramatic landscapes I've everseen, located in southwestern South Dakota.
Badlands is known for itsrugged terrain and striking rock formations that consist of layeredrock and deep canyons. The landscape is characterized by jaggedcliffs, steep mesas, and towering spires formed from sedimentaryrock and erosive forces over millions of years.
The terrain is barren andarid, with sparse vegetation and a mix of sagebrush, grasses, andcacti. The predominant colors in the landscape are shades of brownand orange, with streaks of green along the intermittent streams.The park is also home to a variety of wildlife, including bison,pronghorns, bighorn sheep, and coyotes.
Overall, the Badlands is astunning and unique natural wonder, and visiting the park is anawe-inspiring experience that is not to be missed. So, I'm glad itwas on my way to Nebraska.
NEXT STOPNEBRASKA
In the next episode, I get tohave a farm stay in the rural part of Nebraska. Here, I stay with afamily, Mary Lou, John, and their grown-up son, Chris, who take meout on the field checking on their cattle. And then Mary Lou willtell me a story of her Danish ancestor who immigrated from my homecountry, Denmark when she was just a young girl.
All that, and much more inthe next episode of The Radio Vagabond.
My name is Palle Bo, and Igotta keep moving. See you.
POEM WRITTEN BY ANAI
In South Dakota's Badlandswild,
Palle Bo wandered like a child,
Amazed by landscapes, bold and new,
That stretched out far, and wide, and blue.
He heard of Hickok, famed and brave,
Who met his end in a saloon's enclave,
And of Calamity Jane, maybe his wife,
Whose spirit lingers, still to life.
At Deadwood, George from theFairmount Hotel,
Shared tales of ghostly guests as well,
And Palle, with wonder in his heart,
Felt the thrill of the Wild West start.
But beyond the tales of daysgone by,
Loomed the faces, carved up high,
Of four great presidents, proud and true,
Gazing out over the Badlands, too.
With awe and wonder, Palletook it in,
And felt his heart and soul begin,
To truly understand this land,
And all the stories, grand and grand.
Now, with sights still freshin mind,
Palle ventures forth to find,
The farms of Nebraska, far and wide,
Where new adventures yet abide.
