During our short time exploring Mt. Moriah Cemetery on the hill overlooking the city of Deadwood, we couldn't possibly cover the whole area. But, with the help of their excellent "Walking Tour Guide" and some posted signs near many of the graves of some historical figures, I was able to learn about quite a few of them. Probably the most well-known "resident" is Wild Bill Hickok.
James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok, "was murdered in Deadwood on August 2, 1876. Wild Bill came, as many others did, to the Deadwood gold camp in search of adventure and fortune. While pursuing what others often said was his only true passion—gambling—he was shot in the back of the head and killed instantly by a local rogue, Jack McCall. A hastily convened miners’ court found McCall innocent, but he was later tried by a regular court, found guilty, and hanged. Wild Bill’s friends buried him in the Ingleside Cemetery, but two years later he was reburied at the present site in Mount Moriah. Wild Bill’s colorful life included service as a marshal, an Army scout and numerous other tasks which called for a fast gun, and no aversion to bloodshed.”
“Potato Creek Johnny, a name synonymous with Black Hills
prospecting, was without a doubt, one of Deadwood’s most colorful characters.
The small, bearded figure of John Perrett was a familiar sight along the
streams of the Tinton area where he may or may not have found one of the
largest gold nuggets ever panned in the Black Hills. Some older residents claim
this huge nugget was actually several nuggets melted together. Potato Creek’s
later life saw him become somewhat of a Deadwood fixture as he took part in
numerous parades and community activities. John, ever popular with the
children, was an ambassador of good will with visitors to the community until
his death on February 21, 1943.”
“Martha “Calamity Jane’ Canary (1850? – 1903). In her short
53 years Calamity Jane lived more than most. She worked on a bull train,
performed in a Wild West show, and was a prostitute of little repute—we assume
because of her appearance. One story most historians claim to be strictly a
figment of Calamity Jane’s imagination was her claim to have been Wild Bill
Hickok’s sweetheart. Her acts of charity and her willingness to nurse the sick
attest to the warm, soft side of this rough and ready denizen of the Old West.
In 1903 Calamity Jane died in the mining camp of Terry from a variety of
ailments, chief among which was acute alcoholism. One can only wonder what the
elegant and fastidious Wild Bill would have had to say of Calamity’s dying
wish—which as you can see was granted—that she be buried next to him.”
“Henry Weston Smith – ‘Preacher Smith”. Deadwood’s first
ordained minister truly lived his faith and was an outstanding individual liked
by the entire community. During a brief stay in Deadwood, he worked at menial
jobs during the week and preached on Sundays. Smith was an ordained Methodist
minister and a medical doctor. On Sunday, August 20, 1876, while enroute from
Deadwood to the nearby mining camp of Crook City, Smith was murdered,
presumably by Indians. Wild Bill’s death caused little stir in Deadwood, but
the killing of Preacher Smith filled the community with rage, and for a time a
bounty was placed on Indians. Before being exhumed and reburied at Mount
Moriah, Smith reposed in the old Ingleside Cemetery.”
“Civil War Veterans’ Section – Mount Moriah contains the remains
of many Civil War veterans, but this section contains the largest concentration
of burials. Note that all the gravestones of these veterans are alike, provided
by the government upon request of relatives.”
“Brown Rocks Overlook—This point overlooks Deadwood Gulch
with its panoramic view of Deadwood and the surrounding mountains. To the west
can be seen the Yates shaft headframe and a small portion of the surface
operations of the famous Homestake Mining Company at Lead, three miles up the
gulch. The American flag at the overlook flies 24 hours a day by act of
Congress. It is one of the few spots in the country which is afforded this
honor.”
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| So many motorcycles during the Sturgis Rally |
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| Michel Rouse |
“John Hunter—Many pioneers did not come to the Hills for
gold; other business pursuits brought them. John Hunter was a businessman and
for many years ran a sawmill, furnishing lumber for homes, mines, and mills.
Hunter was co-founder of the Fish and Hunter Company, which for many years was
one of Deadwood’s flourishing wholesale houses. The Hunter family has been a
positive force in Deadwood for over 100 years.”
“George V. Ayres—a Nebraska native who migrated first to
Cheyenne, Wyoming where he and a small group of gold-seekers set off afoot for
the Black Hills gold camps. After seventeen days, ten of which it snowed,
George and his compatriots arrived at Custer. Going on to the gold fields in
Deadwood, he became seriously ill and was forced to return to Custer to
recuperate. He returned to Deadwood in 1877 to work in a hardware store. By
1909 he had become the sole owner of the hardware store that still bears his
name. Ayres was instrumental in developing the first good road system in the
Deadwood area and in upgrading life in general for the population. An example
of this hardware man’s ‘Mark Twain’ style of wit is best demonstrated by his
reply to a question posed to him on how to cope with Deadwood’s rough element.
He replied, ‘Just let the ruffians alone and they will kill each other off.’”
“Colonel John Lawrence—Although the title of ‘Colonel’ was
only an honorary title bestowed by an early governor of Dakota Territory, John
Lawrence will be remembered as the first county treasurer and as the namesake
of Lawrence County. He came to the Black Hills in April 1877 following a varied
political career as a Dakota Territorial Legislator, Sergeant-at-Arms of the
House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., and Deputy United States Marshall
of Dakota. After serving as treasurer, he was sought out for his advice on
matters of importance in the county, and for several years served as road
supervisor for Central City and the surrounding mining camps and as an election
judge.”
Finally, although she isn't included in the Walking Tour Guide, I felt that Charity should be included here, if only because she lived to the old age of 100 years during a time when women usually died much younger.
