1876: Wild Bill and Deadwood, South Dakota Go Down in History

August 2, 1876, helped make the infamous Deadwood, Dakota Territory famous forever. James Butler Hickok, better known as Wild Bill, was murdered during a poker game at the Saloon #10 by Jack McCall.

If you go to Deadwood today you can go to Saloon #10 to see the sight where Wild Bill was killed you'll be in the wrong spot. The original Saloon #10 was across the street and a couple blocks north of the current location, 624 Main Street. The original building burned down in 1879.

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Wild Bill also wasn't murdered at Saloon #10. He was murdered at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon.

I always thought Hickok was middle-aged when he was killed. He was played in the HBO series Deadwood by Keith Carradine, who was 54 years old when the show premiered. However, Hickok was only 39 when he was murdered.

Jack McCall was tried twice for the murder of Hickok. He was tried in Deadwood and found not guilty because he claimed he killed Hickok out of revenge for Hickok killing his brother. But when McCall was apprehended in Wyoming officials decided that since Deadwood was on Indian land and under no court system, jeopardy didn't apply. McCall was tried again and executed in Yankton on March 1, 1877. He's buried somewhere in an unknown location at Yankton Cemetery.

MORE South Dakota History: September 26, 1879: How the Deadly Deadwood Fire Started