Historic Preservation Officer Kevin Kuchenbecker says, "When you walk up and down the streets of Deadwood, you see the Victorian buildings that are a great draw, but more than that it's the real history from Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Preacher Smith, Potato Creek Johnny, all are fascinating to citizens of the United States as part of the history of the American West. And to me it doesn't get any better than Deadwood because it all came here as the last gold rush in the lower 48 states."

     Deadwood, a place where you can walk in the footsteps of legends. It's where men and women came looking for fortunes and ended up creating Wild West folklore. Those characters are still a big part of the town today. Kuchenbecker says, "The entire community is like a museum in many ways and the sky is the limit, but you also can go in and see the hat of Potato Creek Johnny or Wild Bill Hickok's guns or just early gaming devices or other vices that we had in Deadwood. And we do an excellent job in my opinion through our partners in promoting, protecting and preserving the history of Deadwood, for not only South Dakota and the United States, but the entire world to enjoy."

     In fact, more than 80,000 people from all over the world pass through Deadwood's most well-known cemetery each year. At Mount Moriah you can visit the spirits of many of Deadwood's famous former residents and get a great view of the town, which is a Registered National Historic Landmark. Kuchenbecker says, "Deadwood was declared a National Historic Landmark on July 4, 1961 and so we are celebrating over 50 years of our designation as one of the top historical sites in the United States." Although the community has become a place to place your bets in recent years the town's history continues to be a big draw.

Tessa Thomas