The town of Deadwood South Dakota emerged practically overnight following the discovery of gold there in the 1870s. Tradesmen followed the gold miners giving rise to a boom town famed for gambling, girls and gunfighting. Devotees of the Wild West esteem Deadwood as the town where Wild Bill Hickok was killed, though local lore insists he was assassinated. We passed a couple of colorful hours touring the main street, restored as a perfect tourist attraction, replete with saloons, slot machines, and souvenirs. As Americana it's notable that the politics of purity has somehow overlooked Deadwood, where the elementary school is situated just down the street from the notorious brothels and gambling dens.
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