Deadwood, South Dakota

I happened to be in Deadwood at the tail end of the nearby Sturgis Rally. There were thousands of bikers in town.

The institution is occupying temporary quarters in the Phoenix building on Main street, but has in course of construction an elegant building at the corner of Main and Shine streets-undoubtedly one of the best business locations in the city.

The new building is constructed of brick and stone, with polished granite columns. It will contain a modern fire and burglar-proof vault of chrome steel and has automatic doors, and will be equipped with safe deposit boxes.

Text is from the 1904 publication Black Hills Illustrated.

The Bullock Hotel was built by Seth Bullock between 1894 and 1896 from a converted warehouse to a 3-story hotel shortly after the Deadwood fire of 1894, which destroyed the original 2-story wood-frame building and devastated much of the town of Deadwood.

It is believed that the hotel was originally constructed and decorated in an "Italianate" and Victorian style with the first floor of the hotel boasting a large dining room in the rear, a kitchen and pantry, a sample room where salesmen could store their cases, a grand hotel lobby, and offices in the front.

The Hotel was sold to the Aryes family who converted the building to a hardware store up until around 1991 when the building underwent subsequent renovation by the new owners, Bullock Properties, to convert it back into a hotel. The original furnishings had been sold at auction by the Aryes family in 1976, so in 1991-1993 the hotel underwent extensive renovation to re-create the original atmosphere and decor.

The current owners state that the hotel has been "carefully restored based on the best available information regarding the late 1800s and by uncovering details that gave clues as to the original decor.

Text courtesy of Wikipedia

The famous Midnight Star casino was owned for many years by Kevin Costner.

I happened to be in Deadwood at the tail end of the nearby Sturgis Rally. There were thousands of bikers in town.

I happened to be in Deadwood at the tail end of the nearby Sturgis Rally. There were thousands of bikers in town.

In the summer of 1903 the Hotel Franklin, conceded to be the handsomest and best appointed hotel in the state, was finished and thrown open to the public at a cost of nearly $150,000, and has added greatly to the popularity of Deadwood as a hotel town, for it is conducted in strictly metropolitan style.

Text from the 1904 publication Black Hills Illustrated.

I happened to be in Deadwood at the tail end of the nearby Sturgis Rally. There were thousands of bikers in town.

I happened to be in Deadwood at the tail end of the nearby Sturgis Rally. There were thousands of bikers in town.

The Methodist Memorial Park is located at the corner of Shine and Williams Streets in Deadwood. The city park mimics the layout of the original church that once stood here, with benches laid out like pews and a giant brick and steel steeple designed to match the original church bell tower. Flowers and shrubs blossom in the remarkable concrete and stone planters. The late Marvin Lehmen, the park’s general contractor, received an award from South Dakota’s Concrete Trade Group for the fine quality of the park’s construction.

Text courtesy of the City of Deadwood.