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The Real Story of James "Wild Bill Hickok" in Deadwood, South Dakota

By the time Wild Bill Hickok arrived in the Black Hills in July of 1876 he was already well-known as a lawman, gunfighter, and gambler. He had lived in the outlaw camp for only a month when Jack McCall shot him dead in a saloon.

Hickok was buried in Deadwood's first cemetery but his body was exhumed in 1879 and moved to Mount Moriah, a new cemetery built on a hill overlooking the town. Hickok's grave site became a tourist destination almost immediately. Over the years, it also became a target for souviner hunters and vandals.

The video clip above is from a 1992 documentary about the history of Mount Moriah. The segment tells a part of Hickok's life story but emphasizes the details surrounding his death and burial.