Historical Mount Moriah Cemetery

Located in Deadwood, South Dakota is Mount Moriah Cemetery, the famous final resting place for several notorious Old West legends, outlaws, madams and murderers. Located on a mountain plateau above the city, the cemetery was established in 1878 and quickly began filling up with residents of Deadwood whose lives were ended by gunfire, mining accidents, Indians on the warpath, alcohol poisoning and other assorted calamities along with a few who died of natural causes.  

Among the eternal residents are Wild Bill Hickok (shot in the back of his head and killed by the drunken coward Jack McCall while he sat at a table in a saloon playing cards), Calamity Jane (notorious Old West female character who claimed to be Wild Bill Hickok's mistress and mother of his child, she died at age 51 of complications from alcoholism and is buried next to Wild Bill), Reverend Henry Weston Smith (preacher in Deadwood who was killed by Indians), "Potato Creek" Johnny (a 4 foot 1 inch miner who found one of the world's largest gold nuggets near Deadwood), and Seth Bullock who died in 1919 of cancer. Bullock, the first sheriff of Deadwood, brought law and some order to the town. Wild Bill was killed just one day after Bullock became sheriff. A week later, Wyatt Earp made it known he wanted to be sheriff. Bullock confronted him and told him Deadwood did not need his services. Rather than face him in a gunfight, Earp left town and returned to Dodge City. Seth later saw military service as one of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders.

   If you visit Mount Moriah, give yourself plenty of time to wonder around this interesting cemetery and wear comfortable walking shoes. Please remember, this is a sacred place and while there, be respectful, take nothing but photographs and do no harm.

Bust of Wild Bill Hickok on his grave

Many of the graves are enclosed with ornate
 iron fencing

A number of the graves are buried almost
directly in the sides of the mountain.