The Dark Story of America's Most Lawless Frontier Town - Deadwood

August 2nd, 1876. In a narrow gulch in the Black Hills, thousands of gold seekers are living on land the United States had promised, by treaty, to the Lakota people. There is no sheriff, no court, and no law — only gold, and whoever is strong enough to keep it. That afternoon, inside a saloon on Main Street, Wild Bill Hickok sits down at a poker table with his back to the door. This is the dark story of Deadwood, South Dakota: the camp that should never have existed. We follow the gold from the creek beds to the Homestake Mine, the richest gold mine in North America, bought in 1877 for $70,000. We go inside Al Swearengen's Gem Theater, where the take averaged $5,000 a night, and ride with Seth Bullock as he brings the first law to the gulch. We walk through the fire of 1879, the forgotten Chinatown, the brothels that stayed open until 1980, and the night shift at the Bullock Hotel, where some say the old sheriff still keeps order. And we tell the part of the story the postcards leave out: how the Black Hills were taken, why the Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that they were taken unlawfully, and why the Lakota refused the $106 million award — money that has grown past a billion dollars and has never been touched. This is the story of Deadwood — a town built on stolen gold, saved by its own legend. Before you watch: have you ever walked Main Street in Deadwood or stood at Wild Bill's grave on Mount Moriah? Tell us when, and what you remember. And which Western town should we investigate next? If you love long-form history of the American West, subscribe — there are new documentaries here four times a week. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Most Lawless Town in America 02:28 Chapter I — The Forbidden Hills 07:32 Chapter II — The Gulch 13:38 Chapter III — Aces and Eights 20:55 Chapter IV — The Business of Sin 27:54 Chapter V — The Hill of Gold 35:05 Chapter VI — Fire 39:42 Chapter VII — The Long Quiet 44:48 Chapter VIII — The Six Grandfathers 49:20 Chapter IX — Selling the Legend SOURCES South Dakota Commission on Gaming, FY 2025 Annual Report United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians, 448 U.S. 371 (1980) South Dakota Public Broadcasting — The Home-stake Lockout; The 1980 Deadwood Brothel Raid South Dakota News Watch — "In 30 years, gaming has revitalised and challenged Deadwood" (2019) History Nebraska — Fort Robinson timeline Sanford Underground Research Facility — The Davis Experiment If you love long-form history of the American West, subscribe — there are new documentaries here every week. Photographs: Library of Congress and other archives, public domain unless noted. Scenes marked "Reconstruction" are AI-generated illustrations. Legends in this film are identified as legends. Fair Use notice: this is an educational documentary created for commentary, criticism and research. Some archival material is used under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act. Photographs: Library of Congress and other archives, public domain unless noted. Scenes marked "Reconstruction" are AI-generated illustrations. Legends in this film are identified as legends. Fair Use notice: this is an educational documentary created for commentary, criticism and research. Some archival material is used under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act. #Deadwood #Wild West #Old West #American History #Documentary