Ok, Askia, I didn’t mean any harm and I thought the stuff I revealed about Jane was far enough in the future relative to the events of the show that it wouldn’t really spoil anything about the show itself (other than the fact that Jane won’t die). From now on, I’ll put historical details relevant to Deadwood in spoiler boxes…and I won’t tell you what happens to Al. 
Well, they already hung him once for shooting Wild Bill, what more can they do to him?
I’d be okay with that.
It’s also a historical fact that
there was a huge fire that burnt most of the town down. Actual date was a couple years after Hickock got shot, I believe. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Might be interesting when we get there, though.
Not if they want to stay historical, as I believe I read that Sol Star never married.
Not only that, but
He supposedly had a long-term relationship with a Chinese whore.
I knew not a damn thing about Deadwood when the show started. I’d been to Deadwood, once, in 1994, but before that, I would have told you it was a wild west cowboy cattle drive town in Arizona. I didn’t know that Bill Hickock died there, that Calamity Jane spent time there, or that there was a gold rush. A gold rush in South Dakota?
One of the first things I did when Deadwood first aired was to look up the history, see who was real and what happened to them. These people were so interesting, there’s no way I could wait for Milch to reel out his version of the story.
It’s kinda cool, comparing the real characters to Milch’s versions. For example (not a spoiler), the real E.B. Farnum was married with children. It’s fun to look at Milch’s Farnum, imagine what his wife might be like. 
[Blazing Saddles]
“They said you was hung.”
“And they were right.”
[\bs]
Thanks for the support, Askia. But my curiosity had already gotten the better of me and I spent some time this morning reading about the historical Deadwood after I wrote my post, so Dio’s post didn’t surprise me. I also know what happened to the historical Al…
But I will also do my best to use spoiler boxes for historical stuff in later posts. I understand the allure of the suspense. I just couldn’t resist the urge to find out more.
I’m a Deadwood junkie…
Guys, what’s the best web site for the real Deadwood history?
I like This one.
Yeah, I posted that earlier (this thread? last thread?) in a spoiler box.
I knew all that. I’m a bit of a history buff; which is probably why I liked Heaven’s Gate (Based on the Johnson County Wars) and a lot of people hated it. One of the reasons I have Colt 1851 Navies is because of their role in the middle-19th Century. (Mine aren’t as ornate as Hickock’s, though.)
Hickock… That reminds me. I need to post a GQ.
Some things that have taken place on the show that are true:
[spoiler]There was a bastard named Al Swearingen
Bullock arrived in Deadwood to open a hardware store
Bullock became the sheriff of Deadwood
Calamity Jane was a scout for Custer, as well as a foul-mouthed drunk. Some who met her doubted she was actually a women
There was a typhus epidemic in Deadwood
Deadwood was one of the earliest towns in the West to get a telegraph
Wild Bill Hickok was killed in Deadwood’s #10 Saloon by a drifter named Jack McCall. The hand of cards he was holding is now holding is known as a ‘Dead Man’s Hand’ - two pair, black aces and black eights. The fifth card is not known for certain
They actually did have open gold mines in the streets of Deadwood
Charlie Utter ran a freight business
Wild Bill is buried in the Mount Moriah Cemetery on a hill overlooking Deadwood[/spoiler]
As to the real deal about what took place between Deadwood Dick and Calamity Jane, you’ll just have to read this[ul]
[/ul]
The United States will eventually make the Dakota territory into two states. The territorial capital will move from Yankton to Pierre in a few years.
Grover Cleveland will get elected to two nonconsecutive terms.
Benjamin Harrison will not have a memorable presidency.
William McKinley will get elected twice despite mainly being a puppet of Mark Hanna.
And then the U.S. will fight a war with Spain.
And then an undeclared one with rebels in the Philippines.
And McKinley will get shot.
And …
There was no record at the time of what Bill Hickock was holding when he got shot.
Link which contains a further link.
You’re right. It would be more accurate to say ‘the phrase ‘Dead Man’s Hand’ refers to the hand of cards Hickok was said to have been holding when he was shot.’
Does anyone know why they chose to use Garret Dillahunt as the actor for Wolcott? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a show in which one character was killed off and the actor who played him returned as another. I have no problem with his acting and I think he does a wonderful job, it’s just a bit confusing. Every time I see him my mind plays a trick on me and I see Jack McCall.
I don’t know if Milch has talked about this or not. It’s been done before, in Hill Street Blues (which Milch worked on) – Dennis Franz played a bad cop, was killed, and came back later as a good cop.