Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane—these old West names may be more familiar than Seth Bullock’s, but the first sheriff of Deadwood, South Dakota, had just as strong a presence as these luminaries… and perhaps an even stronger one in death.
Seth Bullock, former sheriff of the Montana territory, followed the Gold Rush to Deadwood intent on becoming a businessman. With partner Sol Star, he opened a hardware store on the corner of Wall and Main Streets in 1876 and did well in the mining camp.
But the burgeoning town was wild, rough, and lawless, and when Wild Bill Hickok was shot in the back of the head during a poker game in August 1876, Bullock agreed to become Deadwood’s first sheriff. Renowned for his ability to stare down lawbreakers, Bullock backed his natural law enforcement talents by hiring skilled deputies. Deadwood settled down under his firm gaze. In fact, he never killed anyone while serving as Deadwood’s head lawman.
In 1894, after the hardware store fell to fire, he decided to build a luxury hotel. Completed in 1896, the three-story Bullock Hotel was—and is—famous for its amenities. Bullock died in room 211 in September 1919, at the age of 70. But he apparently didn’t leave.
Hotel workers and guests have reported a strong presence in many rooms as well as the hotel restaurant. Photos taken in room 211 occasionally include misty anomalies. In 305, the Bullock Suite, an antique clock that doesn’t work sometimes chimes of its own accord. There are frequent reports of Bullock sightings as well, and the staff feels that he’s watching to make sure they’re working. Laziness increases paranormal activity, including lights and appliances turning off and on, crockery flying in the restaurant, and items being moved by unseen hands. Sometimes showers turn on by themselves.
You can pay Sheriff Bullock’s grave a visit in nearby Mt. Moriah Cemetery, where he lies in the company of people such as Wild Bill and Calamity Jane. But if you stay at the Bullock Hotel, the sheriff is more likely to pay you a visit.
Written by — Tamara Thorne Author, Independent Paranormal Investigator
THE BULLOCK HOTEL
633 MAIN STREET
DEADWOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA 57732
TEL: 1 (605) 578-1745
WEBSITE: https://www.historicbullock.com/
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of Haunted Places -Ghostly Locales from around the World – Compiled & Edited by Jeff Belanger – Copyright 2005 by Jeff Belanger