Old Deadwood Days: The Real Wild West of My Childhood [Paperback]

Estelline Bennett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2001

Deadwood in the late 1800's was a rowdy mining town where fortunes were made overnight (and guarded with a Winchester). Local characters like Cold Deck Johnny, Slippery Sam, and Swill Barrel Jimmy rubbed elbows with the infamous Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock. Preacher Smith, a "sky pilot without a compass" tried to keep everyone's souls in order while the author's father, Judge Bennett, upheld the law. The author grew up along with the town, and saw it change from a semi-permanent miner's camp to a real town when the railroad came. Full of real wild west exploits and notorious personages.

Editorial Reviews

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Estelline Bennett was a little girl in Deadwood, South Dakota (Sioux Territory) in the late 19th century. She saw it transform from a rough mining camp into a real city with three-story buildings and laws to uphold. An inquisitive and observant young woman, Bennett took note of all the important events that affected the town's residents. Her story is lively and absorbing, and it gives an unparalleled glimpse into many aspects of life in the west.

Bennett's father was the town judge, so she had an inside view into crime and punishment in Deadwood, which was a classic wild west mining town:

"Close-built log cabins faced each other from behind pathetically important square false fronts across a rough road in the building of a Main street never intended for permanence. Ten thousand venturesome, excited gold seekers panned gold in the streams and crowded into the cabins."

As a female, Bennett had a different perspective from most other chroniclers of the American west. Her anecdotes of community life in the town are unique and interesting; she describes in detail the interactions between Chinese, whites and Indians and between the different levels of the social order. Bennett seemed particularly fascinated by Deadwood's prostitutes, and her book is often concerned with their shadowy lives and deaths.

Deadwood was certainly full of activity: men made fortunes in placer mining, gamblers and prostitutes enjoyed piano music and whiskey in the saloon, respectable ladies did their shopping on Main Street, outlaws were hung, and 'bullwhackers' passed through on their way from place to place. Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok were locals, and the residents had names like Buckshot Bill and Blonde May.

Her meeting with Calamity Jane, Deadwood's most famous resident, was one of the high points in Bennett's early life:

"I was walking along Main street dawdling along as much as possible on an errand for my mother hoping something interesting would happen, when Father overtook me. He said my uncle the General, was looking for me. He wanted to introduce me to Calamity Jane...If I had been summoned to meet Joan of Arc or Alice in Wonderland or the Ice King's Daughter, it would not have been more marvelous or unreal..."

Bennett goes on to narrate some of Calamity Jane's local exploits, and follows her story to the end of Jane's life. She intertwines her own and her family's adventures with those of more famous people. Bennett is an excellent writer, and if you have any interest in the wild west in general or Deadwood specifically, this is a terrific book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: The Narrative Press (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589760786
• ISBN-13: 978-1589760783
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #763,126 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good - Through the eyes of a young girl, November 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Old Deadwood Days (Paperback)

This book was excellent. Written through the eyes of a young girl growing up in Deadwood, it makes you feel as though you are there. I live in Deadwood now and it is interesting to actually see the streets and parts of town that were written about in this book.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, August 19, 2002

By 

Musician "angrylemur" (West Point, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Old Deadwood Days: The Real Wild West of My Childhood (Paperback)

Wonderful glimpse into history from a very bright young girl. Names of those long gone are brought back to life in this narrative. Highly recommend!
T. Addison

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, March 27, 2007

By 

Nicky O'Reilly "Nick" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Old Deadwood Days: The Real Wild West of My Childhood (Paperback)

It was very enjoyable to learn about the west in the days of Deadwood, the place, people and adventures. Ofcourse the real thing is not as exciting as the T.V. series, but I really enjoyed it because its what really happened.