Deadwood, South Dakota

Let's step back from the extravagant Victorian England and take a journey across the pond to the Wild West. What better place to focus on than the illustrious Deadwood, South Dakota. Previously occupied by the Lakota tribe, Deadwood was settled in the 1870s following the Black Hills Gold Rush. The population rose quickly to 5,000, thanks to Deadwood's reputation for gambling and prostitution. Notable natives include gunslinger Wild Bill Hickok, frontierswoman Calamity Jane, and sheriff Seth Bullock. Known for its lawless reputation, Deadwood settled down in the late 1800s after the population began to dwindle. But the Deadwood we're familiar with is the one depicted in the HBO television series. Historians say Deadwood's depiction was generally accurate, however, I cannot find any evidence that Deadwood natives spoke a dialect similar to that of the Elizabethan era, as portrayed in the series. Still, American Southern and Western dialects do display pronunciations and words specific to the early modern English of Shakespeare's time.



The Gem saloon, circa 1878.