The settlement of Deadwood began in the 1870s and has been described as illegal, since it lay within the territory granted to Native Americans in the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty. In 1874, Colonel George Armstrong Custer led an expedition into the Hills and announced the discovery of gold on French Creek near present-day Custer, South Dakota. This triggered the gold rush to the Black Hills and gave rise to the town of Deadwood, with the population reaching around 5,000. Deadwood was incorporated in 1876 and is the seat of Lawrence County. The city was named for the dead trees that were found in the narrow canyon, Deadwood Gulch.

Museums, Libraries & Archives

Adams Museum

The Adams Museum identities, preserves, collects, interprets, and promotes the history and culture of Deadwood and the surrounding Black Hills for the benefit of members of the Northern Black Hills community, visitors to the area, and researchers. The archives of the Adams Museum include materials related to the Black Hills region and northwestern South Dakota. Photographs and written materials can be accessed from the collection under staff supervision with two days advance notice. Copies may be available depending on copyright issues; fees can be found on the website.  Adams Museum research files may be viewed in the curator's office, and copies will be provided for a minimal fee. Limited research is available for $25 per hour, and other sources of information will be provided whenever possible.

Deadwood was home to 1,270 people at the time of the 2010 Census, down 7.9 percent from 2000. With a median age of 48, tthe community has 334.2 people per square mile. The majority (94.9 percent) of people in Deadwood are white. American Indians constitute 1.8 percent of Deadwood’s population and 3.4 percent are Hispanic. In 2010, 2.0 percent of the population reported belonging to more than one race.

Of the 661 households in Deadwood in 2010, 16 percent included families with children. Married couples with children accounted for nearly half of these families. Single mothers caring for their own children represented another 31 households, or just under a third of families with children. 

Lead-Deadwood School District

Students in the Lead-Deadwood School District take the annual Dakota STEP test to ensure that the district is making adequate yearly progress (AYP) in reading and math. According the State of South Dakota's report card, Lead-Deadwood students achieved AYP in all categories in all grades tested in elementary, middle and high schools in the spring of 2011, with the exception of high school sudents, who did not make AYP in math.

According to the school district, 63 students graduated from Lead-Deadwood High School in 2011, compared to 62 in 2010. According to the South Dakota Department of Education, Lead-Deadwood's graduation rate was 58.7 percent in 2011, a substantial drop from the 71.8 percent rate posted in 2010 and also lower than the statewide average of 83.3 percent. However, state reporting of the district's high school graduation rate is distorted by the fact that the South Dakota Department of Education includes students enrolled at the Nemo Job Corps facility in Lead-Deadwood's graduation statistics. 

During the 2010-2011 academic year, the Lead-Deadwood School District's fall enrollment was 838 in grades K-12. Forty students took the ACT exam. The average composite score was 21.6. To compare Lead-Deadwood School District ACT scores with other Black Hills districts, click here. To view a statistical profile of funding, student and staff data, see the South Dakota Department of Education's 2010-2011 Profile of the Lead-Deadwood School District. A map of the Lead-Deadwod School District is available on the Lawrence County website.

The City of Deadwood is governed by a City Commission that includes four elected commissioners and an elected mayor. Agendas and minutes are available online. 

The Deadwood City Hall is located at 102 Sherman Street. City departments for Finance, Police, Historic Preservation, Archives, Building Inspection, Planning & Zoning, Parks & Recreation and Public Buildings are located in or adjacent to city hall. Online access is available to the City of Deadwood Municipal Code and other ordinances.

Budget

The City of Deadwood's budget for 2012 is $16,011,352. Approximately $4.6 million of this total supports general operations including public safety, 

Elections

Lawrence County administers state and federal elections in the City of Deadwood. For the city's voting history, visit Lawrence County's Voter Information website. The site also provides information on how to register to vote and a map of voting precincts in the county.

The Lead-Deadwood Regional Medical Clinic provides a wide variety of services for the Northern Hills Community. Lead-Deadwood Regional Hospital is located adjacent to the Clinic and has served the surrounding communities since 1878. 

Gaming dominates Deadwood's economy. In 2009, workers in the leisure and hospitality industries accounted for more 30 percent of the city's total employed workforce of 11,514. Trade/transportation and utilities provided jobs for another 1,743 individuals (15.4%). Another 1,070 people worked for various levels of government, accounting for another 14.5 percent of the workforce. Major employers in Deadwood include the Northern Hills General Hospital, which had 134 people on staff and Lawrence County, which employed 120 people. To retrieve a profile of the Deadwood economy, visit the South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development.