CALENDAR OF EVENTS

October – December, 2021

October 7: Preservation Thursday: Frances Perkins – A Powerful Influence – Social security, child labor laws, unemployment insurance, and WPA projects are all ideas put forth by Frances Perkins, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor, and the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet.  She was the principal architect of the New Deal, formulating policies to restore the national economy which helped to create the modern middle class.  Perkins was in every way a self-made woman who rose from humble New England origins to become America’s leading advocate for industrial safety and worker’s rights. The presentation by South Dakota Humanities Council’s Speakers Bureau Scholar Phyllis Schrag will tell the Perkins story in a first-person encounter. Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center; 12:00 p.m.; free for members and $5 for non-members.

October 8-9, 15-16, and 22-23:  Paranormal Investigations of the Adams House – Join Deadwood History and Black Hills Paranormal Investigations (BHPI) for an exclusive ninety-minute paranormal investigation of one of Deadwood’s most haunted sites.  Learn the history behind the darker stories associated with the historic home and search for paranormal activity using digital audio recorders, periscopes, laser grids, Ovilus, and EMF meters.  Investigations are offered at 6:00, 7:30, 9:00, and 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 and limited to 20 people per investigation.  You must be at least 12 years old to participate.  Ages 12 – 16 must be accompanied by an adult.  Psychic readings with Dani Jo Butler, owner of Sacred Soul LLC, will be available following each investigation in the gentleman’s smoking room for $20 per person.  Must be at least 18 to participate and limited to eight people per session.  Reservations are required.  Purchase tickets online at DeadwoodHistory.com or call 605-722-4800 for more information.

October 21: Preservation Thursday: No Blood, No Foul – Much like streetball and the NBA of yesteryear, the unwritten rule, “no blood, no foul,” appears to have dictated Deadwood’s mantra toward prostitution. For over a century, Deadwood’s illegal brothels seemingly operated with impunity, unless and until blood was spilled. During this prolonged period, the brothels operated continuously on Deadwood’s Main Street having faced only three concerted efforts to shutter their doors.  Mysteriously, all three of these governmental incursions were preceded by very public killings. Did these ill-fated deaths compel the constabulary into attempting to rid the town of nefarious activities inherent in such vice, or were these untimely losses merely coincident to the raids?  Come and enjoy the Honorable Jeffrey Viken and Mr. Michael Trump as they present a detailed account of each tragedy so that you may decide for yourself.  Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center; 12:00 p.m.; free for members and $5 for non-members.

November 18: Lakota Language: Misunderstood, Mistranslated, and Misused – Join Francis Whitebird, a Harvard graduate, fluent Lakota speaker, and member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, as he discusses how the Lakota language has been misunderstood, mistranslated, and misused.  The Lakota language is esoteric, it has a different thought pattern, and so by using the English model, a single word or phrase cannot be properly interpreted from a non-native point of view. Lakota has a completely different sentence structure and formation than English and other European languages.  Whitebird will also talk about how names in Lakota have also been mistranslated, such as Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and Left Hand Bull.  Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center; 12:00 p.m.; free for members and $5 for non-members.

December 4: Holiday Open House – Please join us for Deadwood History’s annual Holiday Open House celebration at the Days of ’76 Museum from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Open House includes children’s activities, great holiday gifts for family and friends, free museum access, and photos with Santa.  Refreshments will be served. Admission is free. For more information, please call 605-722-4800.

December 11-12 and 18-19: Christmas Tours of the Historic Adams House – The historic home will be elegantly dressed during the Christmas season. The open house-style tour will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. A kid-friendly scavenger hunt with prizes will be available for children.  Unique gifts are available for purchase in the Adams House Gift Shop.  Visitors will receive a mini truffle from Chubby Chipmunk Hand-Dipped Chocolates.  Tickets are $8 for members and $12 for non-members, $5 for children 6 – 12, and free to children 5 and under.  General admission tickets can be purchased online after October 25 or at the door.  For more information please call 605-722-4800.

Deadwood History, Inc. (DHI) will continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 and make adjustments to meet the needs and circumstances in Deadwood.