What happened to Reverend Smith on Deadwood?
Deadwood 's Reverend H.W. Smith was a very real person, too, and like many who ended up in history's Deadwood, he had a bad end. His might be the most tragic story of all because by all accounts he was an honestly good person trying to do his best to help those in a godless country.
What was the drug use like in Deadwood?
Part of the appeal of Deadwood was the idea of telling a raw, profanity-laden story without idealization, and that goes for the drug use and addiction of some of the town's residents. That was very real, and the substances of choice were alcohol and opium.
How well has Deadwood held up?
This show has held up extremely well and pretty much every aspect is still top notch compared to today's TV. Writing, acting, directing and cinematography are still some of the best you'll ever see and I truly don't think this show will ever age poorly. It's a testament to the entire cast and crew that Deadwood will stand the test of time.
Why did Deadwood have so many Chinese in it?
Even so, Deadwood ended up having a large Chinese population of at least 110 people, according to 1880 census records, and about half of Lawrence County's Chinese were in the laundry business. Why laundries? Because they could save the wash water, sluice it, and get gold dust from the miner's clothes.
Who played Seth Bullock in Deadwood?
Smith was portrayed in the HBO television series Deadwood (2004–2006) by actor Ray McKinnon. The letter written by the character of Seth Bullock ( Timothy Olyphant) in the third season episode "Unauthorized Cinnamon" is similar to the August 21, 1876, letter to Reverend J. S. Chadwick written by the real Seth Bullock. In the show, the circumstances of Smith's demise were changed to a gradual decay due to a brain tumor, though he was killed by Al Swearengen ( Ian McShane) before dying from the cancer.
How did Smith die?
However, Smith was murdered as he walked to Crook City, his body found alongside the road by a local resident, the exact location no longer known. He had not been robbed, causing his death to be generally attributed to Indians, although some still believed he was killed by thieves.
Where did Reverend Smith work?
He found work as a prospector and boarded a freight train in Custer, arriving in Deadwood in May 1876. According to George V. Ayres, later a prominent merchant in the area, "Reverend Smith held the first church service in the Hills" at Custer City, on May 7, 1876, with 30 men and five women in attendance.
Where was Preacher Smith found?
In 1914, the Society of Black Hills Pioneers erected a monument on the road between Deadwood and Spearfish, South Dakota, in the approximate area where Smith's body had been found. In 1994, Highway 85 north of Deadwood, along with the Preacher Smith Monument, was relocated by construction of a four-lane road.
Who is the man in Deadwood?
Of course, if you know the history of the Old West or the story of Deadwood from having visited the real town, you’ll know that the titular man is Wild Bill Hickock, who will be laid low near episode’s end by the gun of Jack McCall. Hickock’s actions throughout the episode act as a symbolic passing of the torch from the era of law formed at the end of a swiftly drawn gun to the incipient civilization being born in the Black Hills, but they also act to bring people into each other’s circles. “Here Was a Man” is Deadwood ’s first truly great episode, and it’s also where the story, after a three-episode prologue, truly and earnestly begins.
Who is the titular man in Deadwood?
Of course, if you know the history of the Old West or the story of Deadwood from having visited the real town, you’ll know that the titular man is Wild Bill Hickock, who will be laid low near episode’s end by the gun of Jack McCall.
Why did McCall get off?
McCall gets off because his lawyer invents an obviously fabricated story about how Hickock killed his brother, enraging McCall deeply. While it’s obviously a lie, it’s a lie that’s good enough to let the jury believe it just long enough to proclaim McCall, simply, “Innocent.”.
What would happen if McCall was found guilty?
If he can do that, he can keep from having McCall end up being found guilty, which would lead to some necessary punishment (perhaps a hanging), which could lead to government interference, which could lead to the people of Deadwood having everything they’ve worked to gain taken away from them.
What does Hickock do in the Black Hills?
Hickock’s actions throughout the episode act as a symbolic passing of the torch from the era of law formed at the end of a swiftly drawn gun to the incipient civilization being born in the Black Hills, but they also act to bring people into each other’s circles.
What does Hickock's death do?
Hickock’s death removes the one traditionally Western element from the show’s paradigm (Bullock’s got a sense of frontier justice in him, but he’s also one scary son of a bitch much of the time, in comparison to Hickock’s oddly elegant and funereal approach to his role in society).
Does Deadwood play with the paradigm?
While Deadwood doesn’t play with this paradigm a lot, it does here, when there’s an air of fear about the woods in those opening shots. As well there should be. While the threat to Bullock comes from another man, it’s someone who actually knows this rough terrain.
What was the disease in Deadwood Season 3?
By Season 3, Doc had come down with tuberculosis, an infection that once spread to the lungs was often fatal. Somehow, by the time Deadwood: The Movie took place over ten years later, Doc was cured. Somehow he was able to find a remedy or concoct some sort of cure for his ailment.
What was Doc Cochran's concern?
Doc Cochran was abhorred at the sight of the prostitutes in Celestial Alley, carted in from San Francisco high on dope and starving. He brought up his concerns to both Al Swearengen and Seth Bullock expecting results and receiving little in the way of change.
Why was Doc shot down?
When he refused to be part of the sordid dealings anymore, he was gunned down for his trouble, though he was large enough that his body mass stopped the bullets from reaching his vital organs. Doc seemed unmoved to render aid to Mose for quite some time, choosing other victims over him.
What season did Doc have a bad cough?
Doc developed a bad cough in Season 2 , which prompted Al and others to refer to him as a "lunger," implying he had tuberculosis. He was still seeing patients at this time, implying he did so while still contagious.
Does Doc sew up deadwood?
Unfortunately for the people of Deadwood it isn't fatal, and Doc sews him up neatly. Hearst's only complaint is that the Doc wouldn't clean his wound. Doc had refused to help other, worthier citizens of Deadwood in their time of need because of his tuberculosis, which had incapacitated him at one point in Season 3.
Who is Doc Cochran?
Curmudgeonly and lovable Doc Cochran was Deadwood's trusty healer, dispensing sound medical advice as well as acerbic asides to the many colorful characters of the titular camp town. A former grave robber and surgeon during the Civil War, he'd seen enough evil in the world to not want to see it inflicted on others.
Did Doc help the Reverend Smith?
8 NOT HELPING THE REVEREND SOONER. Of all the constituents of the camp, Doc did the most he could for Reverend Smith, who began suffering from the effects of a brain tumor in the middle of the first season. Doc had sympathy for the Reverend's plight but was too slow to give him aid in his final days.
Who is the archaeologist of Deadwood?
Wu himself? Deadwood 's Chinese population is of the shadowy and mysterious sort, but what's the real story? Fortunately, it's been preserved by the research curator and resident archaeologist of Deadwood's Adams Museum, Jerry Bryant (via True West ).
What was the appeal of Deadwood?
Part of the appeal of Deadwood was the idea of telling a raw, profanity-laden story without idealization, and that goes for the drug use and addiction of some of the town's residents. That was very real, and the substances of choice were alcohol and opium.
What happened to the Metz family on Deadwood?
When news of a massacre reaches HBO's Deadwood, it's the Metz family who has been attacked and murdered — all save one girl, who's brought back to town. The incident wasn't entirely made up for the show, as there really was a Metz family massacred along the Cheyenne-Black Hills Road, not far from the Cheyenne River.
Why didn't Deadwood allow Chinese to stake mining claims?
in hopes of striking it rich. But when they got there, most weren't allowed to stake mining claims because racism isn't a new thing.
When did Hickok go to Deadwood?
Hickok headed to Deadwood in 1876, and in a story that should sound familiar to fans of the show, he did a ton of gambling. He was on a hot streak at one August poker game, but found himself forced to sit with his back to the door.
When did Smith leave Deadwood?
On August 20, 1876 , Smith left Deadwood after pinning this note to his door: "Gone to Crook City to preach, and if God is willing, will be back at three o'clock.". Smith never returned, and on the following day Bullock wrote a letter to one of Smith's acquaintances, detailing the tragedy of his death.
Was opium legal in Deadwood?
and particularly in the West, where they tended to be operated by Chinese immigrants. (Even Chinese-owned laundries also sold opium accessories.) Deadwood 's mention of the opium trade was very real, and it was perfectly legal in the real Deadwood.
Overview
The Reverend Henry Weston Smith (January 10, 1827 – August 20, 1876) was an American preacher and early resident of Deadwood, South Dakota.
Unlike most of the residents of the time, he was not interested in material riches; instead, he was the first preacher, of any denomination, in the Black Hills Gold Rush camps.
Biography
Smith was born in Ellington, Connecticut to Joshua Weston and Percey or Persey (Galpin) Smith of Berlin, Connecticut. In 1847, he married Ruth Yeomans, but both his wife and infant son died one year later. At the age of 23, Smith became a licensed "exhorter" and later a Methodist preacher. On February 23, 1858, while still in Connecticut, he married Lydia Ann Joselyn or Joslin, with whom he had four children. He subsequently moved to Massachusetts and, during the American Civil War, …
Move to Deadwood
In 1876, although not being appointed to do so by the church, Smith felt a calling to minister to the Black Hills Gold Rush, and that spring he accompanied a wagon train from Cheyenne, Wyoming to the Black Hills, traveling on foot. He found work as a prospector and boarded a freight train in Custer, arriving in Deadwood in May 1876.
According to George V. Ayres, later a prominent merchant in the area, "Reverend Smith held the f…
Death
On Sunday, August 20, 1876, Smith left a note on his cabin door after his Deadwood service, saying "Gone to Crook City to preach, and if God is willing, will be back at three o’clock." Friends concerned about the danger of Indians or thieves had warned Smith against walking alone and unarmed, but he is remembered as replying, "The Bible is my protection. It has never failed me yet." However, Smith was murdered as he walked to Crook City, his body found alongside the roa…
Memorial
In 1914, the Society of Black Hills Pioneers erected a monument on the road between Deadwood and Spearfish, South Dakota, in the approximate area where Smith's body had been found. In 1994, Highway 85 north of Deadwood, along with the Preacher Smith Monument, was relocated by construction of a four-lane road. A copper time capsule that had been buried in 1914 was opened, pro…
Deadwood
Smith was portrayed in the HBO television series Deadwood (2004–2006) by actor Ray McKinnon. The letter written by the character of Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) in the third season episode "Unauthorized Cinnamon" is similar to the August 21, 1876, letter to Reverend J. S. Chadwick written by the real Seth Bullock. In the show, the circumstances of Smith's demise were changed to a gradual decay due to a brain tumor, though he was killed by Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) b…
See also
• List of unsolved murders
External links
• Henry Weston Smith at Find a Grave