James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok was murdered by the cowardly Jack McCall 140 years ago in Deadwood, Dakota Territories. His funeral notice in the Black Hills Pioneer read: Died, in Deadwood, J.B. Hickok, (Wild Bill) formerly of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Funeral services will be held at Charles Utter’s Camp, on Thursday afternoon, August 3, 1876, at 3 o’clock, P.M. All are respectfully invited to attend.
Wild Bill was buried at Ingleside Cemetery, a nice spot on the mountain overlooking Deadwood. Because the real estate at Ingleside was so valuable to a growing Deadwood, Hickok’s body, along with all the other residents of the boneyard, were reinterred a couple years later farther up the mountain at Mount Moriah Cemetery, where Wild Bill rests to this day.
Wild Bill’s headboard, provided by his best friend Colorado Charlie (Charley) Utter, reads: “Wild Bill–J.B. Hickock. Killed by the assassin Jack McCall in Deadwood Black Hills. August 2nd 1876. Pard we will meet again in the Happy Hunting ground to part no more. Good Bye–Colorado Charlie C.H. Utter.”
Rest in peace, Wild Bill.