Deadwood's Jewish Pioneers

Book excerpt: You never know what treasures the casual visitor might discover in a new place - perhaps even a lost world. In the Deadwood of 1959, the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1876 held a fascinating history, and Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok were legendary. But noticing a grocery storefront lettered with the clearly Jewish name of Goldberg was startling. A little inquiry disclosed that grocer Jacob Goldberg was long gone, but this clue led to a compelling journey into a forgotten corner of the Jewish American past. In fact, there had once been a significant Jewish population, but there was no single source where one could learn about them. Who were these Jews? Where did they come from and how did they get here? How did they make a living, and what did they contribute? What were their challenges? How and where did they practice their religion? Where did they all go, and what did they leave behind? Gleaning from archives, combing through indexes, straining to read microfilmed historical newspapers, collecting articles and photographs, interviewing descendants and anyone with a memory to share - it all became a passion. Research yielded endless surprises as people and places came to life. Beyond Deadwood and sister city Lead, the hills and prairies and Badlands held stories of these people who traveled by shank's mare and steamship and stagecoach, many with only dreams in their pockets. These were not the gunslingers. They were stalwart, adventurous, pioneering people, willing to risk everything to take part in the opening of a new frontier, prepared to turn the dust beneath their boots into a grand opportunity. They brought their families and their customs, and they helped turn this remote Wild West outpost into a stable civilization. In this far-off corner of the Diaspora, there was a forgotten Jewish world. Their legacy was too valuable to allow to evaporate. This was a reminder that there are valuable stories everywhere worth keeping.