The Bullock Hotel
Seth Bullock was the former sheriff of the Montana territory and then he followed the Gold Rush to Deadwood, South Dakota to become a businessman. He opened up a hardware store with partner Sol Star on the corner of Wall and Main Streets in 1876. When Wild Bill Hickok was shot in the back of the head during a poker game in 1876, Bullock became Deadwood’s first sheriff.
Bullock was best known for staring down the law breakers and intimidating them in that way. He also hired skilled deputies to help him enforce the law. Deadwood became a much safer place to live with Bullock in charge, and he did this all without even killing a single person. In 1894 his hardware store was destroyed by a fire and so he decided to build a luxury hotel. The Bullock Hotel was completed in 1896 and was three stories tall. Bullock died in room 211 in 1919 at the age of 70, but it seems as though he never actually left. All visitors to the hotel, including employees have reported feeling presences in many rooms. Photos that are taken in room 211 sometimes show a misty figure, perhaps Bullock. The Bullock suite is in room 305 and it contains an old antique clock that doesn’t work. However, sometimes this clock will chime at random times at the hands of an unseen force. People have reported seeing the ghost of Bullock and it is believed he’s watching over the staff to make sure they are working.
If the employees are lazy, the amount of paranormal activity increases. These activities include lights and other electronics turning on and off, items being moved around, and showers turning on by themselves.
(Source: Belanger, Jeff. Encyclopedia of Haunted Places. 2005.)
