Keating Resources (www.keatingresources.com) working in cooperation with the City of Deadwood Public Works Department completed the volunteer restoration of the long-neglected Hickok Plaza, located at 51 Sherman Street in Deadwood. The Plaza is adjacent to the four-story 35,000 square foot historic Adams Block building which was purchased by the firm in December of 2020 and will reopen in 2022 as a gaming facility branded Sportsbook Deadwood.

The plaza hosts a sculpture of the bust of Wild Bill Hickok which was sculpted by famed sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, the Crazy Horse Memorial creator, in 1951 as a gift for Deadwood businessman and Crazy Horse Memorial supporter George Hunter who later donated the sculpture to the City of Deadwood. Per published reports, the site was chosen based on locating directly below the Mount Moriah Cemetery where the famous lawman is buried. The site is argued by some to the location of Hickok’s original camp when he first arrived in Deadwood.

“A marker recognizing the Round Table Women’s Club was uncovered during the restoration. It would be fun to learn who originally designed and built the plaza, which is estimated to be 15-25 years old,” says Gerard Keating, CEO of Keating Resources.

As part of the restoration, the following were completed by Bridger Larson, Charles Jagger Smith, and Casey Kutil from Lead, South Dakota-based Visionary Landscaping, which was hired by Keating Resources to lead the project.

• Removal of trash, debris, invasive weeds, and invasive shrubs which in total filled a 30-yard dumpster
• Installation of 10 yards of topsoil
• Reactivation of water sprinkler system
• Installation of over 100 flower plants
• Painting of railings

Keating said that it was a fun project for his family and an honor to protect and reinvigorate the overlooked plaza commenting that the historic sculpture has already attracted hundreds of visitors during the restoration and expects it to become one of the busiest tourist destinations in Deadwood.

Keating Resources is owned by Gerard and Alec Keating.  The company invests in real estate in Florida, Texas, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska and has offices in Atkinson, Nebraska, and Dallas, Texas.

For more information regarding Keating Resources, please contact Gerard Keating at 402-925-5113 or gerard@keatingresources.com or contact Alec Keating at 630-648-9967 or alec@keatingresources.com.