Custer Peak

Lore & Background

The series is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before and after the area's annexation by the Dakota Territory, and charts Deadwood's growth from camp to town. The show was created, produced, and largely written by David Milch, who used actual diaries and newspapers from 1870s Deadwood residents as reference points for characters, events, and the look and feel of the show. Milch has pointed out repeatedly in interviews that the intent of the show was to study the way that civilization comes together from chaos by organizing itself around symbols (in Deadwood the main symbol is gold). Custer Peak, as part of the Black Hills landscape, embodies the wild, untamed environment that the camp's residents must contend with as they attempt to impose order. The peak itself is not a central location for plot events, but it represents the enduring natural world that surrounds and isolates the settlement, highlighting the fragility of the camp's progress.

In Their Own Story

No specific story events in the series are directly tied to Custer Peak. The show's plot lines involve historical figures such as Seth Bullock, Al Swearengen, Wild Bill Hickok, and others, with events unfolding primarily in the camp's saloons, hotels, and streets. The first season takes place in 1876, six months after the founding of the camp, soon after Custer's Last Stand, and includes events like the murder of Wild Bill Hickok by Jack McCall in Tom Nuttall's #10 Saloon. The second season begins in 1877, seven months after the events of season 1, and the camp has become somewhat more orderly and civilized. Throughout, the surrounding geography, including peaks like Custer Peak, remains a constant but largely off-screen presence, emphasizing the isolation of Deadwood.

Reader's Guide

Custer Peak is a natural landmark in the Black Hills region of the Dakota Territory, the setting for the HBO series Deadwood. It represents the wild frontier that surrounds the camp, contrasting with the developing civilization within Deadwood. No major plot events occur on or directly involve Custer Peak in the series; it functions as part of the geographical backdrop. The peak embodies the theme of order versus chaos, as the camp's inhabitants struggle to build a structured society amid the untamed landscape. Visitors to the area in the series would experience the harsh, isolated environment that shapes the characters' lives and conflicts.

Did You Know?

• The series Deadwood is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before and after the area's annexation by the Dakota Territory.
• The show was created, produced, and largely written by David Milch, who used actual diaries and newspapers from 1870s Deadwood residents as reference points.
• Milch has stated that the intent of the show was to study how civilization comes together from chaos by organizing itself around symbols, with gold being the main symbol in Deadwood.
• The first season takes place in 1876, six months after the founding of the camp, soon after Custer's Last Stand.
• The second season begins in 1877, seven months after the events of season 1, and the camp has become somewhat more orderly and civilized.