Seth Bullock (July 23, 1849 – September 23, 1919) was a Canadian-American frontiersman, business proprietor, politician, sheriff, and U.S. Marshal. He was a prominent citizen in Deadwood, South Dakota, where he lived from 1876 until his death, operating a hardware store and later a large hotel, the Bullock Hotel.
Early life
Many of the details of Bullock's early life are lost. He was born in Amherstburg, Canada West (now Ontario) on the Canadian side of the Detroit River.
His father, retired British Army Sergeant Major and hero George Bullock, was known to be active in the politics of Sandwich, Canada West (amalgamated in 1935 into the City of Windsor). He has been mistakenly believed to be related to British General Sir George Bullock, who was actually younger than Seth. Seth's mother was a Scotswoman born Agnes Findley.
By 1860, Bullock's father, George Bullock, was forced to resign his position as County Treasurer due to missing funds. To avoid prosecution in Canada, Bullock's father fled across the border to Detroit, Michigan, leaving his eight children alone in Sandwich. Bullock's mother had died during this time, so the children were left to take care of themselves. The property owned by Bullock's father in Sandwich was either seized by his creditors or sold at public auction in 1863, as he had defaulted on his mortgage and other debt obligations.
Bullock's childhood was not a happy one. His father was a strict disciplinarian, known to beat young Seth for minor infractions. Bullock ran away first at age 13, then again at age 16 to Montana to live temporarily with his older sister, Jessie Bullock. By age 18, he had permanently left home.
Helena
In 1867, Bullock became a resident of Helena, Montana, where he unsuccessfully ran for the Territorial Legislature. He was subsequently elected as a Republican to the Territorial Senate, served in 1871 and 1872, and helped create Yellowstone National Park.
In 1873, he was elected sheriff of Lewis and Clark County, Montana. During his tenure as sheriff, he killed his first man, Clell Watson. Watson had stolen a horse and engaged in a gunfight with Bullock, in which Bullock was slightly wounded in the shoulder. Watson was then taken into custody.
Watson was prepared to be hanged, but a mob appeared and scared off the executioner. Bullock climbed the scaffold and pulled the lever, sending Watson to his death. Bullock then held off the mob with a shotgun. This incident was recreated in the pilot episode of HBO's television series Deadwood, except in the show Watson was hanged on the front step of the sheriff's office.
Soon after this event, Bullock and Sol Star opened a hardware store. In August 1876, they decided that an untapped market for hardware existed in the gold rush town of Deadwood, in the Dakota Territory. The two purchased a lot in Deadwood and set up shop there as the "Office of Star and Bullock, Auctioneers and Commission Merchants," first in a tent and then a building.
Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood was a lawless, rowdy camp. Two days before Bullock and Star’s arrival, Wild Bill Hickok was murdered by Jack McCall. McCall shot Hickok in the back of the head while he sat playing poker. McCall was later found not guilty by an impromptu camp court and released, after which he promptly left town. (McCall was later re-tried, found guilty, and executed.) The demand for law enforcement grew following Hickok's murder and Bullock's background made him the logical choice for Deadwood's first sheriff. However, he was not elected to the position, but rather was appointed by then-Governor Pennington of Dakota Territory in March 1877. In November 1877, a special election was held in Lawrence County, where Deadwood was located. Bullock was the candidate for sheriff on the Peoples Party (Republican) ticket, and John J. Manning was the candidate for the Democratic Party. Manning won the election, thereby becoming the first elected sheriff for Lawrence County of which the main city was Deadwood. Bullock's tenure as appointed sheriff lasted approximately nine months. In 1878, Bullock again ran for sheriff of Lawrence County on the Republican ticket, and faced incumbent John Manning. As was the case in 1877, Manning won the election against Bullock and was awarded a two-year term as sheriff.
