Sitting Bill
Deadwood, South Dakota
Sculpted by James Borglum (grandson of Mr. Mount Rushmore) and Monique Ziolkowski (daughter of Mr. Crazy Horse), Deadwood's life-size tribute to gunslinger Wild Bill Hickok was dedicated on May 27, 1994. It has survived longer than the Four Aces casino that commissioned it, which sold out to a competitor in 2014.
Wild Bill is a familiar Wild West figure, even in bronze, with his long hair, drooping mustache, monogrammed riding boots, and duster coat -- two pistols visible underneath it. Bill slouches casually, one leg crossed over the other. He is sitting, not gambling, but he's in a chair very much like the one in which he was gunned down playing cards in Deadwood in 1876.
The plaque accompanying the statue calls it "a memorial to Deadwood's most glamorous citizen" and "a lasting reminder of Deadwood's colorful past." When you're through visiting Wild Bill, walk down the street and visit the Death Chair. It has also lasted longer in Deadwood than the Four Aces -- and Wild Bill.