The Story
A local cartoonist reportedly told speakeasy man Stu Donavitz in the 1930s, "You should create the Saloon No. 10 where Wild Bill was killed." Donavitz rebuilt the front room to evoke the vanished original — even though the real shooting happened two blocks away at 624 Main. The Keehn family bought the bar in December 1963 and has run it four generations since, adding a stage, Aunt Sally's Fried Chicken (1986), and the Deadwood Social Club (1995). It stages summertime reenactments of the Hickok shooting.
Surprising Facts
→ Despite the name and legend, this is NOT the building where Hickok died — that was 624 Main.
→ The rebrand was reportedly suggested by a local cartoonist, Elmer Kellogg, as a moneymaking idea.
→ The exact 1930s founding year isn't documented; the Keehn family has owned it continuously since 1963.