Lawrence County derives its name from its first county treasurer, Colonel John Lawrence. (1839-1889). It is located on the western border of South Dakota. It is bordered by Butte County on the north, Meade County on the east, Pennington County on the south and the State of Wyoming on the west. The cities of Deadwood, Lead, Spearfish, Whitewood and the township of St. Onge are located within Lawrence County. The County Seat is located in historic Deadwood.

At the session of the Dakota Legislature of 1874-1875, acts were passed which established the limits and jurisdiction the counties of Lawrence and Custer. It was not until February 22, 1877, however, that a treaty with the Sioux Indians was ratified which ceded the Black Hills to the United States, finally allowing formal organization of Lawrence, Pennington and Custer counties.

Lawrence County was officially organized in April, 1877. The boundaries extended from the two branches of the Cheyenne River on the east; to Wyoming on the west; to the Belle Fourche River to the north; to Pennington County on the south. However, the organization of Butte County in 1883 and Meade County in 1889 reduced the county to less than half of its original size, making it the smallest in area of the Black Hills counties. Nonetheless, it was considered to be the most important, containing one-half the population and wealth of the Black Hills. The assessed valuation for Lawrence County for 1903 was nearly 11 million dollars.

The town of Deadwood South Dakota started illegally as it was part of the Native American Territory. In 1868 the treaty of Laramie had guaranteed the Black Hills to the Lakota people. Colonel George Armstrong Custer led an expedition into the Black Hills in 1874 and announced the discovery of Gold near French Creek, near present day Custer. Custer’s announcement triggered the Black Hills Gold Rush and gave rise to the lawless town of Deadwood. The town quickly reached about 5,000 people in population.

In early 1876 a frontiersman Charlie Utter and his brother Steve led a wagon train to Deadwood containing what were deemed to be needed commodities to bolster business, these commodities included gamblers and prostitutes which proved to be a profitable business venture. Madam Dora DuFran would eventually become the most profitable brothel owner in Deadwood followed by Madam Mollie Johnson. Businessman Tom Miller opened the Bella Union Saloon in September of that year.

Another Saloon was the Gem Variety Theater opened April 7, 1877 by Al Swearengen who controlled the opium business. After the saloon was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt in 1879, it once again burned down in 1899 causing Swearengen to leave town.

The town was noted for the murder of Wild Bill Hickok and remains the final resting place of Hickok and Calamity Jane as well as some less famous figures suck as Seth Bullock Deadwood had a reputation for being wild and lawless, during that time murder was common and punishment was in always fair and just. The prosecution for the murderer Jack McCall for the murder of Wild Bill Hickok had to be sent to retrial because of a ruling that his first trial, which resulted in acquittal was invalid because Deadwood was an illegal town. He was retried in a Lakota court and found guilty and hanged.

As the economy changed from the gold rush to steady mining, Deadwood lost its rough and rowdy character and became more civilized and prosperous. There was a smallpox epidemic in 1876, with so many falling sick that tents had to be used to quarantine them. That same year General George Crook pursed the Sioux Indians from the Battle of Little Big Horn on an expedition that ended in Deadwood, that came to be known as the Horsemeat March.

A fire on September 26, 1879 devastated the town destroying over 300 buildings and consuming everything belonging to many residents. Without the opportunities of the untapped veins of one that characterized the town’s early days, many of the newly impoverished left town to try their luck elsewhere.

The Deadwood Central Railroad was founded by a Deadwood resident J. K. P. Miller and his associates in 1888. The purpose being that of to serve the mining interests in the Black Hills. The railroad was purchased by the Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1893. A portion of the railroad between Deadwood and Lead was electrified in 1902 for operation as an interurban passenger system, which operated until 1924. Apart for the portion from Kirk to Fantail Junction, which was converted to standard gauge, the railroad was abandoned in 1930. The remaining section was abandoned by the successor Burlington in 1984.

Some of the early town residents and frequent visitors included the following: Al Swearengen, and his employees Dan Doherty and Johnny Burns, E. B. Farnum, Alma Garret, Charlie Utter, Sol Star, Martha Bullock, A. W. Merrick, Samuel Fields, Harris Franklin, Dr. Valentine McGillycuddy, the Reverend Henry Weston Smith, Wild Bill Hickok, First Federal Judge Bennett, General Dawson and Madame Canutson (a woman bull-whacker)