Solomon "
Sol"
Star (December 20, 1840 – October 10, 1917) was an early resident of the town of
Deadwood, South DakotaDeadwood, named for the dead trees found in its gulch, is a city in and the county seat of Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,380 as of the 2000 census...
.
Star was born in the
Kingdom of BavariaThe Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806–1918. Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
to Jewish parents. When he was ten years of age, his family moved to
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
. When he grew older he moved to
Helena, MontanaHelena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The population was 25,780 at the 2000 census, and had been estimated to rise to 29,351 by 2008. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The local weekly newspaper is the Queen City...
where he served as territorial auditor and personal secretary to the governor. He partnered with
Seth BullockSeth Bullock was a Western sheriff, hardware store owner and U.S. Marshal.-Early life:Many of the details of Bullock's early life are lost...
in a
hardware storeHardware stores, sometimes known outside the United States as DIY stores, sell household hardware including: fasteners, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, cleaning products, housewares, tools, utensils, paint, and lawn and garden products...
, and in August 1876, the partners, attracted to Deadwood by the promise of a great deal of business stemming from the
gold rushA gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of gold.Gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States....
, purchased a lot there from Sam Schwartzwald and Henry Beaman, and opened the Office of Star and Bullock, Auctioneers and Commission Merchants.
Solomon "
Sol"
Star (December 20, 1840 – October 10, 1917) was an early resident of the town of
Deadwood, South DakotaDeadwood, named for the dead trees found in its gulch, is a city in and the county seat of Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,380 as of the 2000 census...
.
Star was born in the
Kingdom of BavariaThe Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806–1918. Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
to Jewish parents. When he was ten years of age, his family moved to
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
. When he grew older he moved to
Helena, MontanaHelena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The population was 25,780 at the 2000 census, and had been estimated to rise to 29,351 by 2008. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The local weekly newspaper is the Queen City...
where he served as territorial auditor and personal secretary to the governor. He partnered with
Seth BullockSeth Bullock was a Western sheriff, hardware store owner and U.S. Marshal.-Early life:Many of the details of Bullock's early life are lost...
in a
hardware storeHardware stores, sometimes known outside the United States as DIY stores, sell household hardware including: fasteners, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, cleaning products, housewares, tools, utensils, paint, and lawn and garden products...
, and in August 1876, the partners, attracted to Deadwood by the promise of a great deal of business stemming from the
gold rushA gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of gold.Gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States....
, purchased a lot there from Sam Schwartzwald and Henry Beaman, and opened the Office of Star and Bullock, Auctioneers and Commission Merchants. They eventually also partnered in
livestockLivestock are one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food or fiber, or labor...
ranching as the S&B Ranch Company, and with Harris Franklin in the Deadwood Flouring Mill, in 1880, where Star was general manager. The duo expanded their business interests to the towns of
SpearfishSpearfish is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota,United States. The population was 8,606 at the 2000 census.- History :Prior to the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1876, the area was used by Native Americans who would spear fish in the creek...
,
SturgisSturgis is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,442 as of the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Meade County....
, and
CusterCuster is a city in Custer County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,860 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Custer County.-History:...
.
Bullock and Star contributed further to the economic development of the region by convincing the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley Railroad to build a track, by offering them 40 acres (162,000 m²) of free right-of-way across their land when a speculator purchased the right of way to Minnesela and demanded a high price from the railroad. The railroad built a station three miles northwest of
Minnesela, South DakotaMinnesela was once the county seat of Butte County, South Dakota, United States. It was founded in 1881, and is located three miles from Belle Fourche with which it has a closely entwined history....
, in 1890, and Bullock and Star were instrumental in founding the town of Belle Fourche there, offering free lots to anyone moving from Minnesela. Belle Fourche became the largest railhead for
livestockLivestock are one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food or fiber, or labor...
in the United States, and stole the
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
away from a declining Minnesela.
Bullock and Star's hardware store in Deadwood burned down in 1894. Rather than rebuild, they built Deadwood's first hotel on the site, a three story, 64 room luxury hotel with steam heat and indoor bathrooms on each floor, at a cost of $40,000. The
Bullock HotelThe historic Bullock Hotel is located at the corner of Wall and Main Street in Deadwood, South Dakota. It was built by Seth Bullock, the first sheriff of Deadwood, in around 1895 at a cost of $40,000 and is the oldest hotel in Deadwood boasting a Casino, Restaurant, and 28 of its original 63...
continues to operate to this day, now incorporating a 24-hour
casinoA casino is a facility that houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships and other tourist attractions...
.
Star was elected to the first
town councilA town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
in 1876, became town
postmasterA postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
in 1877, and was elected
mayor"Mayor" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government....
in 1884, serving ten terms for a total of 14 years. He also served as a
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
legislator after statehood, and as
Lawrence CountyLawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of 2000, the population was 21,802. Its county seat is Deadwood.Lawrence County is the only county in the Spearfish, South Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
Clerk of Courts for twenty years, until his death. He never married.
In popular culture
Star was portrayed by
John HawkesJohn Hawkes is an American film and television actor. He is known for his portrayal of Bugsy in The Perfect Storm and as the Jewish merchant Sol Star on the HBO series Deadwood. He played the role of Greg Penticoff in season 1 of 24...
in the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television series
DeadwoodDeadwood is an American Western drama television series created, produced and almost entirely written by David Milch. The series aired on the premium cable network HBO from 21 March 2004 to 27 August 2006, spanning three 12-episode seasons. Set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, the show is...
.