Jewz in the Newz ("Deadwood's" Sol Star was a real person and a Republican legislator)

Jewish World Review ^ | May 17, 2004 | Nate Bloom

[presidio9]

The critically acclaimed HBO "Deadwood" prominently features SOL STAR, a likeable Jewish shopkeeper character. Star, who really lived, was one of the many Jewish pioneers in the frontier town. There's even a large Deadwood "Hebrew cemetery" dating back more than a century.

Sol Star was born in Bavaria, Germany in 1840. He moved to the States in 1850 and quickly settled in Montana, where he went into the hardware business with his friend, Seth Bullock. South Dakota's gold rush drew the pair to Deadwood and they ended up as prosperous hardware merchants.

Star, who died in 1917, was a Republican state legislator as well as being Deadwood's mayor for 14 years. Meanwhile, Bullock, as shown in the series, became the sheriff whom "cleaned Deadwood up."

Recently, Mary Kopco, head of Deadwood's "Adams House" museum, spoke to the Rapid City Journal (SD) about Deadwood's history; her help with the series' historic research; and the huge increase in visits to the museum website since the series began (www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org). She told the Journal that Museum's web page profile of Sol Star is one of the most popular. (There's also a nice photograph of Star on the museum website.)

Deadwood series creator-writer DAVID MILCH, who also co-created "NYPD Blue" and "Hill Street Blues," told the Journal that he has discussed Star's Jewish background with John Hawkes, the non-Jewish actor who plays Star. While Star's actual personality isn't that well know, some educated guesses can be made. Hawkes told the Journal that he agreed with Milch that Sol's Jewish background made it likely that Star would have been an even-tempered guy anxious to fit in. Hawkes said the he and Milch have discussed the idea that Jews "tend be more aware of their surroundings and the importance of fitting in." As Hawkes put it, "His [Star's] survival skills are high...He sees the big picture. He knows it is smarter to live to fight another day."

[NautiNurse]

The Sopranos was REALLY weird last night.

Yikes--I was expecting Special Agent Dale Cooper to make a cameo appearance.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

Sol Star
Though most well known stories of the early years of Deadwood are of gunfighters, saloon keepers, sporting girls, gamblers and rogues their’s are not the only stories. Wherever there was a confluence of people and money on the Western frontier, there was opportunity, and Deadwood, that beacon of opportunity, attracted tradesmen and shopkeepers, retailers and service providers of every kind. These men and their families arrived at the same time as the more colorful characters, but their influence was much more lasting. Those who stayed planted roots, and grew a community complete with businesses and banks, schools and churches, civic and social organizations and clubs. The endurance of modern Deadwood is their legacy.

The founders of Deadwood were people of distinction and drive and a large percentage of them were Jewish. 41% of members of the Society of Black Hills Pioneers (those who could trace their Black Hills roots to 1876) were foreign born. Among the most influential and successful of these early pioneers was Sol Star.

Sol Star was born in Bavaria, Germany on December 20, 1840 and emigrated to the United States about ten years later, settling in Ohio. At an early age he traveled to Montana, engaging in business in Helena. There he began a hardware business with Seth Bullock, and together they followed the gold rush to Deadwood in August of 1876. They established the Office of Star and Bullock, Auctioneers and Commission Merchants at the corner of Main and Wall Streets, selling pans, Dutch ovens, picks, axes, dynamite, much-welcomed chamber pots, and anything else the miners or local population desired. Watson Parker says of them in Deadwood the Golden Years, they were "…effective and adroit businessmen, politicians and guiders of the economic destiny of the Black Hills." In 1878 they sold the first farm machinery in the area. Plows, reapers and rakes were sold as fast as they could be unloaded from the wagons, an indication that interests in the area were diversifying from the pursuit of gold.

In partnership with his friend Seth Bullock, Star expanded his business interests to the outlying towns of Spearfish, Sturgis and Custer, as well as a livestock business in Belle Fourche. He and Bullock partnered with Harris Franklin in the Deadwood Flouring Mill Company in 1880, and he served as its general manager.

Star had distinguished himself in public service in Montana, serving as territorial auditor and personal secretary to the Governor. He continued that service in Deadwood, serving fourteen years as mayor, and hosting William Jennings Bryan when he made a presidential campaign stop here in 1899. He was one of the first town councilmen elected in 1876 when the vote was taken to incorporate as a town, and served as postmaster in 1879. He served twenty years as Clerk of Courts when Lawrence County was established, holding that office until his death on October 10, 1917.

Click Images For More Information About Sol Star

[philosofy123]

Dick Cheney gave a speech in front of a Miami Jewish audience. The organizers ordered him not to say anything against Kerry, not offend the mostly Democratic Jewish voters. Cheney should have insisted on "freedom of speech"!

[Old Sarge]

"Freedom of Speech"? Where does it say in the Constitution, that Conservatives have that right?

[Skywalk]

Agreed. The swearing(Swearengen, you gotta love it) "shock effect" wore off after the 2nd show and when I rewatched the first episode, it didn't affect me at all.

My pet theory is that most of us have grown up with Westerns in which "hell" was the closest to profanity that the script went. With all the cursing, people were initially stunned. But for those of us able to recognize quality writing, fine acting and excellent characters(as well as an immersive set) it was not hard to overlook the initial shock.

It is THE show right now for me.

[Positive]

"I think I'm the only one whos been watching the series. Personally I think its been a great series. Not really for children with lots of graphic violence, swearing like the sopranos and a fair ammopunt of nudity."

Last night I decided to watch all HBO's Big Three for Sunday night.

First was "Six Feet Under" - without giving away the story line, here is a sampling of the subjects touched upon in this episode: incest between adult siblings, homosexuality, clinical depression and abuse of prescription drugs, disappearance of a wife and mother of a 1 year old. Of course the the series is about a family owned mortuary...cheery sounding?

Second came "The Sopranos" - this episode as usual dealt with issues of murder, adultry, mental illness, hallucination, treachery, suicide and theft.

Finally came "Deadwood" - A depictation of a bustling mining "camp" illustrating it as a most ugly, primative, lawless, disease infested accumulation of low lifes, centering around the two most prominent "business men" who are competitors in the saloon/casino/brothel business.

After three hours of this stuff I didn't sleep well.

[BrooklynGOP]

I like Al Swearengen best.

[presidio9]

Thanks for this.

[presidio9]

Agreed that Swearengen in one of the most interesting new television characters in a long time.

[FreeManWhoCan]

I LOVE DEADWOOD. I would even say that it is the best show on right now. And yes, the talking on that show is really uhh.. "colorful". Every week I sit there and count how many times the show's characters say the word:

co**sucker. Last night they said it 6 times.. Last week it was around 3 times. The first few episodes, they would say it almost every time in every sentence. I wish there was a Deadwood list here. I would love to discuss it with more Freepers, but like others have said, sometimes I feel like I'm the only one watching...

Another great show is CSI Miami. Caruso is such a campy actor that I cant help but laugh. (I live in Miami) With Caruso I like to count how many times he takes off and puts on his sunglasses..(4 times in one epeisode!)

[BluegrassScholar]

My favorite character on Deadwood is Calamity Jane, played by Robin Weigert. For more on Robin, visit her website at www.robinweigert.com. Calamity Jane might be a bit rough around the edges, but Ms. Weigert is quite the looker. The physical transformation to the Calamity Jane character is amazing.

[presidio9]

[jocon307]

Thanks for posting this. I'm printing out the article for hubby, he loves this show.

[Ciexyz]

Cool story!

[veronica]

I guess I should start watching this.

[dljordan]

I think Jane is a hoot! The way she speaks cracks me up.
She's actually quite eloquent in a sarcastic way and is quite inventive in her cursing. Once upon a time I read a book explaining how America had a serious drinking problem until the temperance movement kind of cleaned things up.

[Mike Darancette]

He was a Republican legislator.

In SD the dead always vote Democrat.

[SJackson]

It's a great show and you're not the only one absolutely hooked on it. The language is a bit rough, but no worse than what I heard every day on the line at an auto parts stamping plant in Ohio (summer job during college - real eye opener). ...

I suspect the language is there for contemporary "shock value" rather than historically accurate.

[presidio9]

Once upon a time I read a book explaining how America had a serious drinking problem until the temperance movement kind of cleaned things up.

Now wait just a minute, everybody knows that Prohibition was a complete and utter failure. I thought that was why we needed to legalize all drugs immediately.

[FeliciaCat]

Love the show! Swearengen (Ian McShane) steals it...