We've always been a sucker for a good story, and they're particularly enjoyable when they're true.
Having spent the better share of the past decade in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota, we've become somewhat familiar with the rich pioneer history that permeates these hills and surrounding prairies. Of course, lots of indigenous people staked claim to much of this region, and -- in fact -- still do.
Having grown up in Dawes County Nebraska, just a few hours south of historic Deadwood, South Dakota, we've always known about the raucous history of this little mining town. But during much of the past year we've been researching pioneer attorney Henry Frawley, who was not only successful in the courtroom, but who also amassed a hefty amount of real estate across Lawrence County. Frawley was prosperous, but he was also considered something of a showboat. One writer characterized him as the "F. Lee Bailey of his time." Of course, Frawley practiced a good century before Bailey would make a name for himself in American jurisprudence.
While researching Henry Frawley, I came across a fine book about the early pioneer days in the Black Hills written by John McClintock. I found some interesting material about Frawley, but I also came across an intriguing article about one Ed Durham.
Readers of Maiden Archives know that the Durham name figures prominently in our ancestry. A direct line ancestor of ours from Pennsylvania, David A. Durham (b. 1848) was father to Leota Irene Durham, who married William Joseph Maiden in 1915. Thus came the Durham linkage to the Maiden clan that is the subject of this web site.
Knowing this, the following article piqued my curiosity. We've not yet done any genealogical research to see if the Ed Durham discussed here was kinfolk, but we do know that we have Durham relatives still living in the Black Hills region of Wyoming.
So, here's the short sad saga of Ed Durham, from McClintock's 1939 book, Pioneer Days in the Black Hills.
