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Friday 10 October 2014

Deadwood - Sepia Saturday

Every day that I walk to fetch my paper there is a tree that stands out from the rest.

Dead wood
I have to say it reminds me of the tree in our prompt this week.


My tree stands at the side of the road from Yarm which in 1803 became a part of the turnpike road from Yarm to Thirsk. This brought trade to the Crown Inn at Kirklevington, but not without some risk.

An accident at Pond Corner (Artist's impression)
By 1900 the Crown Inn had become the Crown Hotel and this is what it looked like then.

Crown Hotel, Kirklevington
Today it is my local and looks like this (taken from a similar angle.)

Crown Hotel (2014)
Of course the stage coaches gave way to the iron horse and today only riding school horses pass the Crown.

Not long before that 1900 photo of the Crown was taken another famous stage took its last trip and a lot of folks where there.

The last Deadwood Coach -  December 28, 1890
(John C H Grabill - Library of Congress)
The Deadwood Stage had mountainous country to contend with as show by this picture from a glass negative from the 1880s.

The Deadwood Stage in a mountainous area (probably the Black Hills of South Dakota) - By Charles C Pierce
A replica of the coach made its appearance at Fort Laramie celebrations in 1937 (the year I was born)

Replica displayed at Fort Laramie (1937)
However it was the 1950s before I heard of the Deadwood Stage. I just wonder what Calamity would have said if she had the seen all those fellas at the site of the Stage's last journey.

I'll let her have the last word,



For others' views on coaches or what has inspired them visit the links at Sepia-Saturday-249.







16 comments:

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

whip crack away to you

Have a great weekend

Wendy said...

Your tree is the perfect match for the one in the prompt. And kudos for finding the most unusual and creative take on the theme! The photos of the building are almost like opposites in color, but I see the door moved!

La Nightingail said...

Thank you so much for the video of Doris Day playing the part of Calamity Jane. What a talent! Also enjoyed all the rest of your good post as well.

Jofeath said...

Ha ha - I love the dead tree and the Deadwood Stage clip!

Jo said...

I didn't notice the door, how odd. I recently saw a picture of Calamity Jane, she did NOT look like Doris Day. She was nobody's oil painting. Tough ol' broad.

Postcardy said...

Interesting connection between the tree and Deadwood. Amazing performance by Calamity Jane. I wonder whether they used a stunt woman.

Mike Brubaker said...

Full marks for a super post, Bob. The video is a terrific match for the theme. It's interesting how so many old pubs around Britain like the Crown Inn have reversed the exterior brickwork effect for white paint. In the old days, re-pointing the mortar was probably cheaper than painting.

Unknown said...

Well, you had me there. I was very slow in picking up on the change of continent ! Great photos.

Alex Daw said...

That dead wood tree is a fabulous match for the tree in our prompt photo. Well done!

21 Wits said...

I like that tree. It would grab my attention too. Your video was fun, and as soon as I read Dead Wood and knowing we had stagecoach fever this theme, I just knew (hoped) we'd visit South Dakota! Fun stuff Bob!

ScotSue said...

What an inventive link from the Deadwood Tree to Doris Day - I have always singing along with that song. Great local history too on what travel was like in the past.

Helen Killeen Bauch McHargue said...

I cannot believe I didn't even notice the tree! What a great post.

Little Nell said...

Oh very clever- picking up on the dead wood! We were hooked on the recent TV series of the same name which didn’t paint such a rosy picture (especially of Calamity Jane)!

Cassmob (Pauleen) said...

I love photos of stark old trees like that. You told a great story of transitions over time...and places.

Dara said...

Great post, Bob, I love that you found pictures of the same corner at the turn of the last 3 centuries. I especially love the picture of the carriage veering off the road - looks like the horses are already pulling it to safety.

Sharon said...

Very Clever :)