Town file
Whitewood, South Dakota
Whitewood, South Dakota (Lawrence County, South Dakota) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 386, "Cheers To My Killer" (6 May 2023).
- Town
- Whitewood
- County
- Lawrence County
- State
- South Dakota
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 386
- Approximate location
- 44.462, -103.638
Episode 386 / 6 May 2023 / 72 min / express
Cheers To My Killer
"Whitewood, South Dakota, western South Dakota, only twenty minutes outside Deadwood, in Lawrence County, area code 605" about 0:04:57
The case: Murder of Larry Dean Bertzlaff (early April 1991). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2023
- Population
- 901
- Median household income
- about $56,250
- Median home value
- $303,800
History, in brief
- Whitewood was platted in 1888, when Deadwood was booming. about 0:04:38
- It grew when the Chicago and Northwestern Railway was extended to this point and towns were built along it. about 0:04:46
- It took its name from Whitewood Creek. about 0:05:07
- The Pioneer Townsite Company purchased the town site of Whitewood, buying the land from early settler William Selby. about 0:05:31
- Business lots sold for $250 to $500 and the town soon filled up. about 0:05:36
- The town had three hotels, two saloons, a barber shop, a drug store, a clothing store and a saw mill. about 0:05:46
- Seth Bullock, the hardware man from the Deadwood television show, was a real person who helped convince the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley railroads to build a track from Whitewood into Deadwood. about 0:06:16
- A train used that line for the first time in 1890; the same year the railroad built a track into Belle Fourche and St. Onge. about 0:06:26
- Because Deadwood kept catching fire, Whitewood's buildings were built of sandstone so they would not burn down. about 0:06:55
- The National Register of Historic Places says the people of Whitewood secured their future with formidable buildings and a developed main commercial street while neighbouring towns disappeared. about 0:07:03
- Whitewood recently had its 125th anniversary. about 0:07:21
The reviews read out
5 stars
"Small and quaint, quiet, gorgeous scenery, friendly neighbours, a quick drive to market and short drives to surrounding towns for further necessities."about 0:07:33
5 stars
"A mean five stars: go away, don't move here, we like our small town small."about 0:07:52
5 stars
"Nondescript outside but you feel transported to another time: blond pine tongue and groove, twelve foot walls, original tin ceiling, historical guns, a beautiful bar and backbar, and a flirtatious red-headed bartender named Erika."about 0:08:28
1 star
"Many one-star reviews of one incident on August 16th, 2021, when the owner was extremely rude and told Shorty Rossi and his party to leave because he had his service dog with him."about 0:09:56
3 stars
"Not quite as good as it used to be; the burger has lost its juicy goodness but was better than lots of fast food."about 0:10:43
"Probably the worst rib-eye steak I ever had."about 0:10:54
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Spearfish, South Dakota9.0 miles
- Belle Fourche, South Dakota18 miles
- Hill City, South Dakota37 miles
- Lemmon, South Dakota125 miles
- Pierre, South Dakota164 miles
- Sheridan, Wyoming165 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.