To be fair, the place was falling apart. Now the opera house has been restored, museums, etc. Historic hotels restored. So I guess it was kind of a win for historical architecture though most of it's been filled with slot machines and bars, restaurants, gift shops. Deadwood was a gambling town, so...
It's not much of a place to live though, let alone raise a family. 'Course it wasn't before, either. Mom told me it wasn't a good place to grow up. dangerous, lots of drunks. Dirty and in disrepair. And they weren't even in Deadwood technically, though that's where she went to most of HS. Things were tough all over back then. It was the depression.
I don't know. It's sad to see these little towns go by the wayside or become bedroom communities to the big cities, but the world changes.