John J. Manning (February 2, 1842 – September 13, 1911) was an Irish American frontiersman, lawman, gold prospector, rancher and saloon owner in the American West during the latter part of the 19th century. He was a prominent citizen in Deadwood, South Dakota from his arrival in 1876 to his death. Manning was the first elected sheriff of Lawrence County, Dakota Territory which included Deadwood. He served several terms as sheriff, as well as operated saloons, several livery stables, and a cattle & horse ranch in nearby Belle Fourche in South Dakota.
Early life
John J. Manning was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland on February 2, 1842, to parents James & Julia Manning. In 1847, the Manning family immigrated to the United States, and quickly settled in Highland, Iowa County, Wisconsin. John spent his adolescence years in Highland with his parents and older brother Thomas and a younger sister Mary. During that time, John's father was engaged in farming. John remained in Highland until 1860, and shortly thereafter headed West, initially to Colorado, and then Idaho, Montana, Dakota and Alaska.
Montana Territory
John Manning remained in Highland, Wisconsin until 1860, and then headed West to Colorado at the time of the gold rush around Pikes Peak. When gold was discovered in Montana, Manning headed North into Montana Territory & later into what is now Idaho, and eventually settling for a time in Beartown, Montana. Beartown, located at that time in Deer Lodge County, Montana, was, for a time in the late 1860s & early 1870s, the site of a major gold rush, attracting upwards of 5,000 prospectors, who often were referred to as the "Beartown toughs". During his time in Deer Lodge County, he served as Deputy Sheriff for the county, covering an area stretching from the Idaho border to the Canadian border. While living in Deer Lodge County, Manning was known for his interest in horse racing, and could often be seen with one of his racehorses at Olin's Racetrack in Deer Lodge Montana.
In 1874 John Manning moved from Beartown to the new town of Carroll, Montana, where he built a cabin. Also known as Fort Carroll, and Carroll Landing Post, it was located on the Missouri River, and was established by the Diamond R Transportation Company as a transportation and trading post.
Dakota Territory
When gold was discovered in the Black Hills of Dakota Territory, John Manning was one of the early arrivals to the mining town in Dakota Territory that would eventually be known as Deadwood. Within a few days of his August 1876 arrival, Manning constructed and opened one of the first saloons in Deadwood, named the Senate Saloon, with partner John Mahan. At the Senate Saloon, Manning was known to have dealt cards to Wild Bill Hickok shortly before being shot and killed by Jack McCall. According to McCall, Wild Bill's killer, he was paid money by George Varnes to kill Hickok. McCall said that Hickok and Varnes were involved in a dispute at John Manning's Senate Saloon a few days earlier, and Varnes paid McCall to get revenge. When the residents of Deadwood organized the community's first fire department (Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1), Manning was elected to serve as foreman.
On August 28, 1877, John Manning married Miss Frankie Scott in a Catholic ceremony in Deadwood. The two had first met a few years earlier when they both resided in Deer Lodge County, Montana. The wedding was held at the Sahler House in Deadwood, and was followed by a procession of friends that joined in the celebration, accompanied by the brass band from the Bella Union Theatre.
John and his wife Frankie had two children, Francis, and Mary Ethel both born in Deadwood.
A few weeks following his wedding (October 16, 1877), the Democratic party of Lawrence County (of which Deadwood was the principal town), nominated John Manning as their candidate for sheriff in the county's first election. The local Republican party nominated Seth Bullock as their candidate for sheriff, who had been serving in that capacity for several months as a result of being appointed by the Governor of Dakota Territory, until such time as elections could be held.
In the November 1877 election, John Manning defeated Seth Bullock (who was appointed to the position by the Governor), and thus became the first elected sheriff of Lawrence County of which Deadwood was a part. Manning's win in 1877 was for a term of one year, and in November 1878, he was re-elected to the position for a term of two years, defeating Seth Bullock, the Republican candidate, for the second time. In 1882, Manning ran again for the sheriff's job, and was elected for a 2-year term.