SPRINGFIELD, Mo. –The Springfield-Greene County Library District says some of their local history staff uncovered new evidence that contradicts “Wild Bill” Hickok’s placement in the historic 1865 Hickok-Tutt shootout in Springfield’s town square.
In 1975, two bronze disks were placed in Park Central Square, marking where historians believed “Wild Bill” Hickok and Davis Tutt stood during the duel on July 21, 1865, using resources available at the time. The markers claim that Hickok stood in the southeast corner of the square, and the men were 75 yards apart when Tutt was shot.
However, in a recent analysis, the library district says local history staff discovered evidence that Hickok did not stand in the southeast corner of the square, but rather the southwest corner in the shootout. Other evidence also suggests that Hickok and Tutt were closer than 75 yards apart when they shot at each other, but the exact length is unknown.
According to the library district, this evidence was found when staff compared uncovered records of the 1865 court proceedings and other period sources to find new details about the event…