If you scroll through mainstream history books about the 1890 Ghost Dance crisis, you will read all about the military movements, the political failures, and the heartbreaking tragedy that took place at Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890. But history completely overlooked the story of a man who stepped directly into the crossfire to try and stop it from happening.

His name was Judge John H. Burns, but across the territory, he was already famously known by a completely different name: "The Indian Judge."

An Unrecorded Discovery in a Century-Old Archive

As we continue to share the remarkable historical discoveries uncovered from the Judge Burns private estate trunk archive, we have unveiled what is arguably the most significant,...

An Extraordinary Discovery...A Forgotten Historical Archive...A True Deadwood Story...Presented by Melrose Treasures Estate Sales | Los Angeles

The journey of discovery begins in Deadwood, South Dakota. The year is 1877. Nearly 150 years later, just when you think you've seen everything after nearly 20 years in the estate sale business... something completely unexpected happens . I received a call from the great-grandson of a prominent Deadwood family who had inherited his family's estate and wanted to sell several items, including jewelry and antique pocket watches. As I looked through the collection, something unexpected caught my eye—an antique Native American peace pipe displayed inside a cabinet.Curious, I ...