Crazy Horse and Mt Rushmore

The Model and the Mountain

Hail to the Chiefs!

The two big attractions in this part of the country are the giant size statues of Crazy Horse the presidents at Mt Rushmore. Mt Rushmore was started in 1927 as an attraction to bring more people to the Black Hills. It was finally completed in 1941. President Coolidge originally wanted George Washington, two republicans and one democratic president to be depicted. There was even discussion about including Susan B. Anthony. Eventually the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, choose Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt as best representing 150 of presidential history. Also at the site is a large archway and avenue of flags from every state, and a huge outdoor amphitheater. Built into these structures are museums, exhibit halls, gift shop, and restaurants. There are two multi-story parking garages that can handle 100s of cars. There is only a two lane road up to the site, I imagine it much get pretty crowded during the season.


Crazy Horse has been under construction for 62 years and was the dream of sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski who started the sculpture in 1948 and who’s family has been working on it ever since. He was originally asked by the Lakota Chiefs to build the edifice to show the white man that the Indians had great leaders as well. I always thought that he must have been financed by the Indians or the state government to pursue this project, but not so, this colossal statue is a totally private funded project. Ziolkowski had to buy the land and all the equipment from his own funds and what donations he could muster. He even started a diary and a lumber mill, using the timber on the lands that he was able to buy to generate income for the project. During the course of the project he and his wife had 10 children, who carry on with the statue building today. The Crazy Horse statue is going to be five times larger than the Mt Rushmore faces, it will be taller than the Washington Monument. Right now only the face is complete. They are working on the horse’s head, but it will not be done for many years. Crazy Horse too has a huge visitor center, museum, movie theater, sculptor studio, and Indian craft shop. There are plans for and Indian university, medical school and cultural center, but those are not in evidence at this time. We heard that some of the modern day Lakotas are asking why are these white men blowing up one of their sacred mountains to build a colossal likeness of an Indian Chief who didn’t even want to be photographed when he was alive.