157: PROUD TO BE A CRAZY HORSE STORYTELLER

When our alarm rang at 6:30am on Sunday October 10, 2021, my photographer hopped out of bed and immediately went to the window to see if the sky was clear. But the sun wasn’t scheduled to rise for another half-hour, which meant Tom had to wait a bit to see if our wish for a cloudless sky had come true. In the meantime, my camera guy and his wife got ready, packed up their belongings and absorbed the ambience of the Mountain View Lodge and Cabins near Hill City, South Dakota. At one point, I heard my companions say to each other how impressed they were with our room. The lodge was only ten miles from Mount Rushmore and 15 miles to Crazy Horse Memorial; our room was reasonably priced; we had all the amenities of a house; and the manager and his wife were extremely helpful and friendly. I was glad the Mountain View Lodge worked out as well; primarily because we’ll need a good place to stay in the future when we return to see the Evening Lighting Ceremony at the memorial.

It was roughly 8:20am when Tom carried me to the Jeep for our 15-minute ride to Mount Rushmore. From an opening in the camera case, I caught a glimpse of the sky, and I was stunned to see there were only a few wispy clouds above the mountain tops near Hill City; and by the time we got to Keystone, the clouds were gone altogether. I was completely shocked to see a cloudless bright blue sky; as a matter fact, there were no clouds as far as my resin eyes could see. My photographer’s dream had come true! Was it divine intervention from the Presidential spirits? I’d like to think so; however, it was more likely the pressure center that followed the previous day’s storms that had driven the clouds away.

Once my photographer’s wife had driven the Jeep about two miles past “downtown” Keystone, we were afforded our first breathtaking glimpse of Mount Rushmore along SD-244. The view was so amazing, in fact, Tom asked her to stop along the road so he could capture his first images of the memorial. And before that Sunday morning was over, he had taken about 175 more photos of Mount Rushmore as well. I laughed to myself because I knew he wasn’t about to let the clear blue sky go to waste. As a matter of fact, it seemed as though Tom captured every angle of the mountain without climbing up inside Lincoln’s left nostril. Please sit back and enjoy the photos my photographer had taken of Gutzon Borglum’s majestic colossal sculpture that he dubbed “The Shrine of Democracy”. There are a few photos with me in it; along with some images that focused solely on the monument itself. It was a day that my photographer, his wife, and I will never forget!

Our ‘Family Truckster’ parked along SD-244 where we had our first look at Mount Rushmore under a clear blue sky. Once I saw the spectacular memorial from that vantagepoint, I couldn’t wait to get into the parking lot.
With Tom’s larger lens, we saw an angle of the President’s heads not usually shown. With that view, Washington appeared to be walking out of the mountain.
When we arrived at our parking spot at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, this was the view I saw when Tom removed me from the camera case. Does it get any better than that? Well, in fact, yes it does!
President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the unfinished Mount Rushmore on August 30, 1936 to dedicate the Jefferson sculpture.
When I posed for this image, it felt as though I was standing in the footsteps of President George W. Bush when he visited the memorial in 2002.
President George W. Bush was photographed in front of Mount Rushmore on August 15, 2002. Bush had no way of knowing a bobble head would stand in the same place 19 years later.
Four Presidents surrounded by blue sky. Breathtaking!
Even though I had a fear of falling over the handrail to my death, I managed to pose for this image for my photographer.
Was President Donald Trump posing to be the fifth face on Mount Rushmore? Some might say it would be fitting – birth, growth, development, preservation, and demise!
The face of Abraham Lincoln was dedicated on September 17, 1937.
The face of George Washington was the first to be completed and was officially dedicated on July 4, 1934.
This was one of the first unobstructed views I had of the faces during our walk along the Presidential Trail.
In Borglum’s original design, the face of Thomas Jefferson was intended to appear to the left of Washington. But after work had begun, the rock was discovered to be unsuitable and Jefferson’s original face was dynamited off the mountain. In this image, I’m replicating Jefferson’s face where it was first located.
Jefferson’s face had begun to appear to the left of Washington in the early stages of sculpting. Shortly after this image was captured, Jefferson’s face was blown off the mountainside.
I’m standing as close to the faces of Mount Rushmore as the public is allowed. It was cool to be at the foot of the 410,000 tons of granite that was blasted off the mountainside in the 30s.
I laughed to myself when I thought the White House barber should come to the site and cut down two trees that partially blocked the view of Theodore Roosevelt.
Thomas Jefferson’s face was dedicated by FDR on August 30, 1936. I may be partial, but Jefferson’s face was the most handsome of the four on Mount Rushmore.
The Presidential Trail at the base of Mount Rushmore was 0.6 miles long and features 422 stairs. I laughed when I listened to my photographer complain 422 times!
Before the mountain’s name was changed to Mount Rushmore, the Lokotas called it “Six Grandfathers” in their language. Today, the Native Americans likely call it something else.
During our walk along the Presidential Trail, it seemed our view of the Presidents changed every few minutes. I shook my head when I heard Congress wanted the face of Susan B. Anthony added to the mountain in 1937; thankfully that never happened.
Gutzon Borglum selected the four Presidents to represent our nation’s birth, growth, development, and preservation.
As I stood along the Presidential Trail, I thought about Gutzon Borglum and his 400 workers who created the monumental sculpture. I knew my photographer, who is a retired safety guy, was impressed there were no fatalities during the entire 14-year project.
The face of Theodore Roosevelt, which was the last one to be completed on Mount Rushmore, was dedicated on July 2, 1939.
When we finished our walk along the Presidential Trail, my exhausted photographer snapped one last image from the Avenue of Flags before the three of us made our way to the Jeep.

It was a few minutes past 10:30am when we finished our up and down half-mile hike along the 422 steps of the Presidential Trail, and I knew my photographer and his wife were exhausted by the time we returned to the Avenue of Flags. There was no doubt in my mind they were spent because both of my “ancient” companions had collapsed onto a bench where they sat and caught their breath. From that bench, I gazed up at the larger-than-life faces that graced the mountainside before me; I was overcome with patriotism as I bathed in American pride. Five months earlier I had touched the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and that was amazing. But nothing, and I mean not a single site in our country, symbolizes the United States of America like Mount Rushmore does – especially under a clear blue sky. I smiled to myself when Tom said to his wife: “This was perfect. Only a bald eagle flying overhead could make the setting any better!” I couldn’t have agreed with him more.

We had a couple of hours to kill in Keystone before we needed to make our way to Crazy Horse Memorial, which was located less than 20 miles to the west. Prior to our departure from the Mountain View Lodge that morning, my photographer had made a two o’clock reservation for the three of us to visit the mountain sculpture of the Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse. And in true “Tom Watson style”, my photographer mentioned our tour would consist of more than admiring the sculpture from a distance; like we had done at Mount Rushmore. Instead, the three of us were scheduled to take a shuttle ride up onto Crazy Horse’s extended left arm and look the Native American war leader directly in his sculpted granite eyes. I was excited; that tour sounded as though it’ll be an experience of a lifetime. But Vicki, on the other hand, had reservations due to her fear of heights; especially when Tom mentioned we would be about 500 feet above the surrounding terrain.

In the small, tourist infested town of Keystone (population 337), we made a quick stop at Dahl’s Chainsaw Art because my companions saw an enormous carved wooden figure of Sasquatch that sat majestically in the center of Jarrett and Jordan Dahl’s finished pieces. For some reason, both Tom and Vicki have gained a fascination for the mystical, yet elusive, creature known as Bigfoot during our travels and they needed a closer look at the gigantic “Squatch” at Dahl’s.

As I stood on the leg of Sasquatch, I thought to myself: “This thing doesn’t just have a big foot; it has a big everything!”
There was no denying the talent of the Dahl brothers as they brought Sasquatch to life with their chainsaws.

While Sasquatch was cool, the main reason my photographer wanted to spend time in “downtown” Keystone was because he noticed the National Presidential Wax Museum was located about a thousand feet south of Dahl’s Chainsaw Art display. I was actually surprised Tom wanted to visit the wax museum because I know how much he hates tourist traps – and in my mind, that museum spelled the word T-R-A-P in capital letters. Even when the three of us entered the museum, I had hoped my photographer wouldn’t place me near any of the wax Presidents; primarily because I envisioned them to appear cheesy at best – in other words, candles with arms and legs.

Before I could say “Madame Tussauds”, however, I found myself standing within a few feet of Betsy Ross as she held her flag in front of George Washington. At that moment, I was hooked; the first handful of displays were extremely lifelike, and I was very impressed. Quite frankly, I was proud to pose with the Presidents behind me. The museum had lived up to its billing – “All 45 Presidents depicted in stunning visual recreations of iconic moments in U.S. presidential history.” Twenty minutes into our tour, however, my enthusiasm began to sour. First, I discovered about ten of the Presidents, including my favorites James K. Polk and James Garfield, were depicted as busts and displayed in small individual glass-covered cases – not “iconic historic moments”. And second, a handful of the wax figures looked nothing like the President they supposedly represented. Ronald Reagan looked as though his face had partially melted; Bill Clinton resembled a 60-year old Elvis Presley in a suit; and George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter’s likenesses were ridiculously poor. I hate it when I’m right, which is most of the time. I could tell Tom was disappointed as well; until he arrived at the gift shop, that is. My “thrifty” photographer managed to find a nice bronze bust of Thomas Jefferson for only twelve bucks and I knew how much he likes busts.

The National Presidential Wax Museum in Keystone, South Dakota. In the distance, above the ‘Gift Shop’ sign in the window, was Mount Rushmore.
The Father of our Country sat in contemplation while Martha Washington (standing) and Betsy Ross held an early American flag.
I’m standing at my favorite display in the museum – The Committee of Five who edited Thomas Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence. Pictured from left was Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and of course, Jefferson.
This tranquil setting portrayed Martin Van Buren (left) chatting with John Quincy Adams on the right. Van Buren’s daughter-in-law Angelica, who served as his First Lady, and Daniel Webster were also depicted in the scene.
I’m near the stage of the famous 1858 debate between Abraham Lincoln and Senator Stephen A. Douglas where they fought over one topic – slavery and its extension into new territories.
I thought the scene from the McLean House in Appomattox Court House, where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant, seemed realistic.
The solemn scene aboard Air Force One on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas as Lyndon B. Johnson took the Oath of Office following JFK’s assassination. There was at least one historic inaccuracy in this scene: The Holy Bible was not used. In reality, Johnson placed his left hand on Kennedy’s Catholic missal, not the Bible.
This display, which depicted President Richard Nixon speaking with the three Apollo 11 astronauts, was one of my favorites as I had been to the site where that event occurred – the U.S.S. Hornet.
I refused to pose near this display as it featured terrible likenesses of George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter.
Was this Bill Clinton or an older version of Elvis in a suit and tie?
I also refused to pose with the wax figure of President Donald J. Trump because his hair looked fake. But the more I thought about it, perhaps the scene was more historically accurate than I realized!

What had begun as a worthwhile stop for my photographer and I turned out to be subpar at best. The National Presidential Wax Museum wasn’t what had been advertised on their website and I know for sure Tom was disappointed as well. But we needed to put that tourist trap behind us and focus on our next stop, which was a 563-foot-tall mountain sculpture of the Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse. Even though the sculpture was far from completion, I figured it would rival Mount Rushmore for the “Wow” factor – especially when I knew how close we would get to the warrior’s face.

Before we completed the 20-mile drive to the Crazy Horse Memorial from Keystone, however, we had an unexpected sighting once we had passed the entrance to Mount Rushmore along SD-244. When the road circled around the west side of the historic mountain, we were awestruck by what was known as the “Mount Rushmore Profile View”. Although only the head of George Washington was visible, it offered all who had stopped a unique profile perspective of the first President carved onto the famous mountaintop.

When we stopped to view the profile of Washington along SD-244, I knew it might be the last time I would ever see any of the four sculpted Presidents with my own eyes.
The Mount Rushmore Profile View offered a unique perspective of not only the famous mountain, but the surrounding landscape as well.
When my photographer used his longer lens to capture a close-up image of George Washington’s likeness, it was easy to see the sensors that were put in place in 1998 to detect motion that might cause cracks or other damage to the sculptures.

We arrived at Crazy Horse Memorial at roughly 12:30pm; the three of us spent over an hour walking around the Welcome Center and the Indian Museum of North America. We also saw the scale model of the planned colossal mountain sculpture of Crazy Horse, a mammoth project that began in 1948 by Polish-American sculpture Korczak Ziolkowski. Although we had a good view of Crazy Horse from the viewing platform at the Welcome Center, we needed to get closer. At precisely 2:00pm, our wish was granted; my companions and I boarded a van with our tour guide and four other visitors for the fifteen-minute ride up to the extended left arm of Crazy Horse. Vicki sat in the back row of seats while my photographer and I occupied the second row. Since we were on the passenger’s side of the van, our view of the monument on the way up to the top was terrible.

We exited the van on the back side of Crazy Horse Memorial where we had no view of the completed work on the sculpture. As we walked out to the blast area on the monument’s arm, our tour guide asked us to refrain from looking back at the face until instructed; our chaperon said she wanted all of us to experience the “Wow” factor at the same time. And she was right. As the six humans and I turned to face Crazy Horse, I heard a collective and synchronized “Oh, Wow”. As Tom held me aloft for our first photo, I was awestruck. I was face to face with the 87-foot-tall sculpted granite face of the Lakota warrior and it was a sight to behold. During our 30-minute stay on the memorial, we walked as far as we could along the warrior’s 263-foot long left arm where we had a close-up look at the ongoing work on the hand. The view from over 500 feet above the colorful terrain below was spectacular as well. I was proud of my photographer’s wife when she stated: “I think my fear of heights has been somewhat cured up here. The view is beautiful and I’m fairly relaxed.” While it’s impossible for photographs to accurately capture what the three of us had experienced with our own eyes, Tom did his best to bring our breathtaking tour of Crazy Horse Memorial to life through the lens of his camera.

At the entrance to Crazy Horse Memorial, we had our first glimpse at the distant face of the Lakota warrior.
The Welcome Center, which also housed the Indian Museum of North America. The van that transported the three of us onto the arm of Crazy Horse was parked in front of the building.
When Tom captured this image, I had less than 90 minutes before I touched that colossal face.
The beautiful headdress that belonged to Ben Black Elk, Jr. was on display in the Welcome Center.
Considered sacred land by the Oglala Lakota, Thunderhead Mountain was where construction on Crazy Horse Memorial began June 3, 1948.
Visitors who pay the nominal entry fee of $12 can admire Crazy Horse from this viewing platform located behind the Welcome Center and museum. I imagined the thoughts that went through my photographer’s wife’s mind at that moment: “I can’t believe, in about an hour, I’m going up onto that mountain.”
Korczak Ziolkowski’s scale model of Crazy Horse, located behind the Welcome Center, was on display with the “real deal” in the distance.
During our van ride to Crazy Horse, we saw a young mule deer foraging for food along a rocky hillside.
Once we arrived on the mountaintop, we had a close look at some of the heavy equipment used on the sculpture. The rock formation to the left of the photo was the back of Crazy Horse’s head and hair.
My photographer captured this image during our walk from behind the monument out onto the arm. The nose of Crazy Horse was barely visible.
A yellow crane was fastened to the sculpted left hand of the Native American warrior.
When our chaperon asked us to turn around, we were face to face with Crazy Horse for the first time. Since Crazy Horse, who died on September 5, 1877, resisted being photographed and no known or authenticated images exist, the artist viewed the likeness as a metaphoric tribute to the spirit of Crazy Horse and Native Americans.
The sculpted eyes of Crazy Horse were an incredible 17 feet wide.
As we stood on Crazy Horse’s arm, which was about 500 feet above the nearby terrain, we were afforded a spectacular panoramic view to the southwest and the distant Welcome Center.
Crazy Horse’s knuckles and left index finger, which was pointing eastward towards the Black Hills because the leader reportedly once said: “My lands are where my dead lie buried.” 
It was an honor for me to stand near the 87-foot-tall face of Crazy Horse. But there was an additional cost to get that view – a donation of $125 per person. Thankfully, Bobble heads were free!
How much larger was Crazy Horse’s head compared to an eight-inch bobble head? I’m standing next to a chisel that was wedged into the granite just to the left of his chin.
While I stood on the sculpture and posed for this image, the tour guide mentioned that the granite for Crazy Horse was naturally red while the granite for Mount Rushmore’s four Presidents was white. Coincidence?
I thought this view, taken from below the chin of Crazy Horse, gave a unique perspective of the grand sculpture. I was relieved when nothing dripped on my head.
A sensor cable, which was hidden on the back side of the colossal head, was visible from this view.
The sensors, one of which was inside the left nostril, were installed to detect any motion that could damage the sculpture.
Data from the sensors on the nose are monitored daily to determine if any movement to the sculpture, which could weaken the rock or cause cracks, had occurred.
Another view of Crazy Horse’s extended left arm and what will eventually become part of the horse’s head.
During our tour, my photographer’s wife (at left with green sweatshirt) felt comfortable enough to stand next to the protective fence. Her fear of heights had disappeared – for now!
Tom thought the beads, which were likely left by a visitor, looked artistically colorful next to the granite wall of the monument. The thin layers of silver in the granite are called mica.
My photographer rode in the van’s front passenger seat on the journey down from the mountaintop. From that seat, Tom had amazing views of the memorial, including this profile beneath the sun’s glare.
A pair of mountain goats seemed surprised to see a bobble head looking out of the window.
The view of the backside of Crazy Horse, which can’t be seen from the Welcome Center.
We saw tons of granite that had been blasted from the mountainside over the years.
Colorful trees and heavy equipment shared the landscape at the base of Crazy Horse.
Some of the horse’s head, outlined in white paint, was visible from the base. It’s believed the horse’s main and head will be finished in the next 10 to 15 years.
The opening, or tunnel, beneath Crazy Horse’s outstretched arm was reported to be 70 feet wide and 100 feet high.
My photographer captured one final image of the Crazy Horse Memorial from the van. It’s my wish, someday in the future, that Tom’s grandkids or great grandkids bring me back to visit the completed memorial that’s dedicated to the great Lakota warrior; as well as Native Americans everywhere.
Crazy Horse sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski built his own tomb at the base of the memorial, near the flag in this image. When Ziolkowski died on October 20, 1982, his body was placed in the tomb behind a steel door that featured his poetic words: “Korczak; Storyteller in Stone; May His Remains; Be Left Unknown”

Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski was a self-proclaimed “storyteller in stone” and there’s no doubt the story of the Native Americans needed to be told; and told honestly. Their heritage, culture, and beliefs need to be cherished as the American treasures they are. From the moment the first rock was dynamited from the face of Thunderhead Mountain on June 3, 1948, Ziolkowski had one goal in mind: To fulfill the promise he made to Chief Henry Standing Bear who asked the artist to create the memorial dedicated to his maternal cousin Crazy Horse. In a heartfelt plea to Ziolkowski, the Chief said: “My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes, too.”

At first, I was surprised when I learned my usually cheap photographer had opened his wallet and paid $250 for the three of us to become “official storytellers” of Crazy Horse Memorial. While the fee was considered a donation, it’s the only way the general public is allowed to enter the blast zone and get face to face with Crazy Horse; and that special tour is only available on the weekend. When we returned to the Welcome Center and stepped out of the van, I heard Tom tell his wife: “That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it was worth every penny. The view from the top of the memorial; having the opportunity to look Crazy Horse directly in his eyes and touch his chin was priceless.”

The story of Crazy Horse Memorial doesn’t end with the ongoing mountain carving either. It was Chief Henry Standing Bear’s belief that education was key to preserving the culture and living heritage of all Native Americans; which was the reason the Indian University of North America was created in conjunction with the memorial. That university has helped kickstart the learnings for hundreds of students from over 40 Native Nations around our country. Our visit to Crazy Horse helped open my resin eyes to the proud heritage of the Indigenous people of our land. Their heroes were important; their culture was even more important.

After Vicki found a motel in Lusk, Wyoming that seemed to have good reviews, we began the two-hour journey southward. While some of the terrain in the southwestern part of South Dakota looked cool, that changed when we arrived in the Cowboy State. From the time we crossed the Wyoming border until we arrived in Lusk, we saw no towns. As a matter of fact, I could’ve counted the houses we passed on one hand. I laughed to myself from the camera case when I heard Tom say to his wife: “I have a new motto for Wyoming – it’s the state where fun goes to die.”

My photographer’s motto could’ve been adopted by the town of Lusk as well. As we rolled into the small Wyoming village at roughly 6:00pm, it seemed as though everything was closed for the evening. The old saying ‘the sidewalks roll up at six o’clock’ was alive and well in Lusk and my companions weren’t sure whether or not they would find a place to eat dinner. When we registered at the Town House Motel, the clerk told my companions that some of the diners were forced to close because of staffing issues. Left with little to no choices, my photographer and his wife bought dinner at the nearby Family Dollar – Tom devoured two boneless chicken frozen dinners while Vicki dined on the fine cuisine of Hot Pockets.

Following their appetizing microwaved meals, Tom worked on his NASCAR stats and watched the Buffalo Bills – Kansas City Chiefs football game at the same time. When the lights went out at 10:00pm, I stood in my usual spot next to the TV and thought about Chief Henry Standing Bear’s belief about heroes. But when I saw Chief Patrick Mahomes, a hero to many, throw two interceptions as his team lost to the Bills by eighteen points, I figured his likeness wouldn’t be carved onto a mountain any time soon. Come to think of it – many more games like the one we just watched and he may not even get a small bust sculpted in Canton.

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Thomas Watson

My name is Thomas Watson and I've been a U.S. history fanatic since I was 9 years old. In 2013, I decided to take my passion to the next level when I purchased a Thomas Jefferson bobble head with the sole intention of photographing that bobble head at Presidential sites. From that first day on July 10, 2013 at Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio, this journey has taken on a life of its own. Now, nearly 40,000 miles later, I thought it was time to share the experiences, stories, and photos of Jefferson's travels. Keep in mind, this entire venture has been done with the deepest respect for the men who held the office as our President; no matter what their political affiliations, personal ambitions, or public scandals may have been. This blog is intended to be a true tribute to the Presidents of the United States and this story will be told Through the Eyes of Jefferson. I hope you enjoy the ride!

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