More History

Mount Rushmore was completed in 14 years and cost $1,000,000. Jefferson was actually started to the left of Washington, but when the sculptor realized the surface granite was too soft, he dynamited the face off and started all over to the right of Washington. The original layer of granite was dynamited off the cliffs to leave a smooth surface for the sculpting of all four presidents.

Crazy Horse Monument was a dedication to the American Indians. Crazy Horse who was also at the Battle of Little Bighorn with Red Cloud, will be pointing toward the Black Hills and the Badlands. His answer to the question from a white man, "Where are our lands now?", is "My lands are where my dead lie buried." Red Cloud, a Lakota Indian, says this, "They made us many promises, more then I can remember -- They never kept but one: they promised to take our land, and they took it! The original scupter, Korczak, hired to do the monument died in 1982 and his family which includes his wife and 10 children continue to work on the monument. It has been 50 years and so far they have raised 2.5 million dollars for the monument.

All this history of our "Wild West" is incredible. Gail says every day how different it is here in the west. Everyone we have had contact with is very friendly and interested in our trip and why we are making it. It is so relaxed and beautiful. The Rockie Mountains are now taking over.