...and the Sculpture Down the Road You Probably Don't Know

A few hills to the southwest of Mt. Rushmore is the Crazy Horse Memorial which, when finished, will dwarf that of the four presidents. But finishing it seems to be a long ways off. After Mt. Rushmore was completed, Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear and several fellow chiefs invited Korczak Ziolkowski to create a sculpture that "would let the white man know the red man has great heroes also." Korczak was an accomplished sculptor whose first place finish at the New York World's Fair attracted the attention of the Indian chiefs. Korczak started the sculpture in 1947 with $174 to his name and battled financial hardship, injuries, and advancing age until his death in 1982. After his death, the cause has been taken up by his wife and children, who are committed to seeing the sculpture completed. A strong believer in the free enterprise system, Korczak refused all offers of government assistance, relying on private donations. It's a great story, but after 64 years of work, only Crazy Horse's head has been completed. Like I mentioned, it'll be a long time before it's completed, if ever. In the meantime, there is a great Indian museum, sculptor's workshop, Native American Cultural Center, restaurant, and laser light show on the mountain to keep the tourists coming while the carving on the mountain plods along.

Compare the bronze sculpture of Crazy Horse in the foreground to the actual carved mountain behind. It took 67 years to get this far-- you do the math and let me know when you think it will be finished.