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Black Hills News StoriesGo back to News ArticlesBlack Hills Badlands & Lakes Inducts Tourism PioneersRAPID CITY — Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Association has announced two inductees into its “Black Hills Tourism Pioneers” hall of fame. They are the late Lincoln Borglum, the son of sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who completed the construction of Mount Rushmore and was the National Memorial’s first superintendent; and Dorothy June Johnson, long-time owner/operator of Thunderhead Falls, located in the Black Hills near Hisega. The Pioneers were recognized during BHB&L’s Annual Meeting & Luncheon on Oct. 30. Their names will be added to a plaque at the Black Hills Visitor Information Center, which cites other “Pioneers” who have made outstanding contributions to the development of tourism in western South Dakota and whose visions and labors have helped shape the destiny of South Dakota’s visitor industry. Gutzon Borglum may have been the visionary genius – but his son, James Lincoln de la Mothe Borglum, was the steady hand who kept the carving of Mount Rushmore National Memorial on track and saw it through to completion. Lincoln was the “unsung hero” who, in large part, was responsible for the completion of Mount Rushmore. Lincoln died in 1986 at the age of 74 and is buried in San Antonio, Texas. Lincoln was a loyal son dedicated to his father’s life work. He was an able worker whose well-balanced and unassuming personality won the respect and admiration of the men he directed in the carving of Mount Rushmore. He was a competent sculptor in his own right, with several noted works (including the bust of his father that stands near the entrance of Mount Rushmore’s Lincoln Borglum Visitors Center) and the author of three books. In addition, he was appointed Mount Rushmore National Memorial’s first superintendent, serving from October 1, 1941, to May 15, 1944. Upon his father’s death in 1941, it was Lincoln who made the decision to call the sculpture “complete,” even though plans had called for including torsos below the faces. Work on the sculpture ended on October 31, 1941. It was more than 50 years ago that Dorothy June Johnson and her late husband, Harold, first fell in love with a most unique and unusual piece of the paradise that is the Black Hills of South Dakota. Today, at age 90, Dorothy continues to live at and operate the classic Black Hills attraction known as Thunderhead Falls, situated west of Rapid City along Rimrock Highway near the historic town of Hisega. When the original owners decided to retire, Harold and Dorothy bought the property and set about developing the summer tourism potential of the gushing torrent buried deep within 600 feet of mountain and falling vertically for more than 30 feet into a cavernous stream. At first, Thunderhead Falls was a very small business, and the couple soon recognized the importance of promotion and advertising. That included becoming a member of the Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Association and signing up as a member of BHB&L’s Family Approved Attractions. The couple continued to make their home in Aberdeen most of the year, traveling to the Hills for the summer season. Harold died in 1984, and a few years later, Dorothy left her Aberdeen home and moved to the Hills full-time to be near family and to take up the challenge of running Thunderhead Falls single-handedly. For Dorothy, taking care of Thunderhead Falls has meant keeping it natural. Such a beautiful area has piqued the interest of developers and promoters, but Dorothy remains committed to leaving this unique area mostly undeveloped. Visitors are in full agreement. “One thing we hear again and again from tourists, they love the fact that here’s this tunnel out the side of a mountain into raw wilderness.” The 2009 Black Hills Pioneer inductees join 43 other Tourism Pioneers who have been honored by Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Association since 2000. -30- |
