Original subtitles

(wind whooshing)

(emphatic percussion music)

(dramatic orchestral music)

- [Narrator] Our journey begins

in the Northwest of the state on a ranch

before heading south towards Spearfish.

Then it's on to the Black Hills National Forest

and the cowboy town of Deadwood

with its surrounding gold mines.

At Sturgis we look at the National Military Cemetery

as well as Fort Meade,

which has a history stretching back

to the early 19th century.

To the south is Rapid City,

the second largest conurbation in South Dakota

and a center for tourism,

because nearby is one of the most popular attractions

in the whole of the United States, Mount Rushmore,

with its four presidents faces carved

into the mountain top.

South Dakota takes it's name from the Lakota

and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes,

and became the 40th state in the Union in 1889.

Much of the Northwest of the state is open grassland.

Cattle ranches have carved out a living

since the 19th century.

Some of them now have herds of animals

that once roamed freely across the state, buffalo.

They are also known as American bison

and they are the largest living land animal

in the United States.

200 years ago vast herds of buffalo

freely migrated across the open grassland

of the Great Plains,

but gradually they were hunted to near extinction

both by the Indian tribes as well as the new settlers.

By the mid-1880s there were only a few hundred left.

Today the image of two young riders herding

these majestic beasts brings back the days

of the Wild West and the age of cowboys and cowgirls,

and they are only able to do this

due to a rancher in South Dakota, James Philip,

who bought five buffalo in 1899

to preserve the species from extinction,

and by the time he died in 1911,

the herd had grown to over 1,000.

He had almost single-handedly saved the buffalo

for the nation.

In this flat landscape are isolated hills with steep sides

which are known as buttes.

The name comes from the days of French settlers

and means small hill.

They have been formed by erosion

where the surrounding softer rock has gradually worn away,

leaving the small section of hard stone.

This one is called Haystack Butte,

and all across the state these outcrops can be seen.

Close by is another called Castle Rock.

Spearfish is the largest local town

with a population of just over 10,000 people.

It came into existence as a result

of the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1876.

The town grew as a supplier of provisions

to the mining camps in the nearby hills.

In 1906 Matthews Opera House opened

as a center for entertainment in Spearfish.

It's been used for everything from motion picture shows

to basketball practice and even a shooting gallery.

After extensive restoration in the 1980s,

it is still in use as a theater as well as an art center.

(dramatic orchestral music)

To the south of town is Spearfish Canyon

at the northern end of the Black Hills National Forest.

Many tourists drive

through the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway,

drawn by the dramatic beauty of the steep-sided valley.

The great American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright,

visited the canyon in 1935 and called it unique

and unparalleled elsewhere in the country,

and wondered how is it that

I've heard so little of this miracle,

and we toward the Atlantic have heard so much

of the Grand Canyon when this is even more miraculous.

Off the main canyon are smaller valleys

and a series of waterfalls.

These are the Roughlock Falls,

and one of the most photogenic in the Black Hills.

It also featured in the final scenes

of the film "Dances with Wolves."

Alongside the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway

on Highway 14 are the Spearfish Falls

which drop into little Spearfish Creek.

To get a good view there are numerous trails

for those on foot as well as cyclists,

which take the visitor through some

of the most dramatic parts of the canyon,

and the canyon is part of the Black Hills National Forest,

which covers an area of over a million acres.

It was founded back in 1897

after a series of devastating fires

which probably started as a result

of a prospector's campfire,

and nowhere is more associated

with this activity than Deadwood,

a name that has become synonymous with the Wild West.

The town came into being in the 1870s

as a result of the Black Hills Gold Rush,

but its creation was also said to have been illegal

as the land had been promised

to the Lakota tribe of Native Americans by a treaty in 1868.

It's ownership has been in dispute ever since,

and these disputes have

even reached the United States Supreme Court.

The town had a rough and rowdy character

and became a center for gambling and prostitution,

but all that nearly came to the end

when a devastating fire destroyed

over 300 buildings in 1879.

Many of the inhabitants left

and the town went into a gradual decline

which continued in the 20th century.

In order to revive Deadwood's fortune,

gambling was legalized in 1989

and it immediately revived the town's fortunes.

One event for which the town is most famous is the killing

of Wild Bill Hickok in 1876.

He was shot while playing poker.

He is buried in the Mount Moriah Cemetery,

but in 1903 Calamity Jane, a well-known frontierswoman,

was buried next to him at her request.

In the same year that Wild Bill Hickok was killed,

a cry went up, "there was gold in them thar hills,"

when it was found a few miles away

around what is now the town of Lead.

Fabulous fortunes were made in the first few years

until one man bought up most of the promising claims

and created the Homestake Mining Company.

The open cut was once a solid mountain.

Over the years around 48 million tons

of ore have been removed

to create this half-mile wide and 1000-foot deep hole.

The word Homestake came about when a prospector

had claimed sufficient gold to make a man rich enough

to make his home stake,

meaning to make enough money

to return home and live comfortably.

Over the years mining expanded

and new shafts were dug around the town,

and Homestake Mine was to become the biggest, deepest,

and most productive gold mine in the Western Hemisphere

until it closed in 2002.

Since 1876 gold mining at Lead

had produced more than 40 million ounces of gold,

or just over 1,000 tons.

It also produced nine million ounces of silver as well.

In earlier days mining gold was a labor intensive business

as a ton of ore had to be blasted

or hacked out of the ground

and then sifted to produce just one ounce of gold.

Mining today still carries on in another big pit,

but helped by modern machinery.

This mechanized style of mining is a far cry

from the early days of prospecting

when men just wielded a pickax and shovel

and dreamed of becoming rich.

East of Lead is the town of Sturgis which is famous for one

of the largest annual motorcycle events in the world.

It was first held in 1938

and for one week in August

over half a million motorcycles meet here.

To the south of Sturgis is a reminder of the Indian Wars

at the Black Hills National Cemetery.

This hundred-acre site has nearly 20,000 graves.

Most of the original internments were soldiers

who fell in battle fighting against the Lakota Indians

during the 19th century.

The Black Hills had been granted to the Indians

in the Treaty of Fort Laramie,

also known as the Sioux Treaty of 1868.

However, once gold was found in the hills,

it was impossible to stop the settlers moving in

and the army was helpless to stop it.

Indeed it was the famous US General George Armstrong Custer,

who also announced the discovery

which started the Indian Wars.

The cemetery is a stark reminder

of a broken treaty and the powerful lure of gold.

Close by is the Fort Meade National Cemetery

which was established by the surviving members

of General Custer's 7th Cavalry

after their defeat at the Battle of Little Bighorn

where Custer was killed.

Fort Meade itself was built in response

to appeals from settlers in the Black Hills

for protection against Indian attacks.

The Fort is perhaps most famous

as the place where the "Star-Spangled Banner"

first became the official music

for the military retreat ceremony in 1892,

long before it was adopted

as the United States national anthem.

Fort Meade is close to Bear Butte

which lies a few miles to the north.

(Native American chant music)

It has been a religious site for the Plains Indian tribes

long before European settlers arrived in South Dakota.

This is where God imparted to Sweet Medicine,

a Cheyenne prophet, the knowledge

from which the Cheyenne Indians derive

their religious, political, social, and economic customs.

The mountain is sacred,

and many Native Americans make pilgrimages

to the top to leave prayer cloths

and bundles tied to the branches of the trees.

(Native American chant music)

During the year various religious ceremonies take place

on the mountain which is a place of prayer,

meditation, and peace.

Rapid City is the second largest conurbation in South Dakota

with a population of 70,000 people.

It began life back in the days of the gold rush,

when some unsuccessful miners decided

that given the massive influx of prospectors to the area,

they would probably do better

if they were to put their efforts

into building and running a new city.

By 1900 it had established itself

as a growing tourist destination

for visitors to the Black Hills.

In the 1940s the population nearly doubled

when the Ellsworth Air Force Base was opened

to the east of the city.

Today it is home to the 28th Bomb Wing

and the B-1B Lancer aircraft,

which is a variable-sweep wing strategic bomber.

Next to the Air Force base is Rapid City Regional Airport.

Most towns in the state have an airfield

as flying is the best way to get about in such a large area,

and in fact over 50% of aircraft movements

at Rapid City are private flights.

Scheduled commercial flights only account for around 5%.

To capitalize on the growing number of tourists

who were coming to see Mount Rushmore in the 1930s,

it was decided to construct the Dinosaur Park

on a hill overlooking the city.

The creatures were also floodlit at night.

Today it all seems a little tame

with these ancient creatures now created

on films using CGI and animatronics,

but back at the time it was immensely popular,

and the park has now been listed

on the National Register of Historic Places.

On the western edge of Rapid City

in the foothills of the Black Hills is a reproduction

of a Norwegian wooden stave church.

It was built in this style during the 1960s

to honor the Norwegian settlers

who had come to South Dakota during the 19th century.

This Lutheran church is an exact replica

of one built in Norway over 800 years earlier,

the Borgund stavkyrkje.

The Norwegian Department of Antiquities agreed

to supply blueprints and a Norwegian woodcarver

across the Atlantic to create some of the fine detail.

A generous local couple provided the land

and covered all the cost of construction.

All they asked for in return was to dedicate the chapel

to the memory of his parents

as his father was a pioneering Lutheran Pastor.

The church is an unexpected and wonderful site

to find in the middle of South Dakota.

(soft instrumental music)

Further west is Rapid Creek

which gave it's name to the city.

For much of it's length the creek runs

through a steep-sided canyon.

It's hard to believe looking at this beautiful landscape

that it was a scene of devastation 40 years ago.

In 1972 the creek truly did become rapid,

as floodwater cascaded down the canyon

following torrential rain in the Black Hills.

Nearly 250 people lost their lives

and over 3,000 were injured.

Homes were destroyed and cars swept away.

As a result of the flood,

the dam across rapid creek was enlarged,

making Pactola Reservoir the biggest in the Black Hills.

When the dam had first been built in the 1950s,

the new reservoir swallowed up

not only the old mining camp of Pactola,

but also a military camp of the 1870s.

The reservoir supplies water for Rapid City

and is also a base for all sorts of outdoor activities,

including water sports.

(soft piano music)

(acoustic guitar music)

The main route south out of Rapid City

and into the Black Hills is Highway 16

which winds its way through some spectacular scenery,

and along its route are various tourist attractions

including Bear Country.

Opened in 1972 with 11 black bears

it now boasts over 200 as well as other animals.

It is the largest collection

of privately-owned black bears in the world.

Further along Highway 16 is the turn to Hill City,

and once again it was gold

that brought about its existence in the 1870s,

and when that had been exhausted,

tin mining and forestry took over.

Surrounded by the Black Hills National Forest,

the city has become known as the heart of the hills,

and when nearby Mount Rushmore began attracting visitors

in large numbers, Hill City's economy changed to tourism,

with Main Street devoted to hotels,

restaurants, and souvenir shops.

(acoustic guitar music)

One of the most popular attractions

is the 19th century Black Hills Central Railroad,

which was restored and reopened in 1957.

(train whistle blowing)

(lively folk music)

The railway line was originally built

between Hill City and Keystone in the 1890s

as a mining route for gold in the Black Hills.

The steam engine is a 2-6-6-2T articulated Mallet built

in 1928 by The Baldwin Locomotive Works of Pennsylvania.

The carriages date from the early 1900s.

(lively folk music)

The journey ends at Keystone

which is a resort town for the millions of visitors

who come to the Black Hills each year.

Once a small mining community like Hill City,

it is now also full of hotels,

restaurants, and souvenir shops.

Leading out of Keystone is Highway 16

where two great carved monuments can be seen.

The first is of one

of the most iconic Native American leaders, Crazy Horse.

(Native American chanting music)

It was in 1939 that a Lakota Indian elder wrote

to the sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, saying,

"My fellow chiefs and I would like the White man

"to know that the Red man has great heroes too."

The idea of the Crazy Horse monument was born

and the Polish American sculptor,

who had worked on Mount Rushmore,

which we will see a little later,

eventually began in 1948,

and it's been going on ever since.

The finished monument will reveal Crazy Horse sitting

astride his horse pointing forwards.

The sculptor died in 1982

and his family continue to work on it.

The powerful face of the great chief

was finally revealed in 1998.

The task is truly monumental

and it may well take decades before it's finally finished.

Not far from the Crazy Horse monument is Sylvan Lake,

which was created in 1881 by damming Sunday Gulch.

The lake is known as the crown jewel of Custer State Park,

and offers swimming, rock climbing,

boating, and hiking trails.

The lake is also used as an entry point

for hikers going on to the spectacular Needles.

(majestic violin music)

These are a large group

of fantastically-eroded granite pillars, towers, and spires.

Indeed one group is known as Cathedral Spires.

(soft piano music)

It's a very popular place for climbers

and these two are on top of Little Devil's Tower,

and from the top it's possible

to look across to Mount Rushmore,

and in fact the Needles were the first proposed site

for the monument but rejected because

they were too thin to support the sculptures.

The final site picked

for Mount Rushmore is three miles to the east.

(soft orchestral music)

Mount Rushmore features four 18 meter high sculptures

of former presidents of the United States of America.

It was conceived in 1924.

Construction began in 1927

and ended in 1941.

On the left is George Washington, the first president.

Next to him is the third president, Thomas Jefferson.

Set back in the rock is Theodore Roosevelt,

the 26th president,

and on the far right is Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President.

(soft orchestral music)

Mount Rushmore is the most popular tourist attraction

in South Dakota, and regularly gets

over two million visitors a year.

Indeed it was conceived as a way

of boosting tourism back in 1924.

One of the most spectacular times

to see the monument is at dawn

just as the sun rises above the horizon.

(dramatic orchestral music)

For about 10 minutes,

the rising sun casts a glorious pink glow over the monument

before the power of the daylight turns it

into its natural color of white granite.

It's certainly a site worth getting up for.

(soft instrumental music)

Mount Rushmore was chosen by the creator

and sculptor Gutzon Borglum because

it was the highest mountain in the region, faced southeast,

and the granite was fine-grained

and sturdy enough to support sculpting.

He was quoted as saying

that America will march along that skyline.

It was originally planned that the figures

would be carved from head to waist,

but lack of funds forced the carving to end in 1941.

Since then new visitor facilities have been built

for the millions of people who often drive from far afield

to see one of the truly iconic sights in America,

a perfect place to end this journey.

(soothing orchestral music)

(strong percussion music)