Calvin Coolidge in the Black Hills
In
1927, Calvin Coolidge selected the Black Hills of South Dakota for his annual
three week vacation, and liked it so much that he stayed for a full three
months. The resulting windfall of publicity is universally credited with
launching the area’s modern tourism industry.
Just how (and who) persuaded
the 30th president to visit the Black Hills is arguable, but there is little
doubt that the “the President’s visit to South Dakota was a turning point in the
history of Mount Rushmore [and in turn, state tourism]. The project benefited
not only from Coolidge’s outright support, but from the publicity which attended
his stay as well... The New York Sun, Times, and Herald Tribune carried
long stories during the summer on Borglum and his venture into gigantic
sculpture. For the Black Hills in general, the vast flow of news surrounding the
presidential visit made millions of people aware for the first time of the
area’s tourist attractions.”
The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum,
took advantage of the President’s presence to stage an elaborate dedication
ceremony complete with pomp and newsreels (there had already been a dedication
in 1925, but the anticipated funding had not materialized, and the project was
languishing). He took the added precaution of requesting Coolidge’s help in
composing a suitable inscription for the proposed carving. Since Silent Cal was
not particularly noted for his sterling prose, it is probably safe to assume
that the request was a calculated stratagem to garner the President’s support.
And it worked: upon his return to Washington, Coolidge endorsed legislation to
provide funding (albeit matching) for the memorial.
Today Mount Rushmore is the
premiere tourist attraction in the state. In 1998 the national memorial hosted
2.7 million visitors. Its collateral effect brought 1.8 million people to Custer
State Park and over a million to Badlands National Park. Visitors spent nearly
$585 million, for a total economic impact of $1.46 billion. Tourism employs
30,635 South Dakotans.
What if Calvin Coolidge had selected another state for his 1927 vacation?
