The Pigtail Bridges

In 1932, Cecil Clyde Gideon pushed forward the design of the Pigtail Bridges despite widespread doubt that they could be built. Known as C.C., he was a Black Hills pioneer and master builder, architect, craftsman, lawman, highway designer, and guide to visitors. Riding horseback from his home at the Game lodge, Gideon and Senator Norbeck spent long hours laying out the Iron Mountain Road, the tunnels that frame Mount Rushmore, and the bridges. Norbeck wanted a rustic look, but the drop in elevation created complex engineering problems. The bridge surfaces were neither straight, level, nor flat, and the rustic log work varied greatly in quality. Logs were selected nearby, cut to fit, seasoned, and then put in place. When the bridges were completed, more of the Black Hills' scenic beauty became available for all people to enjoy, and C.C. Gideon had turned vision into reality.

South Dakota · United States