My Favorite Postcards

Legion Lake - One of the delights of the Legion Lake area is paddling past the large granite boulders that form part of the dam for the lake, which was constructed in 1933.  The lake and adjoining cabins were named by the members of the American Legion who first managed the recreation area.  One of many attractive sights in Custer State Park, the lake offers good fishing, swimming and the nearby Badger Hole, home of the late South Dakota Poet Laureate Badger Clark.

This postcard is postmarked in 1974.

Mt. Rushmore at Sunset

Silhouetted in a gorgeous South Dakota sunset America's "Shire of Democracy" is strikingly beautiful.  It is impossible to view this magnificent sculpture without having our faith in our country's purpose and principles renewed and re-invested.

This postcard was printed in 1984 and postmarked in 1989.

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Mount Rushmore features 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of four United States presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

South Dakota
Photo by Chad Coppess

This postcard is postmarked in 2014 with two vintage USA stamps.

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Although other industries have expanded rapidly in recent decades, agricultural production is still very important to the state's economy, especially in rural areas. The five most valuable agricultural products in South Dakota are cattle, corn, soybeans, wheat, and hogs.

Sturgis
Motor Classic

Legendary Sturgis
Hundreds of thousands of biking enthusiasts from all over the world make Sturgis their destination.  As the sun goes down, the Bike Parade begins.
Black Hills, South Dakota

postmarked in 2013

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The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is an American motorcycle rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota, usually during the first full week of August. It began in the mid-20th century and was originally held for stunts and races, but has evolved into being a meeting for motorcycle enthusiasts from all over.

The first rally was held on August 14, 1938, by the "Jackpine Gypsies" motorcycle club, who still own and operate the tracks, hillclimb, and field areas where the rally is centered. The founder is generally considered to be Clarence "Pappy" Hoel. He purchased an Indian Motorcycle franchise in Sturgis in 1936 and formed the "Jackpine Gypsies" that same year.

The Capitol
Pierre, South Dakota

The Hub of State Government in Pierre, SD is the capitol building, constructed on the banks of the Mighty Mo for the astronomical sum of one million dollars, and dedicated in 1910, more than 20 years after South Dakota became a state.

Photos by Mike Wolforth and Paul Niemann

This postcard is postmarked in 2014 with a 34 cent hummingbird stamp.

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The floor in the capitol building is made of terrazzo tile. The floor is said to have been laid by 66 Italian artists. To give these artists a chance to place a mark in the building (without allowing them to actually sign their names to the floor), each is said to have been given a blue stone to place in the floor. Only 55 of these tiles have been found, however. It is thought that the remaining stones may have been placed in locations now covered by walls, doors, or carpeting.

South Dakota
The Mount Rushmore State

"Great Faces, Great Places" From the jewel-like mountain lakes of the Black Hills in the west; to the wheat fields and abundant pheasants of the east, South Dakota really DOES have some of the greatest places people and "critters" you've ever seen!

This map postcard is postmarked in 2014 with a 34 cent hummingbird stamp.
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Here is one more..
South Dakota

Date of Statehood: November 2, 1889
Capital: Pierre
Population: 814,180 (2010)
Size: 77,116 square miles
Nickname: Mount Rushmore State
Motto: Under God, the People Rule
Tree: Black Hills Spruce
Flower: Pasque
Bird: Chinese Ring-necked Pheasant
Mammal: Coyote
Fish: Walleye
Insect: Honeybee

This map postcard is postmarked in 2014 with a hummingbird stamp.

Crazy Horse Memorial
World's largest mountain carving in progress
Black Hills of South Dakota

"My lands are where my dead lie buried." - Crazy Horse

Blasting continues on the largest sculpture in the world, which will look like the scale model when completed.  Crazy Horse's face was finished in 1998. SInce then work has focused on the horse's head.

postmarked in 2013

The sender told me that this will probably never be finished because they are making too much money in donations.  As long as they work on it slowly, they can still raise money.  The sad thing is, by the looks of the postcard they are selling now in the gift store, I would say she is right.  Below is a postcard they printed in 2000 - 13 years ago. (I think it took 14 years to make all of Mount Rushmore.)


Crazy Horse Memorial
Now in Progress - open year round - Black Hills, S.D. U.S. Hi-way 16/385
Blasts like this continue on the largest sculpture in the world, which will look like the scale model when completed.  Crazy Horse's face was finished in 1998 when work began on the horse's head (Photos by Robb DeWall)

postmarked in 2002 - photo was taken in July 2000

 Did You Know?

Badlands of South Dakota
Badlands National Park is located in the White River Badlands and was called mako sica (mako, land and sica, bad) by the Sioux Indians.  The term badlands generally refers to an area that is difficult to travel through primarily because of the rugged terrain and lack of water.  The fascination landscape within the park erodes at a rate of about 1 inch per year, providing an ever-changing landscape.

The back of this postcard has a special postmark from Badlands National Park, Interior.

postmarked in 2013 with a USA flower seed packet stamp

 Royal C. Johnson Vets' Hospital

From a considerable area including Eastern South Dakota, Southwestern Minnesota, North-western Iowa and Northeastern Nebraska come those who are to be treated in the Royal C. Johnson Vet's Memorial Hospital at Sioux Falls, S. Dak.  The United states Government expended approximately $5,000,000 to complete this 272-bed general medical and surgical hospital.

The sender writes, "Hi, will try and scribble a few lines today.  Received your letter yesterday, they got me on a special diet, no coffee, tea and no smoking so its kind of rough now.  Don't know how long I will be here, Write again sometime." the Return address is 'his name' patient at Vets' Hospital

postmarked with 4 cent Lincoln stamp in 1958

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Royal Cleaves Johnson (3 October 1882 – 2 August 1939) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota and a highly decorated veteran of World War I.

Dinosaur Park, Rapid City, South Dakota

Tyrannosaurus Rex
Brontosaurus in Background

unused, printed in 2003 - but the photo is was taken on, or before the 1950's.

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Dinosaur Park is a tourist attraction in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Dedicated on May 22, 1936, it contains seven dinosaur sculptures on a hill overlooking the city.  It was created to capitalize on the tourists coming to the Black Hills to see Mount Rushmore.

The dinosaurs were constructed out of 2 inch black iron pipe, with a wire mesh frame and a concrete skin. Originally they were gray in color, but by the 1950s the statues were painted bright green with white undersides.

Admission is free.  The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 1990.

President Roosevelt addressing 150,000 People
Unveiling of Lawton Statue
Indianapolis, Indiana.  May 30, 1907.

This Real Photo postcard us unused.

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 President Roosevelt in his office.
The President's private office, in which President Roosevelt spends most of his working hours, is located in what is known as the Executive Office Building, a small structure connected with the White House.

This is an unused 'Raphael Tuck & Sons' post card.
Mt. Rushmore National Monument
Black Hills, South Dakota
Carved from solid granite by the late Gutzon Borglum are the heads of our four greatest Presidents.

George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Theodore Roosevelt
Abraham Lincoln

This card is postmarked in 1968 with 6 cent 'Roosevelt' stamp!

Will Trade...

I.R.A. Shyster Realty Co. South Dakota.

Rustic South Dakota home available for trade.  Prefer beachfront property in California or Florida , yacht in Caribbean or a Rolls Royce.

This postcard was postmarked in 2008 with a 27 cent 'Star Fruit' stamp.

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

Mount Rushmore Memorial, silhouetted against the splendor of a western sunset, America's Shrine of Democracy is hewn from an everlasting sheer granite cliff.

This is postmarked in 1981 with this 12 cent Henry Ford stamp.

Bust of George Washington - Proportionate to a man 465 feet tall.  Mount Rushmore Memorial, Black Hills of South Dakota

An idea of the size of this monument can be obtained by the dimensions shown on this picture.  It may also be remembered that Washington's nose is a large as the entire head of the Sphinx.

This postcard is unused.