Margaret Sager Papers

In the mid-1960s, a determined effort to mount a giant statue of Jesus on the top of Spearfish Mountain was undertaken. Inspired by the late Senator Francis Case's awe at Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, the non-profit Christ on the Mount, Inc. formed in Spearfish to complete a similar project for the Black Hills. The Margaret Sager collection in the Case library documents this project from 1961 to 1968. The project was backed by several popular names within our community, including Josef Meier and Dr. Russell Jonas. However, for all the big-name support for the project, the collection is peppered with opposition from locals. Newspaper clippings and letters between the members of Christ on the Mount, Inc. reveal public denouncement of the project and appeals to government offices to delay or stop the project. The foundation stated the statue would be an inspiration to Christians around the world and an excellent companion to the Black Hills Passion Play. However, some locals saw it as a commercialization of the Christian faith and little more than a tourist trap.

Christ on the Mount encountered significant obstacles and accomplishments during its undertaking. They were able to purchase a bust of Jesus modeled by Gutzon Borglum and contract Lincoln Borglum, Gutzon's son, to complete the bust as a standing model and oversee the construction of the statue. They also negotiated a complex land transfer with Homestake Mine and the U.S. Forest Service to gain control of the top of Spearfish Mountain. This land transfer encountered numerous delays. Within the U.S. Forest Service offices, the transfer was stalled several times. When public notice was given on the land transfer, two attempts were made to appeal the decision and delay or stop the transfer, though both were denied. After four or five years, the transfer appears to have been completed, though the documents don't state when, exactly. In 1967 and 1968, major fundraising campaigns began. Pledge drives began locally while major fundraising agencies were engaged for broader campaigns.

The documents end abruptly in 1968, so it is difficult to pinpoint why there does not today stand a 175 foot tall statue of Christ on Spearfish Mountain. However, it does appear that the fundraising campaigns were not as successful as they group had anticipated. It also appears enthusiasm was waning, and attendance to board meetings was often at a quarter or less of the complete board. Perhaps the lack of momentum and the lack of funds caused the project to simply stall and die.