When President Calvin Coolidge decided to spend the summer of 1927 in the Black Hills of South Dakota, he altered the course of the region's history. He brought national and international attention to a forgotten corner of the American landscape. His decisions that summer also shaped the history of the nation. During their time in the Black Hills, Calvin and Grace Coolidge enjoyed themselves. They fished, hiked, rode horses, watched rodeos and visited the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. This virtual exhibit, created by the Black Hills Knowledge Network and the Rapid City Public Library, memorializes and interprets the Coolidge summer in the Black Hills. This website has also been created to complement a temporary exhibit on Calvin Coolidge at the Journey Museum in Rapid City.
Featured Item
President Calvin Coolidge Riding in Lumber Wagon
A photograph of President Coolidge riding in a lumber cart during his Black Hills trip. Also pictured is First Lady Grace Coolidge. There are several…
Featured Collection
Calvin Coolidge's Trip to the Black Hills
A collection of photos of President Coolidge's 1927 trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota from the A.B. Kellogg scrapbook. The Rapid City Public…
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President Coolidge in cowboy outfit, July 12, 1927.
President Calvin Coolidge posed in cowboy outfit, July 12, 1927.
Colonel Edmund W. Starling of the Secret Service
Portrait of Colonel Edmund W. Starling of the Secret Service.
Dance of Sioux Indians of Pine Ridge Agency, performed in honor of Pres. Coolidge.
Sioux Indians dance to honor President Calvin Coolidge during his visit to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.