Near Keystone in Custer County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Pigtail Bridges

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 7, 2015

1. The Pigtail Bridges Marker

Inscription.
In 1932, Cecil Clyde Gideon, forged ahead with the design of the Pigtail Bridges when many felt it couldn’t be done. C.C., as he was called, was a pioneer in the Black Hills, making his mark as a master builder, architect, craftsman, lawman, highway designer, and personal 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 elevation drop caused complex engineering problems. The bridge surfaces are neither straight, level, nor flat and rustic log work has great variation in quality. Logs were selected from nearby, cut to fit, seasoned, then put in place.

With the completion of the bridges more scenic beauty of the Black Hills became available for all people to enjoy.

C.C. Gideon turned vision into reality.

Erected 1991 by The Gideon Family, The South Dakota State Historical Society and The South Dakota Department of Transportation. (Marker Number 536.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in

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this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. In addition, it is included in the South Dakota State Historical Society Markers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1932.

Location. 43° 52.168′ N, 103° 26.1′ W. Marker is near Keystone, South Dakota, in Custer County. It is on Iron Mountain Road (U.S. 16A) near South Dakota Highway 244. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Keystone SD 57751, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West River

and in Greater Rapid City.

It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

and on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Father of Mount Rushmore (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Peter Norbeck (approx. ¾ mile away); Gutzon Borglum (approx. one mile away); Significant Black Hills Native American Sites (approx.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 7, 2015

2. The Pigtail Bridges Marker

one mile away); Traditional Ecological Knowledge (approx. one mile away); "We Are Still Here" (approx. one mile away); Ancient Stone Circles (approx. one mile away); Celestial and Earthly Locations (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Keystone.

More about this marker. This marker is located on Iron Mountain Road, 2-3 miles south of the South Dakota Highway 244 intersection.

A Pigtail Bridge image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 7, 2015

3. A Pigtail Bridge

Pigtail Bridge on Iron Mountain Road image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Internet

4. Pigtail Bridge on Iron Mountain Road

Credits. This page was last revised on May 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 8, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 9,889 times since then and 369 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 8, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.