Cora Babbitt Johnson (born about 1882) was an American journalist and preservationist known for her vocal opposition to the Mount Rushmore project in the Black Hills of South Dakota. She worked as editor-in-chief of the Hot Springs Star newspaper for eight years before becoming a features writer for other publications of the Great Plains.[1] As part of the early conservation movement in the United States, Johnson raised concern over the Mount Rushmore project's potential impact on the local ecosystem, community, and natural beauty of the Black Hills.[2]
Career
Cora Babbitt Johnson was born in about 1882. She attended the New England Conservatory of Music and studied piano.[3] She married A.T. Johnson and moved to the Black Hills region of South Dakota, and she became the editor-in-chief of the Hot Springs Star in 1918 and was involved in local civic organizations, including the Black Hills Women's Civics Club, where she advocated for environmental conservation and community engagement.[2][3] After eight years at the Hot Springs Star, Johnson became feature writer for other publications including The Kansas City Star, The Denver Post, and The Omaha Bee.[3]
While editor of the Hot Springs Star, Johnson wrote articles and letters critical of the Mount Rushmore project. She wrote letters to people who knew Gutzon Borglum, the carver of Mount Rushmore, looking for information about Borglum that could discredit him.[4] Borglum called her, in a letter, an "agent of evil".[5][6] Her criticisms stemmed from her belief that the carving of historical figures into the natural landscape of the Black Hills would desecrate the region's community and disrupt its delicate ecosystem.[2][better source needed]
References
- ^ "South Dakota Federation of Women's Clubs To Hear Full-Blooded Indian Talk". Argus-Leader. 1925-09-10. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
- ^ a b c Merritt, Riley (2024-04-01). "Borglum's Horse Flies: The Early Opposition to Mount Rushmore". Honors College Theses.
- ^ a b c "Hot Springs Literary Folk". The Black Hills Engineer. January 1928. p. 39. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ Smith, Rex Alan (January 1, 1985). The Carving of Mount Rushmore. New York City: Abbeville Press. pp. chapter 2 and chapter 5.
- ^ Fite, Gilbert Courtland (1952). Mount Rushmore. Internet Archive. Norman : University of Oklahoma Press.
- ^ "H60-001 F6". sddigitalarchives.contentdm.oclc.org. Retrieved 2024-04-04.