HOT SPRINGS – What started as a literal mammoth undertaking by a trio of Hot Springs residents more than 20 years ago, may finally come to completion, thanks to a considerable recent donation from Steve and Carla Simunek to The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, SD.
Located on a mostly bald 100-foot hilltop near Maverick Junction is an unfinished, three-times life-sized mammoth statue, which for years has had local residents asking, “when are they ever going to finish that?”
That time is now. The project itself began in 2003 when developer Steve Simunek and retired General Motors vice president John Rock, who died in 2007, brainstormed the idea to privately-fund a new attraction near the Hwy. 79/18 intersection which would get the attention of travelers and help entice more of them into Hot Springs. That duo then connected with local artist Gary DuChateau who sculpted a 12inch model mammoth that was cast in a limited bronze edition. He then enlarged the piece to 4 feet tall and used it to point-up the pieces of the much larger final statue.
Contrary to what some believed, The Mammoth Site itself was not part of the original construction,
page A3 however, Dr. Larry Agenbroad, the site’s chief scientist and director at the time, was consulted and helped DuChateau develop an accurate representation of the now-extinct ice age mammal.
Actual construction of the mammoth began in 2004 by Simunek and involved him drilling concrete and rebar anchors 38 feet deep into the ground, in order to support a steel frame of the mammoth that is 36-feet tall and 50-feet long. Atop the steel frame is a series of sculpted foam blocks which are pieced together using a multi-layered concrete and nylon mesh method.
Through Simunek’s work in the early 2000s, the legs and lower torso were mostly completed but an economic downturn at the time paused the construction in 2008. An effort to revive the construction by Simunek and DuChateau in 2017 resulted in another row of foam and concrete wrap to be installed which allowed the project to reach its current height of about 25-feet.
Now, nearly 10 years after progress stopped for a second time, Simunek decided it was time to pass the baton on to The Mammoth Site itself for the homestretch.
“I got to the age where I just really wanted to see it get done,” Steve said in a recent phone interview, while describing how a project like this is ultimately better-off in the hands of a non-profit which has the means to raise community funding through donations and will benefit the community for many years to come.
Earlier this spring, conversations began with The Mammoth Site about the possibility of them taking over the project. The agreement, now in place, includes the donation of the land and the statue from the Simuneks to The Mammoth Site and then their 501(c)3 raising the rest of the needed funds for materials, which is estimated at about $60,000.
“We are incredibly grateful to Steve and Carla Simunek for their generosity in donating the mammoth and the property, and for trusting The Mammoth Site to help bring this project across the finish line,” said The Mammoth Site’s President/ CEO Presston Gabel. “Steve has invested an incredible amount of time, effort and resources into this project over the past two decades, and Gary DuChateau’s artistic vision and years of work made this mammoth possible. We’re honored to help finish what they started and ensure their vision becomes a lasting landmark for Hot Springs.”
Staff from The Mammoth Site will be trained by Simunek on how to finish building the statue using sculpted pieces of foam which are being created in Colorado, at a company formerly owned by DuChateau. Simunek currently has enough sculpted foam to complete one more 3-foot level of the mammoth which should bring it up to about its back.
Gabel said fundraising began a couple of weeks ago and included a request of $5,000 from both Fall River County and the City of Hot Springs. The funding request of the city, which was approved at last week’s Aug. 17 council meeting, includes plans for the city to help pay for large 4-foot x 8-foot letters that spell HOT SPRINGS to be installed on the face of the hillside along with an arrow pointing westward towards the community.
Lighting is also going to be installed by Simunek and Hot Springs resident Jerry Shagla to illuminate the more than three-story statue. Initially, Gabel had told the city council that he did not think the lit statue would be visible by travelers heading south from Rapid City, but after the further investigation, the trees which would normally be impeding that view, are actually on the hillside they now own and can be removed to provide 360-degree visibility.
In addition to the potential county and city funding, Gabel said the site has also already received some private donations from individuals who are excited to see the project completed.
“We still need to raise about $30,000,” Gabel said. “We recently applied for a $15,000 matching grant (through the Fall River Area Foundation). If awarded, it will make every dollar we raise toward the match even more impactful. Every contribution matters, whether it’s $25, $100, $500 or more. Individuals, families, and businesses that contribute $1,000 or more will be permanently recognized on a donor plaque at the foot of the mammoth. That plaque will remain with the statue as a lasting record of the people who came together to finally complete this project.”
Once completed, which should happen sometime in 2027, The Mammoth Site will provide the ongoing maintenance and security for the statue, which also includes the cost of electricity to keep it lit.
Despite Simunek’s and Rock’s original plans for the area to include a visitor center and other ice age sculptures, The Mammoth Site’s plans are to have it serve only as a visual attraction for the area from afar. Since taking possession of the property, The Mammoth Site has erected a security gate on the road leading up to the top of the hill.
“This mammoth will stand on that hill for generations, welcoming people to Hot Springs,” added Gabel. “We have an opportunity right now to finish something our community has watched take shape for more than 20 years, and I hope anyone who wants to be part of that history will consider helping us finish it.”
For more information or to contribute to the project, contact Gabel at The Mammoth Site at 605-7456017.