Chief Crazy HorseThe Story of Crazy Horse in Nevada City
by
Vince Dallugge
What is a place named the Chief Crazy Horse Inn doing in Nevada City? That’s a very good question. After all, Chief Crazy Horse was an Oglala Souix from the Dakotas who likely never even knew of Nevada City, California.
A quote from Crazy Horse, or, as he was called in the language of the Souix, Ta' Shunke Witko, gives us a glimpse into the mind of the legendary Indian Chief: "A very great vision is needed and the man who has it must follow it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky. I was hostile to the white man...we preferred hunting to a life of idleness on our reservations. At times we did not get enough to eat and we were not allowed to hunt. All we wanted was peace and to be left alone. Soldiers came and destroyed our villages. Then Long Hair (Custer) came...They say we massacred him, but he would have done the same to us. Our first impulse was to escape, but we were so hemmed in, we had to fight."
The story of how this establishment came to have it’s name, begins in the 1920’s in Southern California with a man named Rudolph Dallugge, a German immigrant. Mr. Dallugge was very interested in the native American Indian culture, and began collecting baskets, blankets and rugs, beadwork, grinding rocks and other items of interest. Rudolph’s third son, Raymond, inherited a good portion of these items after Mr. Dallugge’s death. When Raymond Dallugge, founder of the Chief Crazy Horse Inn, opened his bar and restaurant in May of 1965, he used the collection of artifacts as decorations.
But that is still not the answer to why Ray Dallugge chose the name for what quickly became renowned as a bar and Indian museum due to the large and valuable collection adorning the walls. For the answer, we have to go back to 1964, the 4th of July parade in Nevada City. Mr. Dallugge, who was new to the area and anxious to become involved with the local events, decided to dress up in a heavily fringed, buckskin Indian outfit, complete with a Chief’s headdress, and enter the procession. He rode down Broad Street on a young, Arabian Paint named Fatima. Tied to the horse’s saddle were two Indian baskets filled with candy, which Ray tossed to the outstretched hands of the eager children lining the parade route. Since Ray Dallugge did not take the trouble to register for inclusion in the parade, but instead simply began his ride at the earliest opportunity, his appearance came as a bit of a surprise as he passed in front of the Master of Ceremonies. Not one to let the impromptu entry get the better of him, the witty man announced that the rider looked like he must be Chief Crazy Horse. To Ray Dallugge’s surprise and delight, he was later awarded the trophy for Best Horse and Rider in the Parade!
The sad regrets to this story is that because of thefts, enormous appreciation and a desire to protect the artifacts, 90% of the original 1965 collection was removed and is now carefully preserved by the Dallugge family. Before you leave, be sure to ask to see the original photograph of "Chief Crazy Horse" taken at the 1964 parade.
Oh, and for a peaceful life, try not to hem anyone in.
