Mount Rushmore--Presidents: A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Amy Bracewell for National Park Service Every year, the many visitors to Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota draw inspiration from the colossal portraits of four outstanding presidents of the United States: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Gutzon Borglum carved his gigantic Shrine of Democracy Sculpture into ancient granite high on the southeast face of Mount Rushmore “in commemoration of the foundation, preservation, and continental expansion of the United States.” The faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt are about 60 feet high, and the grouping extends approximately 185 feet along the crest of Mount Rushmore. Dark ponderosa pines and other evergreens set off the stark white sculpture. Added at the time of the Bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence in 1976, a flag-lined formal Avenue of Flags creates an impressive approach. In 1923, South Dakota State Historian Doane Robinson came up with an idea for attracting tourists to the State. Robinson envisioned shaping a cluster of tall thin granite peaks called the Needles into statues of explorers and Indian leaders.

The Needles stand where the Black Hills rise from the plains as a gateway to the Rocky Mountains and the West. In 1924, Robinson wrote sculptor Gutzon Borglum about his idea. Borglum telegraphed back his enthusiastic support. Avenue of Flags at Mount Rushmore National Memorial Amy Bracewell for National Park Service Born to a Danish American family on a homestead in Idaho in 1867, Gutzon Borglum made his name celebrating things American in a big way. In 1908, he created a large, 40 inches-high head of Abraham Lincoln. Representatives of the United Daughters of the Confederacy soon contacted him about creating a portrait head of Robert E. Lee on the side of Stone Mountain in Georgia. Convinced that the scale of the mountain would dwarf a single head, he convinced them to create a huge group portrait of General Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davis. Borglum completed the head of Lee in 1924, but a dispute with the backers of the project soon led to his dismissal and the eventual removal of his work. His departure from Georgia made it possible for him to concentrate on Mount Rushmore.

Borglum scouted out a location far better than the fragile Needles: 5,725-foot Mount Rushmore. Its broad wall of exposed granite was more suitable for sculpture and received direct sunlight for most of the day. Borglum himself selected the presidents for the memorial, to reflect the nation’s first 150 years of history and to make the project a national, rather than regional one. Original plans included only George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Borglum picked George Washington the father of the new country because he was a leader in the American Revolution, the first president of the United States, and the man who laid the foundation of American democracy. Abraham Lincoln was selected for preserving the Union during the Civil War and abolishment of slavery. As the project progressed, Borglum added Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt. Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, began America’s westward expansion by purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803, which doubled the size of the country, adding all or part of 15 present-day States.

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States and extremely popular in the early 20th century, linked the east and the west through the construction of the Panama Canal and was famous as a “trust buster,” fighting large corporate monopolies and championing the working man. Initial planning and fund-raising began in August 1925. The project was almost out of money in 1927 before carving even began. Borglum and the planners succeeded in getting the support of President Coolidge when he was vacationing in the Black Hills. Coolidge dedicated the memorial in 1927. In the closing days of his term in office, he signed a bill approving matching funds. The Federal Government would eventually cover almost all of the almost million-dollar cost of construction. On October 4, 1927, the carving process began. Local gold miners carefully removed rock from the mountain using small charges of dynamite, leaving a three to six inch layer of granite. They used 75-pound jackhammers to remove the next layer and then the carvers took over. First, they drilled a series of shallow holes and then removed the area between them, often by hand.

Hand tools smoothed the stone and added small details, like wrinkles and moles. Four hundred people worked on the project. Frequently suspended because of bad weather and money problems, the work was dangerous, but miraculously there were no fatal accidents. During the Depression, it was welcome relief work for many, and for many others it came to be a labor of love. As “Red” Anderson said, "more and more we sensed that we were creating a truly great thing." Interpretive ranger program Mount Rushmore - U.S. Presidents - HISTORY.com Google The Birth of Mount Rushmore Mount Rushmore, located just north of Custer State Park in South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest, was named for the New York lawyer Charles E. Rushmore, who traveled to the Black Hills in 1884 to inspect mining claims in the region. When Rushmore asked a local man the name of a nearby mountain, he reportedly replied that it never had a name before, but from now on would be known as Rushmore Peak (later Rushmore Mountain or Mount Rushmore). Did You Know? A bill introduced in Congress in 1937 proposed that a carving of Susan B.

Anthony's head be included among the luminaries at Mount Rushmore, but fell through due to a rider on the existing appropriations bill mandating that federal funds be spent only on those carvings already begun. Seeking to attract tourism to the Black Hills in the early 1920s, South Dakota’s state historian Doane Robinson came up with the idea to sculpt “the Needles” (several giant natural granite pillars) into the shape of historic heroes of the West. He suggested Red Cloud, a Sioux chief, as a potential subject. In August 1924, Robinson contacted Gutzon Borglum, an American sculptor of Danish descent who was then working on carving an image of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee into the face of Georgia’s Stone Mountain. Luckily for Robinson, the headstrong Borglum was on the outs with the group that had commissioned the Lee sculpture, and would soon abandon the project. Borglum suggested that the subjects of the South Dakota work be George Washington and Abraham Lincoln , as that would attract more national interest. He would later add Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt to the list, in recognition of their contributions to the birth of democracy and the growth of the United States.

Sculpting the Presidents at Mount Rushmore During a second visit to the Black Hills in August 1925, Borglum identified Mount Rushmore as the desired site of the sculpture. Even as local Native Americans and environmentalists voiced their opposition to the project, deeming it a desecration of the natural landscape, Robinson worked tirelessly to raise funding for the project, aided by Rapid City Mayor John Boland and Senator Peter Norbeck, among others. After President Calvin Coolidge traveled to the Black Hills for his summer vacation, the sculptor convinced the president to deliver an official dedication speech at Mount Rushmore on August 10, 1927; carving began that October. In 1929, during the last days of his presidency, Coolidge signed legislation appropriating $250,000 in federal funds for the Rushmore project and creating the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Commission to oversee its completion. Boland was made the president of the commission’s executive committee, though Robinson (to his immense disappointment) was excluded.

To carve the four presidential heads into the face of Mount Rushmore, Borglum utilized new methods involving dynamite and pneumatic hammers to blast through a large amount of rock quickly, in addition to the more traditional tools of drills and chisels. Some 400 workers removed around 450,000 tons of rock from Mount Rushmore, which still remains in a heap near the base of the mountain. Though it was arduous and dangerous work, no lives were lost during the completion of the carved heads. Mount Rushmore as a “Shrine of Democracy” On July 4, 1930, a dedication ceremony was held for the head of Washington . After workers found the stone in the original site to be too week, they moved Jefferson’s head from the right of Washington’s to the left; the head was dedicated in August 1936, in a ceremony attended by President Franklin D. Roosevelt . In September 1937, Lincoln’s head was dedicated, while the fourth and final head–that of FDR’s fifth cousin, Theodore Roosevelt–was dedicated in July 1939.

Gutzon Borglum died in March 1941, and it was left to his son Lincoln to complete the final details of Mount Rushmore in time for its dedication ceremony on October 31 of that year. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, known as the “Shrine of Democracy,” has become one of the most iconic images of America and an international tourist attraction. In 1959 it was made even more famous as the scene of a climactic chase scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest.” (In fact, South Dakota did not allow filming on Mount Rushmore itself, and Hitchcock had a large-scale model of the mountain built in a Hollywood studio.) In 1991, Mount Rushmore celebrated its 50th anniversary after undergoing a $40 million restoration project. The National Park Service, which maintains Mount Rushmore, records upwards of 2 million visitors every year.

Tags More glasses needed for Mount Rushmore presidents More glasses needed for Mount Rushmore presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln also wore glasses, but not on regular basis Post to Facebook More glasses needed for Mount Rushmore presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln also wore glasses, but not on regular basis Check out this story on theleafchronicle.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the Conversation More glasses needed for Mount Rushmore presidents Sam Ligo, APSU Math Instructor 12:03 a.m. CT March 9, 2015 President Teddy Roosevelt didn’t eat his glasses after all. He fished them out of his soup in Guthrie, Ky., while on a 1900 campaign whistle stop, and there they are, bigger than life, sitting upon Teddy’s nose carved into Mount Rushmore. (Photo: Contributed photo) As previously discussed in this space, President Teddy Roosevelt’s iconic pince-nez have been found firmly planted on the nose of his likeness on Mount Rushmore. Obviously, the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, could not carve the entire pince-nez into the granite mountainside.

Instead, he skillfully carved just the bridge of the pince-nez across the president’s nose and the faint bit of each lens against the nose. Our imagination easily fills in the rest. It is hard to think of TR without his pince-nez. Those funny glasses are as much a part of his image as his big teeth and broom bristle mustache. Borglum knew TR personally and chose him to be on the mountain in spite of strong protest from TR distracters. When Borglum began work on the mountain in 1927, TR had been dead for only eight years. Borglum, himself was only nine years younger than the president he admired so much. As we cannot imagine TR without his signature glasses, we cannot imagine the other three presidents with them. But, all three of them did depend on glasses. Two pairs of Abraham Lincoln’s glasses now belong to the Library of Congress. Oddly, both of these pairs were in his pockets the night he was assassinated. Although they were both reading glasses, they were different prescriptions which may explain why he was carrying them both. Only one photograph exists of Lincoln wearing his glasses.

It is the photo where he is seated in a chair reading to little Tad, who is standing to his father’s left. The glasses in that photo (one of the two pairs in Library of Congress) have very short temple arms that hug the head halfway between the eye and the ear. The glasses folded at the bridge, thus were very compact for storage in a gentleman’s vest pocket. Several other photos show Mr. Lincoln holding his glasses and in most cases they appear to be the folding pair. It is difficult to be sure because he apparently had the habit of fidgeting with his glasses while waiting for the film’s exposure. Thomas Jefferson owned many pairs of eyeglasses. Jefferson was both a tinkerer and a voluminous writer. During his second presidential term, he had instructed his optician, John McAllister, to make some reading glasses which he could look over the top of without having to pull them down his nose. In another letter to McAllister — found on Monticello’s official website — he is anxious to try those new-fangled bifocals invented by his friend, Ben Franklin.

Responding, McAllister wrote to Jefferson that he was able to comply with requested specification in “… twelve different focuses for the double eye [bifocals] … and six different focuses for the other.” This makes one think that Jefferson didn’t like to carry his specs but would rather have 18 pairs lying handy on every tabletop throughout the executive mansion. Of the four Mount Rushmore presidents, George Washington made the most powerful and poignant reference to his eyeglasses. And those glasses played a much larger role in the founding of our nation than did his wooden teeth or his father’s cherry tree. Like many of us, Washington had to wear reading glasses after reaching middle age. However, in those days, people were ashamed of that fact, considering them humiliating. The Father of our Country used his reading glasses only among friends and family. Not only famously reticent and aloof, Washington also was sensitive to anything that might be perceived as a weakness of his composition or character. During the winter of 1782-’83, Washington’s Continental Army was still intact, but just barely. Although the fighting was over, the peace treaty had not been signed and British forces remained in the U.S.

The army could not disband for fear fighting would resume. Washington and his men were encamped just north of West Point, New York, in a town called Newburgh. The officers had grown so discontented they threatened mutiny if Congress did not provide them back pay immediately. They planned to either leave the nation defenseless or to march on Congress and demand their pay at gunpoint. Washington learned of the plan and called his officers together on March 15th to deliver a nine-page scolding now known as the Newburgh Address. Even then, some officers were undeterred in their plan. But, when Washington began reading aloud a letter from a congressman, he stumbled over the opening words in the dim March light. He paused, “Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in the service of my country.” No one in the group even knew Washington used glasses. With his uncharacteristic display of humanness and evidence of self sacrifice, he shamed even the most determined mutineers into abandoning their foolish pursuit — thus preventing a very real threat to the nascent country’s stability simply by using his eyeglasses.

So, not only have Teddy’s glasses been found on Mount Rushmore, we now know that the Keeper, the Expander and the Founder of our nation should all be wearing their glasses too! 27 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN COMMENTEMAILMORE Read or Share this story: TOP VIDEOS Mount Rushmore Mount Rushmore By Jennifer Rosenberg Updated January 05, 2016. From 1927 to 1941, sculptor Gutzon Borglum and nearly 400 workers diligently carved the faces of four U.S. presidents (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt) into the southeastern, granite side of Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Completed on October 31, 1941, Mount Rushmore took 14 years to create, removed 450,000 tons of granite, and cost $989,992.32. The Idea In 1924, the state of South Dakota was only 35 years old and still relatively unknown.

To enliven interest in South Dakota and bring in tourists, state historian Doane Robinson proposed creating sculptures of western heroes out of the Black Hills rock formations known as the Needles. Robinson envisioned this outcropping of pillar-like rocks to be shaped into figures such as Sioux chief Red Cloud , Lewis and Clark , John C. Fremont , Sacagawea , and Buffalo Bill . While still in just the idea stage, Robinson, who is now known as the "Father of Mount Rushmore," wrote a letter on August 20, 1924 to sculptor Gutzon Borglum about the project. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States The Sculptor Gutzon Borglum was a talented, energetic, strong-willed man. He began his artistic life as a painter, gaining accolades and patrons after painting a portrait of the intriguing and influential explorer and Civil War general, John C. Fremont. Borglum then went to Paris to study, where he met renown sculptor Auguste Rodin . It was while in Paris that Borglum switched from painting to sculpture.

Back again in the United States, Borglum made an impressive, large bust of President Abraham Lincoln that gained him national fame. The bust caught the eye of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, who then asked Borglum to carve the image of Confederate General Robert E. Lee into the side of Stone Mountain in Georgia. Borglum began work on the Stone Mountain project but after the strongly opinionated Borglum and the rest of the committee began to have serious disagreements about who was in charge, Borglum was asked to leave the project on February 5, 1925. Unwilling to allow another artist to use his design, Borglum destroyed the models he had designed of the Stone Mountain project. This absolutely infuriated the members of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, who then sent a posse after Borglum, chasing Borglum to the state line.1 Not surprisingly, Borglum was never asked to come back. (The carving was later finished by other artists, but only after all of Borglum's work had been removed.) Leaving the Stone Mountain project left 58-year-old Borglum free to pursue Mount Rushmore.

Finding the Mountain Delving into the Mount Rushmore project, Borglum quickly changed Robinson's idea from western figures to U.S. presidents, specifically George Washington and Abraham Lincoln , so that the project would have a wider, national appeal. Borglum made a rough sketch, showing the two men standing next to each other. In August 1925, Borglum made a trip to South Dakota with his son, Lincoln, to search for the right mountain. Having determined that the Needles were unsuitable for carving, Borglum was searching for something much larger. Having been guided through most of the Harney range on horseback, Borglum was taken to Mount Rushmore last. This was the mountain for his monumental project. When Borglum saw the mountain for the first time in 1925, Mount Rushmore stood 6,000 feet above sea level, with a flat-topped, granite peak 1,000-feet long and 400-feet high. Importantly, Mount Rushmore had a southeastern face that would be naturally lit by the sun for most of the day.

The only problem with Mount Rushmore was that it was buried deep in the wilderness, a mile-and-a-half from the nearest road.2 It would take a lot of money and effort just to make the site accessible to both workers and visitors. What Images to Carve? George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were easy choices for the monument. Borglum, who thought and dreamed big, decided to add two more figures. Wanting the completed Mount Rushmore project to be a "Shrine of Democracy," Borglum added Thomas Jefferson . The fourth figure, however, was more controversial. While Borglum wanted to add Teddy Roosevelt because he had built the Panama Canal and advocated for the conservation of America's natural lands, others advocated for Woodrow Wilson , the president that had led the United States through World War I and who had died the year before. In the end, Borglum did as he wanted and made the fourth image Teddy Roosevelt. Getting Started Getting funding for the Mount Rushmore project was more difficult than first expected. Borglum, who had been confident that private investors would fund the project, was surprised to find that nearly none would.

After two years of struggling to gather enough money to get the project started, the Mount Rushmore project was almost scrapped before it had begun. But then in 1927, Borglum got lucky. In 1927, U.S. President Calvin Coolidge decided to vacation in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Using this to his advantage, Borglum invited Coolidge to participate in a dedication ceremony for Mount Rushmore. Coolidge agreed. In preparation for the big event, Borglum used the $54,000 they had managed to acquire from private donors to get preparations underway.3 At the base of the mountain, the workmen built a studio for Borglum, quarters for the crew, a blacksmith's workshop, and a cookhouse. They also dug a well to provide water. Three miles away, the workmen constructed a building in Keystone to house the 200-horsepower, diesel engine that would supply the electricity needed to power the air compressors (these powered the drills).4 Equipment was gathered, including jackhammers, air-compressed drills, chisels, bosun's chairs, and steel wires.

On August 10, 1927, the dedication ceremony took place. Coolidge, wearing cowboy boots and a suit for the occasion, gave a short speech to the 1,700 visitors had come to witness the ceremony at Mount Rushmore. Coolidge stated: Here in the heart of the continent, on the side of a mountain which probably no white man had ever beheld in the day of Washington, in territory which was acquired by the action of Jefferson, which remained an unbroken wilderness beyond the days of Lincoln, which was especially beloved by Roosevelt, the people of the future will see history and art combined to portray the spirit of patriotism.5 With Coolidge's support, Mount Rushmore began receiving federal funding. Although slow and intermittent, the promise of federal funding was enough to get started. Carving the Mountain Carving of Mount Rushmore began on October 4, 1927. Borglum had created a plaster model of the sculpture at a scale of 1:12, meaning one inch of the model correlated to twelve inches (one foot) of the mountain.

The model, which had to be changed nine times during the 14-year project, showed the four presidents from the waist up.6 Work started first on George Washington. Workers would climb 760 steps to reach the top of the mountain (about 40 stories high) and then be lowered down the face of the mountain in a seemingly precarious bosun's chair , held only by a 3/8-inch steel cable, to get to work. To move from place to place, the workers signaled to a "callboy," who could call up to the men working the winches at the top of the mountain in order to adjust or move the men to a new location. A small cable car, working like a dumbwaiter, was also built to travel up and down the mountain to carry supplies. For most of the construction, this cableway was not intended for human transport. Approximately 90% of the carving was done by carefully-placed dynamite, done by men known as "powder monkeys." When most of the granite was removed, work slowed as they began the "honeycomb" process of removing granite, which entailed boring holes just inches apart from each other and then chiseling in-between.

To smooth out the surface, workers used a process called "bumping," which used a dallet hand facer to carefully ground the surface to look as smooth as skin. The Problem With Jefferson When Washington was nearly finished, the workers began carving Thomas Jefferson in June 1931 on the left side of Washington. However, the granite there proved too difficult to carve because of numerous veins of quartz. Having to make a very difficult decision, Borglum ordered the work on Jefferson to not only halt, but be blasted off in 1934. The workers then moved to the right of Washington to begin again on Jefferson. Lincoln's head was started in 1936 and then Roosevelt came next. Veins of quartz also plagued the work on Teddy Roosevelt's face. Borglum had to cut deep into the rock to find a spot of solid granite to shape for Roosevelt. How Big Are the Faces on Mount Rushmore? Each of the four presidential faces are huge. At 60-feet tall, each of the heads are 83 times as large as a regular human head.

At that size, a full-body statue would be taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza and almost reach the top of the Washington Monument in D.C. The nose of each statue alone is 20-feet long and each eye measures 11-feet wide. Teddy Roosevelt's mustache ranges 20-feet across and Abraham Lincoln's mole is 16-inches wide. Calling It Done Funding for the Mount Rushmore project was difficult to find even when it was started in 1925. When the Great Depression hit after the 1929 Stock Market Crash , funding became even scarcer and more sporadic. Each time the project ran out of money, all work had to stop. This meant that only 6 1/2 years of the 14 years it took to create Mount Rushmore were spent carving.7 In 1941, even the sporadic funding was to stop. In February 1941, sculptor Gutzon Borglum went in for surgery. Unfortunately, just three weeks later, March 6, 1941, 73-year-old Borglum died.

Borglum's son, Lincoln, who had been involved with the Mount Rushmore project from its inception, took over for his father and finished the project. Although the torsos of the four presidents had barely begun, Congress decided to consider the Mount Rushmore project complete. With the United States' entrance into World War II looming, Congress cut funding for Mount Rushmore. Carving ended on October 31, 1941, just 37 days before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entered WWII. More Heads? Over the decades, there have been a number of recommendations to add more heads to Mount Rushmore, including the likeness of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan .8 Despite the suggestions, Congress has not yet given any funding for additional carving to be done at Mount Rushmore since work stopped in 1941. Notes 1. Judith Janda Presnall, Mount Rushmore (San Diego: Lucent Books, 2000) 22. 2. Presnall, Mount Rushmore 25. 3. Presnall, Mount Rushmore 35. 4. Presnall, Mount Rushmore 36. 5.

President Calvin Coolidge, "Speech Delivered on August 10, 1927," National Park Service (accessed November 29, 2015) 6. Presnall, Mount Rushmore 43. 7. Lynn Curlee, Rushmore (New York: Scholastic Press, 1999) 20. 8. Curlee, Rushmore 44. Mount Rushmore National Memorial- An Icon of the U.S.A. Stumble40 Gazing over the Black Hills of South Dakota are the faces of four American Presidents, sculpted in stone on the face of Mount Rushmore. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Each made significant contributions to the United States, helping shape the nation from its founding, growth, development and preservation. These four presidents may be long gone, but they’re immortalized here at Mount Rushmore. Generations later, people are still inspired to visit what not only is an incredible piece of art, but a monument to liberty, a “Shrine of Democracy” and a reminder of the great things that can be accomplished from dreaming big.

History of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial The idea to carve a mountain in the Black Hills was put forth by Doane Robinson, a state historian of South Dakota who was hoping to increase tourism to the area. Robinson contacted sculptor Gutzon Borglum, and after a few meetings the concept and location for the project was chosen. Mount Rushmore would be carved with the faces of four American presidents, selected by Borglum himself. Work on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial began in 1927, but not without opposition from many groups, including environmentalists and Native Americans. Gutzon Borglum led the project until his death in March 1941. His son Lincoln took over construction, seeing Mount Rushmore National Memorial to completion in October 1941. Mount Rushmore has gone on to become an iconic symbol of the United States, being listed on the National Register of Historic Places and attracting nearly 3 million visitors each year. Why These Presidents on Mount Rushmore? After arriving at the monument, one of the first things I wondered was why were these presidents chosen for Mount Rushmore?

(Okay, that’s actually the second thing I wondered- the first was who are the two presidents in the middle?) Here are a few of the reasons why they were chosen, moving from left to right on the monument. George Washington was chosen because he was a leader of the Revolutionary War, a founding father of the United States, and the country’s first president. Fittingly, he was the first to be carved on Mount Rushmore. George Washington Thomas Jefferson was selected because he helped grow the country, purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France and expanding into the west. He also was honored for being an author of the Declaration of Independence. Theodore Roosevelt was chosen because of his contributions to the country’s economic growth and role in creating the National Park System. Abraham Lincoln was honored on Mount Rushmore for abolishing slavery and working to preserve the United States after the Civil War. So there you have it, the four presidents chosen to represent the first 130 years of American history! Our Visit to Mount Rushmore Our visit to Mount Rushmore began with a walk under the flags of the 56 US states and territories, flying proudly in the wind, lining the way to the Grand View Terrace.

Even though I’m Canadian, I could sense how patriotic it must feel to be surrounded by these flags when you get your first glimpse of those four great American presidents, beautifully chiseled into Mount Rushmore. The closer we got to the viewing terrace, the more and more impressed I became with the monument in front of me. These gigantic, 18 meter (60-foot) tall sculptures are strikingly similar in appearance to the presidents they depict. From Lincoln’s chiseled cheekbones, to Roosevelt’s spectacles and Washington’s distinctive 18th century hairstyle, I was amazed at the resemblance. Not only that, somehow these sturdy granite heads manage to exude life and feeling. It’s all in the eyes! From afar, I could not believe how realistic they looked. I was especially transfixed by Lincoln’s eyes- it was as though he was staring right into my soul. As we started our walk along the Presidential Trail, I kept wondering how the sculptor managed to create such lifelike eyes. Once we got up close, we could see how it was done. There’s a slender piece of rock left attached inside the eyehole, making it look like a pupil. Genius!

Continuing along the forested Presidential Trail, we got to experience some unique perspectives of the monument. You definitely don’t want to skip the short hike! It’s a great opportunity to see this masterpiece up close. About halfway into our walk the clouds parted, revealing a vibrant, blue sky. Once the sun came out, its warm rays perfectly highlighted each president! Final Thoughts on Our Visit to Mount Rushmore Mount Rushmore was above and beyond what I had imagined it would be like. The sculptures were way bigger than I expected and definitely far more realistic! I was glad that there was a trail we could walk on to get a close look at the sculptures, while enjoying some nature along the way. It wouldn’t have been very fun to just drive in, see the monument and then leave! Seeing how we really enjoyed our time at Mount Rushmore, on our last day in the Black Hills we impulsively decided to return for the nightly lighting ceremony. There’s a video played in the outdoor amphitheatre that shares the making of the monument, a flag lowering ceremony and a salute to veterans. We got there a little bit late to enjoy the full ceremony, but made it just in time for the grand finale- the lighting of the memorial!

Can you spot the Big Dipper? Fun Facts About Mount Rushmore 400 people worked with Gutzon Borglum on the sculpting of Mount Rushmore. The presidents were initially going to be depicted with a torso, but lack of funding forced construction to end after the heads were complete. Mount Rushmore was carved using dynamite and “honeycombing”, a process where workers drill holes close together to remove small pieces of rock by hand. 450,000 tons of rock was removed to create the carved heads. Roosevelt’s face was the last to be carved on Mount Rushmore. Tips for Visiting Mount Rushmore Mount Rushmore is located at 13000 Highway 244 in Keystone, South Dakota. The grounds at Mount Rushmore are open every day of the year, but the information and visitor centers, gift shop and café are closed December 25th. Hours are from 5:00 am- 11:00 pm (October 1- March 11), and until 9:00 pm in the winter.

The information and visitor centers, along with the gift shop, open at 8:00 am and their closing times vary throughout the year. There is no entrance fee for Mount Rushmore National Memorial, but there is a charge to park your vehicle. The parking fee at Mount Rushmore is $11.00/vehicle and the pass is valid for the remainder of the calendar year. Parking for extra long vehicles and those with trailers is extremely limited. The Presidential Trail is 0.6 miles long and has 422 stairs. Audio guides are available for rental in the Information Centre bookstore from 8:00 am- 3:00 pm. The Sculptor’s Studio is open from May- September only. Here you can see carving tools, plaster models and exhibits about Gutzon Borglum and his vision for Mount Rushmore. There is food available at Mount Rushmore in Carver’s Café and the Memorial Team Ice Cream shop. Thomas Jefferson is credited with popularizing ice cream in the U.S. Apparently, his recipe was the first recorded by an American and you can try it here!

The Evening Lighting Ceremony takes place nightly at 9:00 pm (May 27-August 13) and at 8:00 pm (August 14-October 1). The sculptures are illuminated every night until 11:00 pm. *Prices and times were correct at the time of publishing but can change without notice. Please confirm directly with service providers. Accommodations Near Mount Rushmore There are a lot of communities nearby where you can find lodging and campgrounds. Keystone is the closest, at only 3 miles from Mount Rushmore. Hill City, Custer and Rapid City are also good options. We stayed further away, just outside of the Black Hills, at Spearfish. We chose this because accommodations were cheaper and it was a shorter drive from Canada. Plus it was convenient for exploring Devils Tower National Monument and the historic gold rush town of Deadwood, along with Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. Spearfish was about 1.5 hours from Mount Rushmore. For your convenience, here is a list of hotels in Keystone, Hill City , Custer , and Rapid City .

If you don’t mind a bit of a drive, here are some hotels in Spearfish and Deadwood . Please consider booking your Mount Rushmore accommodations through the included link. It costs nothing extra and helps support this website. Thank you! Get exclusive updates, content and travel tips we only send to our newsletter subscribers. Email address: Why Were the Faces Chosen for Mount Rushmore? Why Were the Faces Chosen for Mount Rushmore? By Mark Tassler February 15, 2016 10:35 AM Share on Twitter nps.gov For most of us, just being able to name the four faces on Mount Rushmore is an accomplishment. I am a native of South Dakota, and I even have to take a little breath of air and think for a few seconds before answering who’s all on there. When I travel a long ways from home and get into a conversation with someone, usually they say, ‘Mount Rushmore’ in responding to me telling them what state I’m from. Rarely can they tell me anything else about South Dakota, but they know of the national monument located there. Even if they’ve never seen it in real life, they know what it is and what it looks like.

So we can list the four faces as U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. But why were they chosen to be on Mount Rushmore? Also, I have a quick history article regarding the monument itself. Now let’s answer the question as to why the four faces were chosen. It was the actual sculptor Gutzon Borglum who selected what four faces would be carved into his masterpiece to represent the first 150 years of American history. George Washington One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, serving as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He also presided over the convention that drafted the Constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution established the position of President of the republic, which Washington was the first to hold. Washington had a vision of a great and powerful nation. At his death, Washington was hailed as ‘first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen’. Thomas Jefferson An American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the third President of the United States.

Jefferson was the first United States Secretary of State (1790–1793) serving under President George Washington. Elected president in what Jefferson called the Revolution of 1800, he oversaw the purchase of the vast Louisiana Territory from France (1803), and sent the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806) to explore the new west. Jefferson signed into law a bill that banned the importation of slaves into the United States. He spoke five languages fluently and was deeply interested in science, invention, architecture, religion and philosophy, interests that led him to the founding of the University of Virginia after his presidency. Theodore Roosevelt The 26th President of the United States (1901–1909). Roosevelt was 42 years old when sworn in as President of the United States in 1901, making him the youngest president ever; he beat out the youngest elected president, John F. Kennedy, by only one year. In 1901, President William McKinley was assassinated and Roosevelt became President. Roosevelt was also the first of only three sitting presidents to have won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Roosevelt coined the phrase ‘Square Deal’ to describe his domestic agenda, emphasizing that the average citizen would get a fair share under his policies. Roosevelt’s policies were characterized by his slogan, ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick’. Roosevelt was the force behind the completion of the Panama Canal; sent the Great White Fleet on a world tour to demonstrate American power; and negotiated an end to the Russo-Japanese War, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Abraham Lincoln The 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln successfully led the United States through its greatest constitutional, military, and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union. His Gettysburg Address of 1863 became the most quoted speech in American history. At the close of the war, Lincoln held a moderate view of reconstruction, seeking to reunite the nation speedily through a policy of generous reconciliation in the face of lingering and bitter divisiveness. Six days after the surrender of Confederate commanding general Robert E. Lee, however, Lincoln was assassinated by actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth.

Lincoln’s death was the first assassination of a U.S. president and sent the nation into mourning. His efforts toward the abolition of slavery include issuing his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, encouraging the border states to outlaw slavery. Lincoln has been consistently ranked by scholars and the public as one of the greatest U.S. presidents. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, a South Dakota natlmem located near Rapid City © Darren Good These Goats were on some rocks just past the entrance to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The four figures carved in stone on Mount Rushmore represent the first 150 years of American history. The birth of our nation was guided by the vision and courage of George Washington. Thomas Jefferson always had dreams of something bigger, first in the words of the Declaration of Independence and later in the expansion of our nation through the Louisiana Purchase. Preservation of the union was paramount to Abraham Lincoln but a nation where all men were free and equal was destined to be. At the turn of the Twentieth Century Theodore Roosevelt saw that in our nation was the possibility for greatness. Our nation was changing from a rural republic to a world power.

The ideals of these presidents laid a foundation for our nation as solid as the rock from which their figures are carved. Each man possessed great skills and leadership of the brand our nation needed for the times. Today millions of visitors come to see Mount Rushmore and gain inspiration from these four great men. History of the Area Carved into the southeast face of a mountain in South Dakota are the faces of four presidents, a memorial to American history. The faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln look down from their stoney heights and remind everyone that even the impossible is possible. South Dakota state historian Doane Robinson conceived the idea in 1923 to attract more people to the Black Hills of South Dakota with colossal carvings of western heroes. Robinson gained support from major players in South Dakota and Washington DC with the help of Senator Peter Norbeck and Congressman William Williamson. Congress passed legislation authorizing the mountain carving in Black Hills National Forest. After trying to get another sculptor to do the work, Robinson contacted Gutzon Borglum. Borglum, who agreed to come out to the Black Hills in 1924 to look at the area and see if the carving was possible.

When Borglum saw Mount Rushmore, he pointed to it and said, "America will march along that skyline." Borglum liked Mount Rushmore because it faced southeast which meant it would receive good light throughout most of the day. It was the highest peak in the immediate vicinity, and the granite was very resistant, eroding one inch every 10,000 years. Robinson and Borglum selected the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln to be carved into the stone. Once they had a carving plan and a location was set, the work could begin. Borglum created a plaster model from which measurements were taken using the pointing system. On October 4, 1927 the first actual work of carving began. Work began on Mount Rushmore with George Washington. Thomas Jefferson was started on Washington's right. After about two years of working on Jefferson, the granite was found to be badly cracked and Jefferson had to be blasted off the mountain. He was started again on the left side of Washington. Washington's face was dedicated on July 4, 1934. Borglum was a genius at creating interest and excitement in his mountain carving.

Local women from Rapid City made a 39 by 70 foot flag to cover the face before it was revealed to the public. Thomas Jefferson was dedicated in 1936 with President Franklin Roosevelt attending the dedication. Franklin Roosevelt had no intention of speaking at the dedication but was inspired by what he saw, and gave a brief speech. "...I had seen the photographs, I had seen the drawings, and I had talked with those who are responsible for this great work, and yet I had no conception, until about ten minutes ago, not only of its magnitude, but also its permanent beauty and importance." Abraham Lincoln was dedicated on September 17, 1937, the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. In 1939, the same year modern plumbing and night lighting was installed at the memorial, Theodore Roosevelt?s figure was dedicated. For two more years the work continued on the mountain. Details and finishing touches were made. In March of 1941 Borglum died suddenly of an embolism. His son, Lincoln, took over the project for the next seven months, until funding ran out.

The carving of Mount Rushmore was shut down and the presidential faces were complete as they stood. Yet during these tumultuous years of the nation?s life the imposing granite face of Mount Rushmore had been unimaginably transformed into the likeness of four of our nation's greatest presidents. What had seemed almost impossible had been made a reality. Camping There is no camping at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. There are several campgrounds in Black Hills National Forest and Custer State Park nearby. Get directions Mt. Rushmore History: An Interesting Story Worth Telling Follow Us Mt. Rushmore History: An Interesting Story Worth Telling Mt. Rushmore stands as an epic of the heroes in American history. Get to know the important facts about this monument in this Buzzle article on mount Rushmore's history. Advertisement "Until the wind and the rain alone shall wear them away.", go the words of Gutzon Borglum, on the long-lasting nature of his renowned work, Mt. Rushmore. Mount Rushmore stands as a 'shrine of Democracy' in South Dakota. It has commemorated four epoch-making presidents of America. It typifies the first 150 years of the history of the United States.

It is a huge granite sculpture by Gutzon Borglum. Mt. Rushmore history dates back to 1923. This memorial continues to be the most popular tourist spot in South Dakota. History The project of carving Mt. Rushmore was undertaken with the intent of attracting tourists to the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Doane Robinson, a state historian of South Dakota, conceptualized this construction in 1923, which would have carvings of eminent people on the mountain. The project received Congressional Approval and the carving began in 1927. The underlying concept was to promote tourism to Black Hills, South Dakota. A famous sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, was called upon to undertake the project. Originally, it was decided to carve the granite pillars, which were called the Needles. But Borglum realized they were too thin to be carved and chose Mount Rushmore, for his sculpting. One reason behind his choice was that the mountain faced southeast, which meant it would get sunlight for most part of the day. Also, it was the highest peak in the nearby region and made of granite, which made it resistant to erosion.

On seeing the mountain, he had said, "America will march along that skyline." The sculpting began. Borglum used the ancient Greek method of making models and mapping measurements from the model to the mountain. One inch on the model scaled to one foot on the mountain. The carving commenced from the 4th of October 1927. It was decided to sculpt faces of four Presidents of the United States, namely George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, on Mt. Rushmore. Each represented a specific role in the preservation and expansion of their territory. Washington brought democracy to America, Thomas Jefferson came up with the concept of having a 'government by the people', Abraham Lincoln was monumental in ending slavery in America while Theodore Roosevelt brought in business reforms. The sculpting of Mt. Rushmore began with George Washington. First his head was carved into an egg shape. His face was made open to the public on July 4, 1934. It was covered under an enormous flag before it could be revealed. Thomas Jefferson was going to be carved to the right side of Washington on Mt. Rushmore. After around two years of work, the rock was found to have cracked.

Due to this, it was blasted off and Jefferson found his new place to the left of Washington. In 1936, he was dedicated. President Franklin Roosevelt attended the ceremony. Roosevelt expressed his amusement and said that he had no clue that the monument would be so magnificent. Abraham Lincoln's face on Mt. Rushmore was dedicated on the 17th of September 1937. Theodore Roosevelt's monument was made open to public in 1939. Borglum had estimated that carving on Rushmore would take not more than 6 years and a funding of about $500,000. Rock was removed from the mountain using dynamite, until a 3-6 inch layer of granite was left. Honeycombing was used to remove the final granite layer. The surface was smoothed. Julian Spotts, a National Park Service Engineer suggested upgrades in the working conditions and efficiency of the machines used. The project was completed in 1941 and ended up costing $900,000. By the time of Roosevelt's dedication on Rushmore, lighting arrangements had been made at the memorial.

So, Roosevelt's face was uncovered from under the flag and slowly illuminated. Fireworks and rockets lighting up the sky, followed this revelation. The faces of the four revolutionaries were carved in the once faceless mountain. The work was completed in the year 1941. A seemingly impossible dream had come true. Important Facts There's an interesting story about how Mt. Rushmore obtained its name. Once, Charles Rushmore, David Swanzey, and Bill Challis were on an expedition to this mountain. Rushmore asked Bill the name of that mountain. Bill said that the mountain never had a name and from then it should be called Mount Rushmore! The first actual work of sculpting Mt. Rushmore began on October 4, 1927 and continued for 14 long years. Gutzon Borglum was 60 when the work started. He had thought of carving a brief American history on the face of the cliff. But due to lack of funding, that could not come to reality. In 1930, when Americans faced the consequences of Great Depression, an appeal was made to the school kids of America to donate towards the Mt. Rushmore project.

They had pictured a collection on $10,000, but only $1,700 were collected. But that means even school children had a share in funding the project. Mount Rushmore bears the busts of four U.S. Presidents. Some interesting figures entail the enormity of this sculpture. Washington's face is 60 feet long, Jefferson's mouth, 18 feet wide, Roosevelt's mustache is 20 feet across and the eyes of the four men are 11 feet wide each. By carving 22-inch pupils into each eye, Gutzon poured life into the sculptures. The rock blasted off during the sculpting of Mt. Rushmore amounted to 800 million pounds of stone. The pneumatic drills used, weighed 85 pounds. Workers used to feel unsafe, remaining hung from the cliff by means of cables. Many had silicosis out of breathing granite dust. Around 400 men worked on the project. Neither the harsh winds nor the scorching sun could cease their efforts. Surprisingly, no deaths were reported in spite of the hardships, risks, and the use of dynamite. South Dakota's Black Hills stand in the background of Mt.

Rushmore. There are many programs like studio talks and Presidential Trail walks, conducted on Mt. Rushmore, the evening light ceremony being a spectacular sight. The avenue of Flags runs from Concession Building to the Grandview Terrace. Flags of 56 states and territories flutter below the memorial. Plant life on mount Rushmore includes a variety of shrubs and flowers like snapdragon and violet. Approximately, after every 27 years, forest fires occur in the Ponderosa forests, which surround mount Rushmore. Ledges of the mountain house nests of birds like the bald eagle and hawk. Mammals like the mouse, chipmunk, and various species of frogs and snakes are found in the region. Mt. Rushmore is a famous tourist attraction. Today, Mt. Rushmore stands as a testimonial of the craftsmanship of Gutzon Borglum and his team. The sculpture has immortalized the heroes of American history. Manali Oak

Question: Which of the four U.S. Presidents carved into Mt. Rushmore is wearing spectacles?
Answer: THEODORE ROOSEVELT