Carving Mount Rushmore was a project of colossal proportion, ambition and achievement. It involved the efforts of nearly men and women. The work was exciting, but dangerous. Ninety percent of the mountain was carved using dynamite. Only the last inches of rock were removed by drillers using jackhammers. Hand tools smoothed the stone and added small details, like wrinkles and moles. The workers had to endure conditions that varied from blazing hot to bitterly cold and windy. Each day they climbed stairs to the top of the mountain to punch-in on the time clock.
For thousands of years, several tribes of Sioux roamed the land from present-day Minnesota, across the Dakotas to Wyoming. Generally nomadic, they followed the migration of huge buffalo herds. In the 18th and 19th centuries, cooperation with trappers was followed by conflict with settlers. However, the discovery of gold in the area resulted in Native Americans getting forced off the land. Even the traditional name of the mountain, Six Grandfathers, faded into history after an expedition including New York attorney Charles Rushmore renamed it in A legal battle for the land continues to this day.
Borglum planned to create a large room within the mountain that would hold documents and artifacts central to American history. The proposed Hall of Records was to be drilled into the north wall of the small canyon behind the faces. In the late s, Euro-American settlers began pushing into the Black Hills, igniting a war with the indigenous population.
The U. Within a decade, however, gold was discovered in the region and, in , the U. Related: How photos help contemporary Osage Nation people heal. After that, settlers and prospectors poured into the region. In , New York attorney Charles Rushmore visited to strike a deal on a tin mine, and, on a lark, Six Grandfathers was renamed after him. But the land dispute was not resolved. In the s, the Lakota tribes sued the U.
By the s, South Dakota, now a U. Governor Peter Norbeck had also built the Needles Highway, a scenic route wending through the iconic granite formations of the Black Hills. Related: How should visitors deal with the racist implications of Stone Mountain? Robinson envisioned an ode to the old West, with carvings of historic figures such as Lewis and Clark and Lakota leader Red Cloud. He reached out to Stone Mountain sculptor Gutzon Borglum —who would transform the granite mountain into what it is today.
Borglum had gained fame for sculptures honoring U. By August , Borglum had agreed to work on Mount Rushmore—but not the way Robinson had pitched it.
Theodore Roosevelt, who had overseen the construction of the Panama Canal, was a symbol of economic growth. And Abraham Lincoln was selected for having fought to preserve the nation in the Civil War.
Over the next 16 years, Borglum wrangled with the federal government about funding and control of Mount Rushmore—which he never technically completed. Borglum hoped to carve the presidents down to their waists and chisel a description of the memorial next to them.
S historical artifacts. In , Borglum began blasting a foot tunnel into the mountain for his Hall of Records. Worried about funding as war loomed in Europe, however, the U. Deeply inspired by the Dakota Territory, Roosevelt is also the father of our National Park System , which protects valuable natural resources for generations to enjoy. Serving as the 16 th President of the United States from to , Abraham Lincoln lead the country through some of its darkest years. Lincoln is considered by many scholars to be the greatest president our nation has ever had.
He was instrumental in the abolishment of slavery and is credited with setting in motion the work to preserve the United States after the Civil War. He died on April 15 th. Standing before these iconic faces sparks a unique sense of patriotism and is an experience unlike anything else. Book your stay.
Manages social media initiatives and local public relations outreach. Robinson spent most of asking people to donate time and money to his cause and seeking a sculptor willing to undertake such a massive project.
To that end, Robinson sent a letter to John Gutzon Borglum. Lee, Thomas J. Once there, Borglum quickly explained to Robinson that the idea of Buffalo Bill or Sioux Indians being carved into the mountains was a small thought for a small mind — a better project would be one national in scope and timeless in subject matter. With that in mind, Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt were chosen to represent American dynasty and destiny. As for Roosevelt — well, the reasons given are many and varied.
Borglum had returned the favor by campaigning for Roosevelt. On the more idealistic side, Teddy Roosevelt is a powerful figure in American myth. Kennedy — it would seem bizarre.
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