Did you Know? • Thomas Jefferson was originally started on George Washington’s right. However, after 18 months they realized that it was not working. Jefferson’s face was dynamited off and carved on the other side • It took 14 years to complete Mount Rushmore • No one died while building Mount Rushmore • The sculpture cost $989,992.32 to build • 90% of the heads were carved with dynamite • George Washington’s face is 60 feet long • There is a cave behind the carving called the “Hall of Records.” It was intended to house the story of Mount Rushmore but was never completed due to lack of funding.

Safety • Visitors must stay on establish walking trails and hard surfaces at all times • Climbing Mount Rushmore is prohibited. Rock climbing is permitted in other areas of the memorial. • Open fires and hunting are not permitted within the boundaries of Mount Rushmore National Memorial. • The natural and cultural resources are protected. Pick up rocks, collecting plants or feeding wildlife are prohibited. Please do not litter. • Food and beverages are prohibited in the information center, Lincoln Borglum visitor Cent, Sculptor’s Studio and Gift Shop.

Other Area Activities to do in South Dakota • • • • • • • •

Bear County USA Reptile Gardens Wildlife Loop 1880 Train- Black Hills Centeral Railroad Custer State Park Badlands National Park Crazy Horse Memorial Wind Cave National Park

Sources

National Park Services. Carving History. https://goo.gl/ZWzG9q Pbs.org. Biography: Gutzon Borglum. http://goo.gl/CuzGB1 americanhistory.org. Facts About Mount Rushmore. http:// goo.gl/KgE8ic visitrapidcity.com. The Faces of Mount Rushmore. http://goo. gl/12s5Et PBS.org. Timeline. http://goo.gl/7IkIyN visitrapidcity.com. Top 10 Area Attractions. http://goo.gl/ GuHyIe National Park Services. Photo Gallery. https://goo.gl/JW805q

Cover image: Photo courtesy of the U.S. National Park Service.

Mount Rushmore

Endreas, A. (Photographer). 2011. Mount Rushmore (Photograph).

National Memorial

How was Mount Rushmore Built? Mount Rushmore’s carving process took 14 years to make and many hardworking people. The workers had to endure conditions that varied from blazing hot to bitter cold and windy. Each day they climbed 700 stairs to the top of the mountain to punch-in on the time clock. Then 3/8 inch thick steel cables lowered them over the front of the 500 foot face of the mountain in a “bosun chair”. The work was exciting, but dangerous. 90% of the mountain was carved using dynamite. Dynamite was used until only three to six inches of rock was left to remove to get to the final carving surface. At this point, the drillers and assistant carvers would drill holes into the granite very close together. This was called honeycombing. The closely drilled holes would weaken the granite so it could be removed often by hand. After the honeycombing, the workers smoothed the surface of the faces with a hand facer or bumper tool. In this final step, the bumper tool would even up the granite, creating a surface as smooth as a sidewalk.

Who is Gutzon Borglum

Photo courtesy of the U.S. National Park Service.

Before creating Mount Rushmore, he created other important works for the United States. When South Dakota historian Doane Robinson heard about his work he invited him to the Black Hills to create the monument there. When he was at the site, Borgulm would be climbing all over the mountain and all over the hills, to determine the best angle for each feature, and advising the carvers on how to create the small details that might not even be visible from below. On March 6, 1941, Borglum died, due to complications after surgery. His son, Lincoln Borglum, finished one season and then left the monument largely to the state.

Why were the presidents picked for the Mountain?

Each president represents four different aspects of the United States of America.

GEORGE WASHINGTON: (FOUNDING)

Washington was elected president in 1789, but took the position reluctantly. He knew the challenges the new nation faced, and he feared he wasn’t the right man for the job. Despite being a member of the Federalist Party, Washington was unanimously elected by the 69 electors to lead the new United States of America. The face of George Washington was the first to be carved on Mount Rushmore. It was officially dedicated on July 4, 1930. For the dedication, a 39ft by 67ft American flag was hand-sewn by a group of Rapid City women and Mrs. Gutzon Borglum. The flag was later used to dedicate all of the presidents on Mount Rushmore.

THOMAS JEFFERSON: (GROWTH)

Thomas Jefferson, our nation’s third president and one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence, is credited with the expansion of the country to the west. In 1803, Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, and sent Lewis and Clark to explore the new territory. After their return, settlers started moving west into the new land. Thomas Jefferson’s face on Mount Rushmore was originally started on the opposite side of George Washington, but 18 months into the carving, the carvers realized the granite was not suitable. His face was dynamited off and carved on the other side. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the face of Jefferson on August 30, 1936.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT: (DEVELOPMENT)

Theodore Roosevelt was a fiery individualist who embodied American culture of the early 1900s. His conservationism and willingness to take on big business are examples of why he is considered to be one of our great presidents. His progressive policies set the stage for important reforms of the 20th century. He is also the father or our National Park System, which protects valuable natural resources so generations of Americans can enjoy them. The face of Roosevelt was the last to be carved on Mount Rushmore. It was dedicated on July 2, 1939.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: (PRESERVATION)

Abraham Lincoln is considered by many scholars to be one of our nation’s greatest presidents. He is credited with holding the country together during the Civil War and was instrumental in the abolishment of slavery. On April 14, 1865, Lincoln was shot while attending a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. He died on April 15th. The face of Abraham Lincoln on Mount Rushmore was officially dedicated on September 17, 1937.

Timeline of Mount Rushmore

• 1868: a treaty between the U.S. government and the native Sioux gives the Sioux property rights in perpetuity over a territory that includes the Black Hills • 1876: After gold is discovered in the Black Hills, prospectors move in and displace the Sioux • 1924: Robinson contacts Gutzon Borglum about the project. To arouse national interest, Borglum suggests George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as subjects. • 1927: President Calvin Coolidge spends a summer in the Black Hills. October 4th actual carving begins. • 1933: Gutzon’s son Lincoln Borglum begins full-time work at Rushmore • 1937: A bill is introduced in Congress to carve a head of Susan B. Anthony on Rushmore. A rider on an appropriation bill requires that money be spent only on those figures already begun, thus ending the Anthony proposal • 1938: Excavation of the Hall of Records Begins • 1939: Work on the Hall of Records is stopped because of the dangerous working conditions. Korczak Ziolkowski is hired as an assistant, but works there only 19 days, and leaves after a brawl with Lincoln Borglum. Ziolkowski will go on to carve a monument to Crazy Horse on another mountain in the Black Hills. • 1941: Gutzon Borglum dies and his son is asked to finish the heads. October 31st was the last day of carving • 1991: Mount Rushmore is officially dedicated by President George Bush