Rapid City, South Dakota, is a convenient place to stop on the way from Billings, MT to Sioux Falls, SD, just about half-way. It’s also a great jumping off point for exploring Custer State Park, Badlands National Park and Mt. Rushmore, in addition to being close to Sturgis. Ours was a short visit, but even though we were in transit with a work vehicle, we were able to make a late afternoon run to visit Mt. Rushmore, just 15 miles away.
“The purpose of the memorial is to communicate the founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the United States with colossal statues of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.” Gutzon Borglum
Carved out of the gorgeous South Dakota Black Hills, Sculptor John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum (who was also commissioned to do some of the sculptures of Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York) created the design for this iconic American sculpture. An interesting part of the story that seldom gets mentioned is that Borglum had designed and begun work on the Stone Mountain sculpture in Georgia featuring Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davis on horseback followed by a column of soldiers. Borglum’s temper contributed to friction between him and businessmen of the Stone Mountain project, which was ultimately taken over and finished by another artist. His departure from Georgia enabled him to take on the Rushmore project. Contracted by state historian Doane Robinson, Borglum was the one to choose the four presidents (George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt) to represent the first 150 years of our nation’s history. Work on the Rushmore sculpture began in 1927. Borglum lead the project until his death in 1941, when his son, Lincoln put the finishing touches on his father’s vision. The site also features an Avenue of Flags, including 56 flags in total. These represent the 50 states, one district, three territories, and two commonwealths of the United States of America.
Cool Rushmore Facts
•90% of the heads were carved with dynamite.
•There were nearly 400 workers who helped create this memorial.
•Total cost of memorial was $989, 992.32.
•No one died during the carving of the memorial.
•Rate of erosion of heads: 1 inch every 10,000 years.
•Mount Rushmore is 5,725 feet tall.
•Mount Rushmore was named in 1885 for New York lawyer Charles E. Rushmore.
•The mountain is made of Harney Peak granite.
(Facts Source, nps.gov Student Guide)
