The famous Mount Rushmore is a national monument located in the state of South Dakota, on which the faces of four US presidents are carved: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson.
Each of them made a lot of efforts for the prosperity of America, so it was decided to build such an original monument in the rock in their honor. Surely, everyone has seen a photo of this architectural work of art or contemplated it in films. 2 million tourists come to him annually to look at the unique symbol of the United States.
Mount Rushmore Memorial Construction
The construction of the monument began in 1927 with the support of a wealthy entrepreneur Charles Rushmore, who allocated $ 5,000 - at that time it was a lot of money. In fact, the mountain was named in his honor for his generosity.
If you're wondering who is building the memorial, it was American sculptor John Gutzon Borglum. However, the very idea to build the bas-reliefs of 4 presidents belongs to John Robinson, who initially wanted the faces of cowboys and Indians on the mountain, but Borglum was able to persuade him to portray the presidents. Construction work was completed in 1941.
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Every day, workers climbed 506 steps to climb to the top of the mountain. Explosives were used to detach large pieces of rock. During the period of work, about 360,000 tons of rock were removed. The heads themselves were cut out with jackhammers.
It took 400 workers 14 years to depict 4 heads on Mount Rushmore, whose height is 18 meters, and the total area of the monument reaches 517 hectares. It is very sad that the sculptor could not see the final version of his creation with his own eyes, because he died shortly before, and his son finished the construction.
Why exactly these presidents?
The sculptor Gutzon Borglum, creating the monument, "laid" a deep meaning in it - he wanted to remind people of the most important rules, without which no civilized nation can exist. It was these rules and principles that were guided in their time by the rulers of the United States, depicted on the mountain.
Thomas Jefferson was the creator of the Declaration of Independence. George Washington was immortalized for making American society democratic. Abraham Lincoln was able to abolish slavery in the United States of America. Theodore Roosevelt built the Panama Canal, which significantly improved the country's economy and created favorable conditions for business development.
Interesting Facts
- The inhabitants of the Indian tribe called the Lakota live near Mount Rushmore and consider it a sacred place. But they considered the construction of the monument to be vandalism.
- A similar memorial was created nearby, dedicated to the leader of the Indians named Mad Horse.
- Many films were shot near the mountain, among which the most popular are: "North by Northwest", "Superman 2", "National Treasure: Book of Secrets".
How to get to Mount Rushmore
The closest to the monument (at a distance of 36 km) is the airport in Rapid City. Buses do not run from the city to the sculpture, so you need to rent a car or hitchhike. The road that leads to the mountain is called Highway 16A, which in turn leads to Highway 244, which leads directly to the memorial. You can also access Highway 244 via the U.S. 16 Expressway.
