Mount Rushmore is often hailed as an iconic American landmark, yet Matthew Davis, in his book *A Biography of the Mountain: The Origin and Meaning of Mount Rushmore*, highlights many lesser-known facts about it.
“I doubt the average American can name who built Mount Rushmore,” Davis shared with the Post.
Back in August 1925, state historian Doan Robinson enlisted sculptor Gutzon Borglum to bring the monument to life.
Borglum, whose parents were Danish immigrants, was celebrated for his artistic skills, but also had a reputation for being unpredictable and headstrong. “His vision and creativity were endless,” noted Davis. However, he also had a darker side, often being described as rough around the edges and quick to blame others for mishaps on site.
Interestingly, the idea for Mount Rushmore didn’t originate with Borglum.
Robinson initially wanted a statue of legendary Lakota leader Red Cloud to promote tourism on this sacred land for the Lakota Sioux Nation, instead of the four presidential faces.
Other figures considered included explorers Lewis and Clark and the famous showman Buffalo Bill Cody.
But Borglum had grander plans. He imagined the giant faces of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, later adding Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt, creating a “Temple of Democracy” that reflected the nation’s founding, growth, and unity.
To get things started, Borglum used miniature models to scale up the design before actual carving, a process made easier since photography existed for two of the presidents. This helped create more vivid representations.
Davis points out the differences: “Washington and Jefferson are depicted clean-shaven and serious, whereas Lincoln and Roosevelt have thicker, more lifelike lips and detailed expressions.”
The scale of the project was monumental. Over 400 workers hung from harnesses on the rock, carefully blasting away more than 450,000 tons of rock using 225 tons of dynamite, all without any fatal accidents.
Sadly, Borglum passed away unexpectedly in March 1941 after surgery. His son Lincoln, who had been involved since he was young, then took charge, with the monument finally being completed on October 31, 1941.
Mount Rushmore was not merely an artistic endeavor; it has its complexities. Borglum had previously worked on a Confederate monument at Stone Mountain, Georgia, getting heavily involved in Klan politics during that time.
As Davis remarks, “It’s perhaps uncomfortable to realize that someone with ties to the Klan sculpted this national monument, but that’s a part of its reality.”
Beyond Borglum’s affiliations, there are historical injustices tied to the site itself. The Black Hills, where Mount Rushmore stands, were promised to the Lakota Sioux in the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, only to be seized by the U.S. government after gold was found in the 1870s. Despite ongoing legal battles, the Lakota Sioux still haven’t regained their sacred land.
Gerald Baker, the monument’s first Native American director, expressed concerns that revealing Mount Rushmore’s troubled history could make many visitors uncomfortable. “People generally expect to visit a park and leave with warm, fuzzy feelings, perhaps enjoying an ice cream cone,” he noted.
Today, the site draws over 2 million visitors annually, though its significance has evolved, especially in our digital world. “Every morning, I see alerts about Mount Rushmore, often about things like the ‘Mount Rushmore of cheesesteaks,'” Davis commented.
“On one hand, I think Borglum would have appreciated that Mount Rushmore symbolizes greatness,” he added. “On the flip side, I’d also worry it might dilute the significance of my work.”
There’s speculation about adding more faces to the monument, but Davis believes that’s unlikely. “Most experts argue there’s simply no room to carve another face on Mount Rushmore,” he said.
