On a trip last month to western South Dakota, our visit to Mt. Rushmore was a true delight. It was a beautiful early morning in mid-May at this colossal national monument.
The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, chose this spot for maximum sun exposure and the morning light at 8 am radiated a bright and brilliant glow.
Image on display at Rapid City Airport, SD
The four faces carved into the granite rock are 60 feet (18 m) high.
U. S. presidents, from the left, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln were chosen to represent the nation’s birth, growth, development and preservation, respectively.
When we were there it was early, calm and peaceful. Several hours later when we were leaving, it was more crowded and chaotic. In summer it opens at 5 am for folks who want to avoid the crowds.
Even before construction began there were controversies and injustices, still present today.
More information about that:
Native Americans and Mount Rushmore from pbs.org
For today, I give you a brief look at the construction of this majestic monument.
Construction began in October 1927 and was completed in October 1941.
Before the sculpture was conceived, this area in the Black Hills mountain range was rich in minerals. Mining was a way of life. Mica, cassiterite (tin ore) and other minerals were extracted. That all changed when gold was discovered.
By 1923, the concept of a mountain sculpture to honor our country and attract tourists was conceived. By 1927 construction began.
Local miners, sculptors and many other workers were hired. Granite is a very hard rock, so the jobs were grueling. But these were the Depression years and money was scarce.
This photograph below was taken in the summer of 1931 and shows the crew who worked on top of Mount Rushmore that year.
Image Courtesy Mt. Rushmore and Keystone by T. Domek and R. E. Hayes
They began by blasting off the rock surfaces with dynamite.
A process called honeycombing came next. Numerous holes were drilled with jackhammers where details were required. For this stage, blasting was too unpredictable and could deface the surface rock.
This photo, below, shows Merle Peterson, a carver, jackhammering honeycomb holes. Circa 1936.
Image Courtesy Mt. Rushmore and Keystone by T. Domek and R. E. Hayes
Mr. Peterson is suspended in a cage by two separate winches.
The honeycomb pattern weakened the rock. After the holes were drilled, carvers hand-chiseled and pried off the pieces.
Nearly 100 years later, while I sat intently staring at the rock figures, I used my binoculars to identify the birds (swifts and turkey vultures) and get a closer look at the monument. The detail is astounding.
Below is a photo of Abraham Lincoln’s face during construction. This photo and more can be found online at Carving Mount Rushmore at mashable.com.
Image courtesy mashable.com. Abraham Lincoln’s face, c. 1937
The sculptors and carvers hung by ropes and cables in “bosun” chairs or cages connected to a winch room at the mountain top and were hand-cranked up and down the mountain face.
This is a photograph from the early 1930s of the interior of the winch house.
Image Courtesy Mt. Rushmore and Keystone by T. Domek and R. E. Hayes
Obviously these were precarious jobs but in the 14 years of construction, not one person died.
Borglum changed the design at least nine times in the project’s span including relocating Jefferson’s face, downsizing the figures from waist-size to faces, and aborting the “Hall of Records” vault.
The years-long project, led by perfectionist Borglum, eventually moved forward in 1939 by an Act of Congress directing construction to work only on the faces, leaving the Hall of Records segment undone. The American involvement in World War II was underway.
In 1941 Gutzon Borglum died and his son Lincoln, who had been working in numerous capacities on the project since it began, completed the project.
Over the course of 14 years, more than 400 workers had carved away 450,000 tons of rock. Granite debris can still be seen in talus slopes at the base of the monument, photo below.
There have been many additions to Mount Rushmore National Memorial over the years.
More info: National Park Service Mount Rushmore
Here is The Avenue of the Flags.
There are also trails, including the most popular, the Presidential Trail, shown below. Surrounding the monument are large quartz rocks, granite boulders and ponderosa pines.
Today it is on the National Register of Historical Places and hosts over 2 million visitors a year.
Lastly, for Hitchcock buffs, the close-up sights of Mt. Rushmore were featured in a harrowing climax in “North by Northwest,” the acclaimed thriller filmed in 1958.
Below are two photos of the same restaurant. The first one is a snapshot from our TV of the 1958 Hollywood film; the second photo is today’s version. You can see the monument outside the window.
The suspenseful monument scene was never shot directly on the monument due to conflicts and safety laws. It was filmed in Hitchcock’s California studio using mock-ups and still shots. More info at North by Northwest American Experience.
The Mount Rushmore State, i.e. South Dakota, is a vast geological wonder and this monument is one of the many venues worth visiting.
Written by Jet Eliot.
Photos by Athena Alexander unless noted otherwise.
Book: “Mt. Rushmore and Keystone” by Tom Domek and Robert E. Hayes, 2006.
Jet Eliot 
Controversies aside, what a monument! We spent a very happy morning there enjoying the trails and marvelling at the sheer scale of the venture. Plus, being a fan of North by Northwest, it was fun to see the real thing even though the movie wasn’t shot there!
A delightful post – thanks, Jet!
I’m with you completely on that, pc. And I’m glad you’ve had the chance to see Mt. Rushmore. Lovely to “see” you today, thanks so much. Happy weekend to you!
This was a bucket-list item for my daughter. We went out of our way to visit last year when I moved her eastward. It was such a great trip.
How wonderful for you and your daughter to have made that cross-country journey, and to have visited Mt. Rushmore together. Cheers, my friend.
it is an amazing accomplishment that is for sure especially since no one died. I loved your comparison to the film NbyNw. Great write ✍️ up.
Thank you, Bill. I’m glad you enjoyed the Rushmore post and the Hitchcock angle. Lovely to “see” you as always.
I have many issues with Mount Rushmore due to the controversies you mentioned. But I have seen it, and I’ll admit it’s impressive. I can’t believe the level of detail, and it’s also hard to conceptualize not only planning, but also executing it. Those people were up there working on such a tiny portion at a time, and yet they created this enormous monument.
Yes, it is an impressive monument. Thanks for putting your issues aside for your comment today, Diana.
Great post.
Thanks very much, Tim.
Always impressive to see Mt. Rushmore, by day or night. Why does it seem that many of the “Wonders of the Country” monuments were built, mostly before mid-century, with scant safety equipment by people willing to risk their lives for something enduring and larger than the individuals who made it? I’m struggling to think of something “modern” that would be equivalent. Plus the Black Hills are fun to visit, rising from the surrounding prairie like an oasis. Thanks for sharing Jet!
I’m glad you enjoyed beautiful Mt. Rushmore today, Brad. I really liked your description of the Black Hills, too, because it is so much like that. Prairies and flatlands all around for as far as you can see…and the Black Hills come in. My warmest thanks, Brad.
Your post brought back my memories of visiting in the 90s. It’s an impressive sculpture and project, along with sadly the controversy and the long suffering Crazy Horse Monument project.
I’m happy this post brought back good memories for you, Brad. Thanks for your visit.
Definitely. Thanks Jet (and Athena).
Truly an amazing creation. I hope I can see it someday. It’s too bad we have to make everything a political controversy. It’s not necessary to do that.
Yes, Mt. Rushmore is an amazing engineering feat. And I found it so much more incredible in real life than I thought I would. I hope you do see it someday, Anneli, you and the Capt. will love it.
I really hope so too, Jet. I’ve always thought the pictures of it were amazing, but to see the real thing would be fantastic.
Do visitors pick up pieces of the granite debris as a souvenir or is that not allowed?
That’s a great question, David. Collecting debris is not allowed, it’s a national monument. It’s really dazzling because there is mica and feldspar everywhere in the rocks and stones and even in the soil, and with the sun shining there is lots of sparkle. I’ve never seen anything like it. My warm thanks.
Mt.Rushmore should be listed as one of the wonders of the world, as it is quite a human achievement.
Times have made it controversial, but still, it is amazing. I’m glad you mentioned ‘North by Northwest,’ one of my favorite films. 🙂
Lovely to hear your words, Eliza. Yes, Mt Rushmore is indeed wonderful. NxNW is one of my favorite films, too. While in SD we stayed in Rapid City at the same hotel where Hitchcock and his crew stayed. A wonderful historical hotel. Cheers and thanks, Eliza. 🌼
What a sight that must be. Really want to make it there one day. 😊
Yes, you would like it, Pepper. Nice to “see” you today, thank you. 😊
I was there as a child and I still remember being in awe!
Yes, it’s so awesome at Mt. Rushmore…and, as you say Jan, unforgettable. Many thanks.
My last visit there was brief. It looks like Washington, at least, did get a bit more than just a face.
Yes, Washington got a bit more than the face before the design changed. Thank you, Eilene.
Amazing, isn’t it? Happy weekend, Jet!
Yes, it surely is amazing. Thank you, Jo, always a joy to see you.
It is an amazing monument. I was there only once back in 1983. Definitely one to put on the bucket list.
Your write up and Athena’s images of your time there are wonderful.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Deborah. I am glad you have been there. I enjoyed your visit today, thank you.
What an interesting awe inspiring post Jet. I’ve never been there or seen it up close. Thank you for brining it to me 💐
It is truly an honor to bring Mt. Rushmore closer to you, Val. Thanks for your visit, kind words, and bouquet.
Another enjoyable post, Jet. I especially enjoyed the link to the article on mashable.com about carving the monument. So fascinating – and seems a miracle no one was killed in the construction! The scene from “North by Northwest” was great fun, too. I can just see you and Athena snapping photos of it from your t.v.!
Yes, we watched NxNW before we left for SD, it was probably the 10 or 11th time watching it. Athena snapped a few photos from the TV so we could compare today’s version to Hitchcock’s version. We assessed it while there and found that there were very few scenes of Hitchcock’s that were actually how it looked. I’m glad you had a few extra minutes to go to mashable.com, because I, too, found it fascinating. Dear Nan, it was, as always, a complete pleasure to have you stop by. xx
I saw it in 1977, on an equally lovely day. You’d think it be ‘just a big sculpture’ but the place has real gravitas. Nicely written and photographed.
Yes, Mt. Rushmore does have, as you say Dave, real gravitas. I was pleasantly surprised by this, too. Thanks for your visit and kind words.
Wow, my dad took me there when I was eight years old. But I never knew this back story. Thank you.
How wonderful that your dad took you to Mount Rushmore, LuAnne, and now you have grown up and read the back story. I loved knowing this, thank you.
We included it on our trip three years ago, Jet. Peggy and I agree with you on how impressive it is— an incredible accomplishment. Your details and Athena’s photos are quite well done! –Curt
My warmest thanks for your kind words, Curt. We also went to the Badlands on this SD adventure, guided by several posts from you and Peggy. We loved it all and will do more posts because what a place this area is! Cheers and thanks.
Jet, I remember stopping there about 15 years or so ago, but I didn’t take near the time you did with it. You did a really nice job of the history and stuff with great photos to go with it.
Thanks so very much, RV John, I really appreciate your visit and kind words.
I loved my time there. I actually lived in the north for a bit, both N. Dakota and Minnesota and the best part of that was the summertime. My son is going to school right now in Wisconsin and spending time with him this summer was like heaven compared to being in Texas! Which is like living on the surface of the sun! Thanks for sharing your time!