After the adventure at Wall Drug, (Click here to read about "Wall Drug") we moved to Rapid City and then drove on to Mount Rushmore. The half an hour drive from
Rapid City to the Rushmore memorial was beautiful with great scenery of the famous Black Hills on either side. Mount Rushmore
is the site of the National Memorial with the carvings of the four
famous Presidents of the
United States of America – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham
Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. It is one of the largest pieces of
sculpture ever created on the earth.
Gutzon Borglum Historical Center is located two miles before Mount Rushmore.
It is advisable to first visit this museum before visiting the monument
itself. A visit to the museum would give an insight into the multi
talented sculptor's life and work. A full sized eye of
Lincoln, a replica of the eye on the mountain, towers over the children
looking at it.
The idea of
carving a National Memorial took shape in the year 1923 and in the mind
of historian Dome Robinson who was the Superintendent of the South
Dakota State Historical Society. The idea was to carve a monument of a
leading personality of the province in the
South Dakota's Black hills. Gutzon Borglum, already famous sculptor and
painter was assigned the job of carving the monument. Borglum studied in
Paris and had excelled in many fields. However, a desire to create
something great that would stand for ever was latent in him. The
invitation to carve a monument in the
Black Hills naturally attracted him and he took it as his mission in the
remaining years of his life. His thinking that the monument should be a
model and reflect the achievement of the country during its 150 years of
history received wide approval and carving of the four presidents
received wide support. The four presidents chosen to be carved in the
monument represented the foundation, consolidation, preservation and continental
expansion of the
United States. The birth of United States was guided by
the vision and courage of George Washington. Thomas Jefferson always had
dreams of a greater, more perfect nation, first in the words of the
Declaration of Independence and later in the expansion of the nation
through the
Louisiana Purchase. Preservation of the union was paramount to Abraham
Lincoln, a nation where all men were free and equal. At the turn of the
Twentieth Century Theodore Roosevelt envisioned a great nation, a leader
on the world stage, a nation changing from a rural republic to a world
power. The ideals of these presidents laid a foundation for the
United States of America as solid as the rock from which their figures
were carved. Each president possessed great skills and leadership of the
brand the nation needed for the times they represented.
However, there was opposition from the environmentalists who
questioned as to how man can improve anything on the God made mountain.
All the difficulties were overcome due to perseverance and Borglum selected the sound
granite mountain at Rushmore as the rocks were free from fracture. The place chosen was facing southeast and hence receives sunlight for most of the day.
President
Calvin Coolidge's holiday in 1927 in the Black Hills area came in handy
for getting approval of the project and six holes were drilled
symbolically to start the work on August 10, 1927 on the 5,725 feet high
mountain. The work continued in stages by blasting the rocks with
dynamite and carving the finer parts from hung cables. The work started
in the year 1927 took 14 years and cost one million dollars at that
time.
Washington's head was completed in 1930, Jefferson's in 1936, Lincoln's
in 1937 and Roosevelt's in 1939. Borglum was 60 years old when the work
started and he spent the next 14 years of his life working on the
monument, till he died in 1941. His son Lincoln Borglum, named after
President Lincoln since the sculptor was very appreciative of his life
and work, supervised the completion of the work. Gutzon Borglum's
original idea was to carve the monument up to the waist but he died
before completion of the work and the monument was completed as it is
today on 31
st October 1941 under the supervision of Lincoln Borglum.
The
enormity of the work involved can be understood to some extent by the
size of the monuments: Each face is 60 feet high; the head of statue of
liberty is only 17 feet tall. George Washington's carving is as tall as a
six storey building; had the full body been carved, it would have been
465 feet tall. Eyes are 11 feet wide, length of the nose is 20 feet and
the mouth is 18 feet long. 4,50,000 tonnes of rock was removed from the
mountain while carving the monument and 90 per cent of it was by
blasting. When considered that no addition to the rocks was possible and
entire shape of the monument was to be given only by carving, the
enormity and precision of the work can be gauged. A photograph of the monument (obtained from the internet) given above gives an idea about the monument. In order to ensure the
precision of the monument Borglum had made a model of the monument in
plaster of Paris and one inch on the model was equal to one foot on the
rock. 400 local workers were involved in making the monument – none of
them had any idea of what they were working on. They started working for
wages, and as the work progressed, they realized that they were
creating something historic and unique and were emotionally involved
with the project. Safety record was excellent considering the quantity
of dynamite used and rock removed – there were no deaths and only minor
injuries to some workers.
The
monument can now be seen from the roadside 24 hours a day. Developed
area is opened to the public according the seasons. Entry to the
monument is open on most days and visitors get a good view from the
"Grand View Terrace". Visitors can go along the presidential trail up to
the base of the monument. The information centre provides valuable
information to the visitors.
Lincoln Borglum Museum below the grand view terrace provides an insight
into making of the monument and sculptor's studio houses the tools and
models used for construction. A 13 minute film about carving of the
monument is sown throughout the day. Reasons for selection of the four
presidents, what they stood for and their achievements are highlighted
in the museum. The monument is illuminated during nights; Cultural
programs in the evening and Light and Sound show entertain the visitors.
Maintenance
work to keep the monument in good condition is done round the year and
the earnings from the gift shop located in the monument is used for
making further improvements in amenities to the visitors. The monument on Mount Rushmore
stands as a permanent testimonial to the dream of Doane Robinson,
dedication of Gutzon Borglum and the unparallel work of over four
hundred workers and invites millions of visitors every year.
We
entered the monument by climbing the 35 steps from the entrance to the
monument and viewed the 13 minute film on carving the monument, in the
auditorium. We passed through a corridor in which the dates on which the
states became member of the
United States are carved. We had a view of the monument from the Grand
View Terrace, from the base of the terrace and other different angles.
Photographs were taken and visited the Gift shops to buy some souvenirs.
We returned to our car and proceeded to the "
Beautiful Rushmore Caves".
The "Rushmore
Cave" was accidentally discovered by adventurous placer miners in 1876.
The miners were digging a flume into the mountainside to carry water to
the gold mines below when they found the cave opening. The cave was
opened to the public in 1927, just before carving of the monument on the
Mount Rushmore began.
The cave is now a major tourist attraction. Visitors are taken on a cave
tour by experienced tour guides to show icicle-like stalactites hanging
from the cave ceilings, while spires of stalactites rise from smooth
rock floor. The formations dating back to 60 million years are in many
shapes and sizes and fascinate the viewer. Beauty of the formations is
to be seen and experienced and cannot be put in words and the guided
tour of about one hour is a wonderful experience. Temperature inside the
cave remains around 58 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year. Many of
the caves are said to be still unexplored due to the small openings and
tunnels through which it is difficult for a man to pass.
It was a
wonderful day's sight seeing covering the Badlands,
Rushmore Monument and the beautiful caves.
good post!
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