Quote:
We caught glimpses of the four Presidential faces as we wound our way up the mountain from Keystone. On arriving at
Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, we were surprised how crowded and busy this "Shrine of Democracy" was on a weekday, but then, what did we expect for mid-July, with over 3 million visitors compressed into the summer months? For the $8 entry fee, with some difficulty we found a space in one of the 4 parking garages. Climbing the steps up to the information center and bookstore, we soon found ourselves on the colorful Avenue of the Flags, displaying all 50 flags of the states, plus 6 additional flags belong to the territories, commonwealths, and D.C. All the while, the Faces are in view on the mountain, with ever changing light from sun and clouds. The Avenue opens up to Grand View Terrace, with a giant amphitheater below for nightly lighting ceremonies.
After gazing upon the faces and people-watching for a while, we walked down the steps to the Borglum Viewing Terrace, where a sculptor was supposed to be working. His materials and sculpture were there, but no sculptor. So after waiting a short while, we continued on to the Sculptor’s Studio. There, a park ranger gave an informative presentation about the history and construction of the faces, in front of the original small-scale model of them carved by Gutzon Borglum. This sculpture includes their torsos as well as their heads, as Borglum intended also for the mountain carving.
The original idea for mountain carvings in South Dakota came from state historian Doane Robinson, who had envisioned sculptures of famous heroes of the West (such as Lewis and Clark, and Red Cloud) as a way to increase visitation to the Black Hills and South Dakota. In 1924, he invited Gutzon Borglum, an already well-known sculptor from back East, to select a site in the Black Hills for this purpose. Mount Rushmore was chosen, but Borglum wanted to sculpt presidents of the United States, and his will prevailed. George Washington, father of the nation, Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, Abraham Lincoln, who preserved the union despite Civil War, and Theodore Roosevelt, monopoly-buster and conservationist, were selected.
Work began in Fall 1927, and continued through the Depression with federal funds, although financial problems often arose. Borglum, an inspired but highly temperamental artist, alienated many supporters in 14 years of work, and died in March 1941. His son Lincoln continued supervising work on the faces until October 1941, but funds were finally cut due to World War II.
Back to the present day, we walked the half-mile wooden walkways and steps that comprise the Presidential Trail loop, which got us closer to the faces. As we returned, thunderclouds grew thicker and an ear-splitting burst of thunder sent little ones scurrying for their moms. Somehow, during our visit, we entirely overlooked the Lincoln Borglum Museum and Giftshop, underneath Grand View Terrace.
From journals
Black Hills Blues