Mt Rushmore started in 1923 when state historian Doane Robinson suggested carving giant statues in South Dakota Black Hills, Robinson wanted the sculptors to stand at the Gateway to the west, where the Black Hills rise from the plains as a prelude to the Rockies.
Mount Rushmore was a perfect place to sculpt the statues will get the most sun exposure on the south east side of the mountain.
President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the memorial in 1927, commencing 14 years of work; only six years carving on the mountain. Money was the main problem, Borglum's self appraisal as a "one man war" was earned. He personally lobbied state officials, representatives of senators, cabinet members and presidents. "The work is purely a national memorial" he insisted at a congressional hearing in 1938. Pride in country and the fact that public works created good jobs and good will... channeling $836,000.00 of federal money toward the total cost of nearly $1 million.
The Washington head dedicated in 1930, followed by Jefferson in 1936, Lincoln in 1937 and Roosevelt in 1939. Borglum died in March 1941, the final dedication was not held until 50 years later. Son Lincoln Borglum supervised the completion of heads. Work stopped in October 1941, the eve of the U.S. entry into World War 2
The shrine in the Black Hills honoring George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
We then drove 10+ miles up the road to take in the monument for Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse memorial foundation was created to protect and preserve the culture, tradition and living heritage of the North American Indians.
Crazy Horse is to be the largest sculptor in the world if completed. The overall size is to be 563' high and 641' long.
The 1st blast took place in June of 1948 and work continued when funding wasn't an issue. When Korezak Ziolkowski arrived in 1948 he only had $174 in his pocket. He refused federal funding twice believing in free enterprise and felt Crazy Horse should be funded by those interested in the project.
Since Korezak's death his wife and seven of ten children have worked in concert with Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation with progress being made each year. Even though the 1st blast took place in 1948, the face on Crazy Horse wasn't finished and dedicated until 1998, 16 years after the death of Korezak.
The memorial is to be the centerpiece of an educational/cultural center, to include a satellite campus of the University of South Dakota, with a classroom building and residence hall, made possible by a US$2.5 million donation in 2007. It is called the University and Medical Training Center for the North American Indian and the Indian Museum of North America. The current visitor complex will anchor the center. He also donated $5 million to the memorial, to be paid $1 million a year for five years as matching donations were raised, specifically to further work on the horse’s head.
Paul and Donna “Muffy” Christen of Huron, South Dakota. in July 2010 announced they are donating $5 million in two installments to an endowment to support the operation of the satellite campus. It holds classes in math, English and American Indian studies courses for college credit, as well as outreach classes. The memorial foundation has awarded more than $1.2 million in scholarships, with the majority going to Native students within South Dakota.
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