Mt. Rushmore Memorial - South Dakota - Abraham Lincoln on Waymarking.com

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is host to almost three million visitors a year from across the country and around the world. They come to marvel at the majestic beauty of the Black Hills and to view the granite portraits of Washington, Jefferson, T. Roosevelt, and Lincoln sculpted into the mountainside. Over the decades, Mount Rushmore has grown in fame as a symbol of America.

The presidents depicted in the sculpture were chosen as symbols of different aspects of the history of the nation. George Washington symbolizes the birth of the nation and the fight for independence. Thomas Jefferson represents the importance of governing through the people. The Declaration of Independence and the Louisiana Purchase fall under his name as well. Abraham Lincoln's image holds the values of freedom and equality, as well as the preservation of the union of states. Theodore Roosevelt symbolizes the growing international role of the U.S. in the 20th century.

Mount Rushmore is a project of colossal proportion. It involved the efforts of nearly 400 men and women. The duties involved varied greatly from the call boy to drillers to the blacksmith to the housekeepers. The workers had to endure conditions that varied from blazing hot to bitter cold and windy. Each day they climbed 700 stairs to the top of the mountain to punch-in on the time clock. Then 3/8 inch thick steel cables lowered them over the front of the 500 foot face of the mountain in a "bosun chair". Some of the workers admitted being uneasy with heights, but during the Depression, any job was a good job.
Dynamite was used until only three to six inches of rock was left to remove to get to the final carving surface. At this point, the drillers and assistant carvers would drill holes into the granite very close together. This was called honeycombing. The closely drilled holes would weaken the granite so it could be removed often by hand.

After the honeycombing, the workers smoothed the surface of the faces with a hand facer or bumper tool. In this final step, the bumper tool would even up the granite, creating a surface as smooth as a sidewalk.

Hours are:
Winter- 7-days a week (October 1st - April 30th) 8:00 am - 5:00 pm; May 1st - 12th 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Summer = May 13th - August 14th 8:00 am - 10:00 pm
Fall = August 15th - September 30th 8:00 am - 9:00 pm.

Although there is no fee to enter the park, parking costs $10 and is not covered by the National Park Pass.

Location Type: Statue/Bust/Portrait Property Type: Public Date of Event: 1941 Location Notes: See above for prices and hours. URL for Additional Information: [Web Link]

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