MOUNT RUSHMORE

MOUNT RUSHMORE

As I have seen this place twice in my lifetime. I want to say the Presidents’ faces carved out of stone are really unique. I was really fortunate not only to see this once, but twice. Here are some things that every one should know about MOUNT RUSHMORE.

Mount Rushmore is a National Monument. And it is carved from petrified wood which is Granite. This was sculpted by a man from Germany. From 2967-1941. This is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, in the United States.

The heads of these sculptures are 60 feet tall and were all of former Presidents. The heads on the monument are:

A. GEORGE WASHINGTON 2732-1799
B. THOMAS JEFFERSON 1743-1826
C. THEODORE ROOSEVELT 1858-1919
D. ABRAHAM LINCOLN 1809-1865

These dates are when the Presidents were born and the dates of their deaths.

This entire focal point is the acreage it covers and the distance in feet. The entire Monument is 1,278,45 acres. And is 5,275 feet above sea level.

The Monument is taken care of by two different groups. They are:

A. National Park Service
B. United States Department of the Interior

Mount Rushmore attracts about 2 million people any given year.

The idea of the construction began in 1927, and had ended in 1941. The monument was named after a New York Lawyer. His name was Charles E. Rushmore.

Mount Rushmore is near the city of Keystone.

Between the years of 1927 and 1941 the German constructionist had 400 people working with him to assist him with the carvings of each President. These Presidents’ faces represent 150 years of presidency.

It took a lot of skill to get these sculptures done perfectly. If it was not suitable to their liking they would blow them up and start over again.

In 1933 an engineer named (Julian Spotts) had built something like a ski lift to get to the top of the mountain. To make it easier to get the work done. And this would keep them safe so they would not fall and hurt themselves.

Each time a President’s face was finished, they would hand it over to the National Park Service for their dedication. They were dedicated in this order:

A. GEORGE WASHINGTON in 1936
B. THOMAS JEFFERSON in 1936
C. ABRAHAM LINCOLN in 1937
D. THEODORE ROOSEVELT in 1939

The entire cost of this project cost 989,992.32. For doing this kind of work, none of the sculptures were injured in the progress. And this within itself was a miracle in progress.

In October of 1966, Mount Rushmore was officially dedicated and put into one of the National Historical places to visit.

There is a vault behind the Presidents’ heads. And this contains the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE ALONG WITH THE CONSTITUTION. This was finished in 1998.

They are planning some redevelopment around the visitors’ center and walkways around the Monument. The maintenance of all of this is a must, and requires people to clean the area up, along with going up to the Monument itself to see if there are any cracks that need to be repaired. So far this only has been done once since the Monument had been finished. And that was in 2005. And it was done for free. They powerwashed it by using water at 200 degrees.

There has been some controversy among the (LAKOTA INDIAN TRIBE). Because the United States had taken over the area. After the (SIOUX AND THE LAKOTA) war in 1876-1877. The United States had taken over the land to make a landmark for all to see, along with future generations. The Lakota Tribe had considered this place a spiritual area.

The Lakota Holy One (JOHN FIRE LAME DEER) had put a prayer staff atop the mountain symbolizing that this place be dirty until a written arrangement would be fulfilled.

In 2004 the first Native American was made to look after the grounds. He had made a statement saying “That the four Presidents are only one focal point of the area. He wants a memorial to be constructed to remember the famous Native American Leader which is (CRAZY HORSE). He also wants it to be larger than Mount Rushmore. However this had to be rejected as the funds were not available. There is also controversy within the Native community saying that the person whom thought of the idea of building Mount Rushmore was a KKK member.

The region around the Monument is the same as the surrounding area. It has the same plant and animals such as:

A. Turkey vultures
B. Grizzly beass
C. Coyotes
D. Bald Eagles
E. Hawks and many more

The smaller animals make their nests atop the Mountain and surrounding ledges. Such as:

A. Squirrels
B. Woodpeckers
C. Nuthatches
D. Along with other small animals

There are two brooks in the area also:

A. The Grizzly Bear
B. The Starling Basin

Which harbor many kinds of fish in them to name a few:

A. Brook Trout
B. The Long Nose Dace
C. Bass

The native plants and flowers to this region are:

A. Ponderosa Pine
B. Bur Oak
C. Black Hills Spruce
D. Cottonwood

The flowers are:

A. Snapdragon
B. Sunflower
C. Violet

The area in higher elevation does not get enough precipitation where the lower levels do. When it rains or snows it runs off the top and ends up on the bottom. The lower levels have Limestone and Sandstone that holds the water in.

There are fires in the Higher region for the lack of precipitation, and it for being so dry.

The Monument is made up of a group of minerals. Mostly granite because it is a smooth surface and easy to carve.

Mount Rushmore is the region in the Black Hills region.

Mount Rushmore is the second largest tourism site in the United States.