Total Pageviews

Thursday, September 2, 2021

Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota






Mount Rushmore National Memorial




A shot of the Presidents
from miles away:








We took a selfie before
entering the crowded
Memorial grounds.











There are many Mount Rushmore Lists of Facts.  Here's the one from Thought Co.






This is the morning crowd
on a weekday.








Sculptor Gutzon Borglum
supervised the massive
project to sculpt 60 foot
the four Presidents.




 14-year project

 there were no deaths on the site.





This mountain and the surrounding area is Lakota Sioux Land as agreed to in the Fort Laramie Treaty.  The Tribe never granted the US Government use of this land, rights to construct Mount Rushmore, and the National Park infrastructure.  In 1980 The Supreme Court awarded the Sioux Nation $105 million dollars for the illegal appropriation of their land.  The settlement was declined by The Nation because the land was never for sale.




The Avenue of the Flags represents



The amphitheater seats thousands
 of visitors.

The summer night lighting must
 be amazing!













One of the many photos
I took of the Presidents.





Eric studies the Memorial &
tells me that Abraham
Lincoln's face is unfinished.











Gutzon Borglum's model of the Memorial was never completed.  The plan was for more detail of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln's torso to be carved as well.  Borglum died on March 16, 1941.  His son Lincoln took over for the 1941 summer season and the project was ended that fall. 





The Gift Shop is doing a
brisk business.



Eric and I are glad we are here on a weekday.  This place must be packed on weekends.  

No comments: