1927-1941 Carving Mount Rushmore; Creating a monument to endure millennia

If this monument can only survive today's social-justice warriors. TD

Alex Q. Arbuckle, Retronaut  "In 1923, looking to attract tourists and stimulate the economy of his state, South Dakota state historian Doane Robinson proposed creating a massive monument in the Black Hills. He envisioned a memorial to great heroes of the West, suggesting Lakota Sioux leader Red Cloud as a possibility.

"The proposal was granted federal funding, and Robinson selected architect and sculptor Gutzon Borglum to design and carve the monument.

"Borglum convinced Robinson that sculptures of presidents would attract more national interest than Red Cloud. Before settling on the final design of the monument, Borglum selected the stable granite cliffs of Mount Rushmore as the ideal location.

"This decision was met with immediate protest by Native Americans. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie had granted the land around Mount Rushmore to the Lakota in perpetuity, but the area was later seized by the federal government after the discovery of gold. Carving the faces of the leaders of that government into a spiritually significant mountain — known as “The Six Grandfathers” to the Lakota — was adding insult to injury.

"Their protests fell on unsympathetic ears, however, and the project moved forward. It was decided that the sculpture would include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt for their contributions to the founding, growth and preservation of the nation.

"On October 4, 1927, the carving began." . . .