Little Blue Birdie's Diary

Four presidents at Mount Rushmore

How big are the faces?

Heads: 60 feet
Nose: Washington's is 21 feet
Eyes: 11 feet wide
Mouths: 18 feet wide.

Dear Diary,

Today, we thought of visiting another world famous memorial situated in the USA. To be more specific, it's situated near Keystone, South Dakota. Can you guess what it is? It's the famous Mount Rushmore, a granite sculpture monument.

This monument represents the first 150 years of the history of USA. The 18-metre sculptures are of the heads of former US presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

This memorial covers an area of 1,278 acres, and is located 5,725 feet above sea level. It had taken 14 years to build this memorial; the project had started on October 4, 1927 and concluded on October 31, 1941. But luckily, no deaths had been reported during the carving.

According to our guide bird, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial is host to almost three million visitors a year from across the country and around the world. They come to gaze at the majestic beauty of the Black Hills and to learn about the ideals of democracy and freedom represented by the granite portraits.

Over the decades, Mount Rushmore has grown in fame as a symbol of America - a symbol of freedom and democracy and a hope for people from all cultures and backgrounds.

The story of how this mountain got its name fascinated the members of our group. Did you know that Mount Rushmore is named after a New York City Attorney Charles E. Rushmore was sent out to this area in 1884 to check the legal titles on properties. On his way back to Pine Camp, he asked Bill Challis, who was accompanying him, the name of this mountain. Bill replied, "Never had a name, but from now on, we'll call it Rushmore."

Doane Robinson is known as the 'Father of Mount Rushmore'. It was his idea to have the colossal carvings in the Black Hills. He wanted to create an attraction that would draw people from all over the country to his state. In August 1924 he contacted Gutzon Borglum who was working on the face of Robert E. Lee at Stone Mountain, GA.

In his letter, Robinson invited Borglum to visit South Dakota and talk over the possibility of carving a mountain. Borglum took Robinson up on his offer and met him in September 1924 and again in August 1925. During this second trip, Borglum found Mount Rushmore.

From that point on, Robinson worked hard to secure funding for the project. Robinson's idea turned out to be a success. I'm sure you must be really curious to know why these presidents were especially chosen for the memorial. Can you guess? I'll put down some facts about them.

George Washington (the first US president) led the early colonists in the American Revolutionary War to win independence from Great Britain. He was the father of the new country and laid the foundation for American democracy. Because of his importance, Washington is the most prominent figure on the mountain.

Thomas Jefferson (third president) was the author of the Declaration of Independence, a document which inspires democracies around the world. He also purchased the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803, which doubled the size of the United States, adding all or part of the 15 present-day states.

Abraham Lincoln (16th president) held the nation together during its greatest trial, the Civil War. Lincoln believed his most sacred duty was the preservation of the Union. It was his firm conviction that slavery must be abolished.

Theodore Roosevelt (26th president) provided leadership when America experienced rapid economic growth as it entered the 20th Century. He was instrumental in negotiating the construction of the Panama Canal, linking the east and the west. He was known as the "trust buster" for his work to end large corporate monopolies and ensure the rights of the common working man.

There are some interesting stories behind the construction of this memorial. Did you know that the figure of Thomas Jefferson was initially to Washington's right? After 18 months of carving, the figure of Jefferson had to be dynamited off the mountain and restarted on Washington's left.

The erosion rate of Mount Rushmore National Memorial is estimated by geologists at one inch every 10,000 years. It should be around for many more years to come.

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