Near Keystone in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Gutzon Borglum
(John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum)
— Born March 25, 1867 – Died March 6, 1941 —
The first actual carving was begun in 1927. The Washington head was dedicated in 1931, representing the founding of our government; the Jefferson in 1936 for the man who made our first great expansion west with the Louisiana Purchase; Lincoln in 1937 for his preservation of the Union; the final head, Roosevelt, in 1939, for the completion of the Panama Canal.
Borglum said, "I want somewhere in America a memory of the great things we accomplished as a nation, placed so high it won’t pay to pull it down for lesser purposes."
The project was nearly completed in 1941 when Borglum died. Mount Rushmore was completed by his son Lincoln with the final drilling done October 31, 1941.
Erected 1973 by The South Dakota Department of Highways, State Historical Society and the Mt. Rushmore Memorial Society. (Marker Number 453.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Man-Made Features • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the South Dakota State Historical Society Markers series list. A significant historical date for this entry is October 31, 1941.
Location. 43° 52.766′ N, 103° 26.903′ W. Marker is near Keystone, South Dakota, in Pennington County. Marker is on State Highway 244, 1.1 miles west of Iron Mountain Road (Alternate U.S. 16), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Keystone SD 57751, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Power to Carve a Mountain (approx. 0.3 miles away); (Mount Rushmore) Chronology (approx. 0.4 miles away); History of the United States of America (approx. 0.4 miles away); Rushmore Workers (approx. 0.4 miles away); Theodore Roosevelt (approx. 0.4 miles away); Thomas Jefferson (approx. 0.4 miles away); George Washington (approx. half a mile away); Abraham Lincoln (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Keystone.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 15, 2019. It was originally submitted on May 29, 2019, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas. This page has been viewed 319 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 5, 2019, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.