What A Rush!
Her body was buzzing with adrenaline but she knew it was important to keep her breathing calm. After climbing over the fence she realized no one was coming to stop her. Kicking off her shoes she felt the smooth rock under her feet and the breeze on her face. She was going to do it!
She began to climb and find places to grip and couldn’t believe it. She wanted to go higher and see the view from the top. She wanted to go inside and see what was beyond the monument. She was going to get away with it, but then she started hearing the screams from down below and knew she would have to hurry. Would she make it or fall trying?
A Historical View
In the black hills of South Dakota lies a sight that many people come from far and wide to see. Four patriotic fathers' faces were carved into smooth white stone, overlooking a beautiful national park. It is a treasure to witness, but tourists got a little bit more than they bargained for on this particular day.
The crowd gasped in unison and began screaming as what they saw came into focus. How was it possible and would help arrive in time? What was the meaning of this, and would everyone recover? The crowd collectively held their breath as they looked up in awe and fear.
The History Of A Rock
The faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln are 60-feet above mingling tourists every day. First built in 1927, it took fourteen long years to be completed and over 400 workers' daily dedication.
Each year the park welcomes over a million visitors, all coming to have a peek at the smooth faces of men that made the United States of America. On this day, in particular, no one realized what was happening until it was a little too late.
A Dangerous Path
As people began to yell and take notice, they couldn’t believe it. One tourist had managed to climb onto the smooth rock of faces. What was she thinking? The crowd began to shout, urging her to go back before she was at the point of no return.
Why would someone risk their life to get up and close with the monument? Was everyone safe, or would there be more danger surrounding the area? What could these strangers do to convince this woman to stop and turn back around?
Talent Teetering On Failure
With so many people constantly looking and taking pictures of the mountain, how could they have missed her getting this far? It was incredible to believe that she was scaling this historical mountain and without any equipment.
Even with talent and skill, the rocks were too smooth for people to grip onto. How far could she get before she would risk injury? She was racing against the clock, but help was on the way. Would they arrive in time?
Warning Signs
Getting this close to the mountains was hard to do. The tourist walkway had many fences and gates, plus cautionary signs. It was clear she knew she was breaking the rules. Why would she have risked everything to get this close? What could be so important?
Onlookers noticed two more details that prove this woman’s dedication to her task. These were simple things that she had clearly chosen to forfeit for this mission. What was the chance of her survival without these two important items?
No Shoes, No Problem
Looking closely at this woman scaling the President’s faces, folks began to notice she was climbing barefoot. The sun was hot, and they could only imagine how much her skin was burning, touching the smooth rock surface.
She was also climbing without a safety rope. Advanced climbers will lock themselves in case they slip as a safety precaution. She had no backup plan. It seemed like she was either going to be successful or die trying. Mothers began to sob in confusion and fear! Would this woman be rescued in time?
Park Rangers Reaction
The park had many rangers, and they were all trying to scramble and get this woman back to safety. Many had never witnessed something like this in all their years of park service. What was the protocol for a barefoot intruder that was risking their life?
As they yelled at her to come down, her only response was to ask them if it should be quickly or slowly. What did this mean? Rangers glanced at each other nervously. The fastest way down would be to fall, but why would anyone want to jeopardize their health with that choice? What could they do to persuade her she was making the wrong decision?
She Was Moving Fast
As Rangers were making a plan on the ground, the woman had already made it three-quarters of the way up the mountain. It was time to make a decision, and they knew they had to act quickly. If she wouldn’t listen to their demands, then it was time to take action.
Thankfully, she began to see the danger to her plan and agreed to come down. As she was supported by the Mount Rushmore ropes teams, it became clear she hadn’t planned anything dangerous, just enjoyed the challenge. Who was this woman? And why was she curious about what was inside this famous landmark?
A Family Trip With A Detour
The climber was identified as Alexandria Incontro. She was visiting the park with her family from Omaha, Nebraska. When she was safely on the ground, she was checked by medical officers but only had a few cuts and scrapes. Once she declined medical treatment, it was time to begin her punishment.
Climbing Mt. Rushmore is dangerous but also very illegal. Ms. Incontro was driven to the county jail to await sentencing. She was automatically slapped with a $1,000 fine. What would this mean for her family? Could they afford to pay her bail?
Who Was With Her
Alexandria Incontro wasn’t on a small family vacation. She was traveling with 19 family members plus her two children. With such a big group of people, how had she managed to sneak away? Why was she willing to risk going to jail instead of spending time together?
She didn’t seem to have an answer for the authorities. Instead, it seemed that she really just wanted to climb the mountain for the sake of it. Thankfully the judge dropped several charges against her, and she was able to travel home after paying the fine. She got fifteen feet from the top before descending, but what happened at the top?
Has This Been Done Before?
This isn’t a common occurrence, but Incontro was not the first or probably the last person to try and attempt to climb this monument. In 2018, 19-year-old Zachary Schossau was attending a nearby music festival and wandered over to the monument.
For Schossau, he had barely gotten off the ground before authorities stopped him. He quickly came down and said it was just for fun but still got stuck with a fine and criminal record. Who else has gotten burned by their curiosity?—this famous group!
A Political Action
Political groups have tried to scale or modify the monument over the years as an act of protest. In 1987, Greenpeace tried to hang a banner and gasmask on George Washington’s face. The arrest of the five Greenpeace members got almost 3 million in security updates to the site.
In 1987 was the first time people incurred jail time for the action of climbing the monument. The demonstration coordinator Michael L. Roselle served jail time instead of signing a 2-year probation document. When making his official statement, Roselle said, “it was clear these extreme measures were designed to restrict freedom of political expression.” But maybe it was to hide this secret within the mountains ...
What’s Inside Mt. Rushmore?
It might actually be worth climbing the monument if you get inside this secret room. While it took 14 years to complete, they made sure to create a secret sealed-off room. The room is located inside the part of the monument that is George Washington’s brain.
Inside the room is a legitimate historical museum holding rare documents. These documents include the US Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. There is also a short bio of each President found on the exterior of the monument. Greenpeace is the only group to manage a protest on the monument successfully, and it happened more recently than you would expect.
Incontro Was Not Incognito
The political activism group was successful in using the monument for their own purposes. In 2009 the group managed to successfully hang a banner of the monument for an hour. The banner read, “America Honors Leaders Not Politicians. Stop Global Warming”.
The group said it was trying to make a plea with President Barack Obama to take a stricter approach to climate change and global warming. Greenpeace in total has attempted to protest on Mt.Rushmore five times. Is it the monument's origin that makes them so upset?
Why Do We Have Mt. Rushmore?
The creator and designer of Mt. Rushmore were Gutzon Borglum. He said the original design of Mt. Rushmore was to “communicate the founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the United States." While a simple ethos, Borglum had a controversial past and association.
Borglum was approached by Doane Robinson, a historian living in South Dakota that wanted to pay homage to his native land's ancestors and bright future. His idea focused more on explorers Lewis and Clark and Lakota leader Red Cloud. Borglum already had his own political views and was planning to use the monument to showcase that.
Controversial Community
Borglum was associated with the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan and had already gotten their support with his exciting new structure. However, in 1925 he was fired from the monument committee, which at the time made national headlines.
Before the project had even begun, they were done with their head artistic direction. Who would the South Dakota community turn to next to organize the monument they envisioned would put their state on the map?
Reinstated At A Cost
After Borglum was fired, the project was at a standstill. No one knew how to move forward, so the government decided to bring the sculpturer back on. As long as he was a part of the process, he fought for more artistic integrity and was constantly put down by higher powers.
As the years progressed and international war broke out, the funding for the project was dwindling. On March 6, 1941, Borglum passed away and left the project in his son Lincoln’s hands. The government declared the project complete in October to stop excess spending, but where had the money come in the first place to build the monument?
Where Did They Get The Money From?
The money for the monument was being found all over! Both Borglum and Robinson were in charge of finding the funds. The first half of funding came from the federal government, specifically a bill signed by President Calvin Coolidge in 1927.
Borglum told the President in a state of pride that they had several European investors and would only require half the money from the federal reserve. Eastern investors did not appear however and the two men struggled with their own accounts to borrow the remaining sum. With Robinson’s design scraped, how did the local Native American community view the build?
Native Americans & Sacred Land
The land that was being proposed for the monument was on top of sacred land to the Lakota Sioux tribe. The original idea of Doane Robinson had included their representation, but now they had been completely forgotten. The land was referred to as the Black Hills and was promised to remain under Sioux ownership by the Fort Laramie Treaty.
The treaty signed in 1868 didn’t protect the tribe from the gold rush and invasion of settlers that were mining and digging for precious minerals. Less than ten years later the tribe sacrificed their land to receive food in 1973. The Black Hills are still regarded as sacred ground today.
Supreme Court Validation
The Lakota Sioux tribe never forgot the removal of their sacred land and petitioned the supreme court to make amends in the 1980s. They won the legal battle, and the land is viewed as sacred lands, prohibiting any further construction.
With the land being recognized as sacred land, it will at least protect it for years to come. Is the monument actually good for the environment, or did something that started off as meaningful turn into something terrible for the environment?
A Constant Reminder
The Lakota Sioux Tribe would prefer for the monument to be taken down. With the confirmation of the Black Hills belonging to the tribe, the faces of American presidents serve as a constant reminder of what they lost.
Taking down the monument has been discussed, but the issue is how to protect the land without causing a massive avalanche. Until a decision is reached, the faces of the presidents will remain. Did you know these other interesting facts about the Mt. Rushmore monument?
It’s On South Dakota’s Quarter
The state was able to get the monument engraved on their quarters. Each state has a personalized minted coin, and South Dakota was able to update its design to include the national monument and park connection.
The park containing the monument brings a majority of tourism to the state of South Dakota. For as long as the monument has been standing, does it require any maintenance? Is anything happening behind the scenes of these patriotic fathers' faces?
Will Mt Rushmore Crumble?
The type of rock that the monument is carved out of is granite and is actually great for withstanding weather and damage. In fact, it only erodes at a rate of one inch every 10,000 years. The deepest part of the monument is actually the noses, measuring at 5 feet.
Roughly it could take up to 600,000 years for the full monument to disappear or become unrecognizable. It's also amazing that the monument has only been cleaned once in all its years of existence. Who was the good samaritan to perform the patriotic duty?
Kärcher Corporate Sponsorship
The German family-owned company Kärcher is the only faculty to clean the historic face of Mt.Rushmore. Even more interesting, the company did it completely for free. The minds behind Kärcher saw a fascinating marketing opportunity and offered their services to the park free of charge.
The cleaning took a full year, starting on Independence Day, 4 July 2005, and was completed in early August 2005. You can watch the cleaning on the company’s YouTube channel. With bright fresh faces, do you know why each President was chosen for their place in the monument?
The Meaning Behind The Man
As previously mentioned, the original scale saw a member of the Native American culture represented on the monument. Instead, four Presidents were chosen, and historians have since explained the decision. Together the four presidents represent the founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the country.
Individually they represent a founding father (Washington) an author to the declaration of Independence (Jefferson), conservation, and industrial focus (Roosevelt). Finally, Lincoln is meant to represent men fighting for their nation at any cost, tragically as he died in office.
Who Was Building The Monument?
While the principles behind the monument can be explained, where did the 400 workers who built the structure with blood and sweat originate from? Luckily no one died during the monument's construction, but several workers died from damage to their lungs from dust inhalation.
The workers were mainly young men that had come to South Dakota hoping to find gold. Instead, they were recruited on minimum wages to help build Borglum’s vision. Everyone assumed there would at least be one other artist hired, but due to this story of drama, Borglum worked best alone!
What Does Mt. Rushmore & Crazy Horse Memorial Have In Common?
While both monuments are close by to each other, they represent different parts of history. Mt. Rushmore’s lead artist, Gutzon Borglum, needed artistic help and hired Korczak Ziolkowski. Unfortunately, due to Borglum’s ego, the pair could not work together.
The main thing Ziolkowski couldn’t believe was the Native history and connection to the land that the team was building Mt.Rushmore on top of. He decided to build his own monument and focused on the Native American leader Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse monument was started in 1948 and never reached its full artistic vision. How did the teams blow off steam after working on their monuments all day?
Let’s Play Ball!
The minds behind Mt. Rushmore, Borglum & Robinson decided to create an amateur baseball team to help build more investment interest. The baseball team also became a funnel for the two men's competitive nature and disagreements. They were so focused on the team that they began to hire workers who were better at baseball than manual skills.
Against all odds, the team did very well and, in 1939, took second place at the South Dakota amateur baseball tournament. It got Borglum & Robinson the press and investments they were searching for and also introduced Mt. Rushmore as an entertainment setting. Take a look at who has filmed at the historic site since.
Mt Rushmore In Movies
Since the monument became well-known across the United States, it became a popular filming location. Directors and crews had to be careful to preserve the site and not inflict any damage, which led to some very creative special effects.
You can famously see Mt. Rushmore in “National Treasure: Book of Secrets,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” and the sitcom “Deadwood.” It was also seen in “Team America” and “North By Northwest.” Without the Hollywood magic, how were the workers creating these famous presidential portraits?
How Did They Do It?
Since this was the first time for most workers carving anything out of stone, they relied heavily on their hands and dynamite. In fact, 90% of the mountain was carved with dynamite. By only using explosives, they removed more than 450,000 tons of rock and granite.
The team also employed young boys or call boys to sit on the side of the mountain and shout messages up and down to the operators. This would ensure the safety of speed and also let everyone know when to pump the breaks. At the end of the day, how much did Mt. Rushmore cost?
Total Cost Breakdown
The two men in charge famously went over budget. Borglum & Robinson really didn’t understand how much the project would cost them or how long the work would take. By the final year, Mt.Rushmore had a total cost of $989,992.32. It also wasn’t completed to the original design but was deemed completed to stop spending money.
The team had predicted they would finish in six years but in total took 14. They had no way to account for over eight years of delays due to the weather and sourcing out more investments. Have you ever wondered why Mt. Rushmore is named after someone who was never a President?
Who Is Charles E Rushmore
Charles E.Rushmore has his name on the mountain purely by fluke and timing. He was a landowner that would periodically stop by the badlands to hunt and check on his own worker's mining for gold. When construction started, he agreed to donate to the project and then asked what it would be called.
At the time, it didn’t have a name, and Rushmore suggested with his donation that his name should be on the mountain. Borglum & Robinson were in desperate need of money and couldn’t refuse. Rushmore, in total, donated $5,000 toward the sculpture. Years after his investment, what is being done to preserve the monument from weather and aging?
What Steps Are Being Taken To Preserve The Monument?
Several things are being done to make sure the monument lasts for as long as possible. In 1998, the Mt.Rushmore preservation society installed 8,000 feet of camouflaged copper wire to help disguise and contain over 144 hairline cracks. In 2009, the copper wire was replaced with fiber optic cable.
Overall the granite rock is incredibly strong and should not deteriorate or crumble for many years to come. Regardless of many people who come and try to climb it or use it as a protest site, the main concern is actually climate change and how that will impact the rock and its future.
The Future Is Happening In A Rush
The original purpose of Mt. Rushmore was to drive tourism to South Dakota. From publicity of stunts to visitors exploring the park, this original dream has come true. With new values and the ability to listen to all voices, it’s exciting to see what will happen in this location, with this monument in the years to follow.
While not every explorer or protester is as innocent as Alexandria Incontro, we can understand the curiosity and appeal to push yourself further. Remember, it is against state violations, and try to respect the park laws the next time you are visiting Mt. Rushmore.