Notable Historical Events of October 31st
Oct 31, 1941:
Mount Rushmore National Memorial Completed
The Monument
On October 4, 1927, in the black hills of South Dakota, construction began on a monument to four American presidents who played a large part in history. Those people are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. The Monument was designed and constructed. This work was led by the sculptor Gutzon Borglum who was contracted by Doane Robinson. With 250,000 dollars in funding and around 400 workers, it was completed after 14 years, even though it would take blasting 450,000 tons of rock to sculpt the 60-foot-tall monument.
The idea for the monument came in the early 1920s, originally named “The Needles.” They were designed to represent important historical figures and attract tourism to South Dakota. Initially, other people were considered for the monument, including Red Cloud, a Sioux chief.
In the end, the four presidents were chosen for their importance to America, with George Washington being the first president, Thomas Jefferson for the Declaration of Independence and the Louisiana purchase, Theodore Roosevelt for his industrial efforts in America and other efforts in conservation, and Abraham Lincoln for his preservation of the nation during the Civil War.
The Legacy
Today, the Mount Rushmore monument stands as a “Shrine of Democracy.” Furthermore, it attracts around two million visitors a year. In 1991, it underwent a $40 million restoration project after its 50th anniversary. A model of it was also featured in the Alfred Hitchcock film, “North by Northwest.”
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