October 4

On October 4, 1927, Danish-American sculptor Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers began sculpting four presidents – Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln – on the granite face of Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The idea was conceived to promote tourism in the region, and the presidents were chosen because of their role in preserving the Republic and expanding its territory. The images were completed and dedicated successively between 1934 and 1939. The project, which cost $1 million, was funded primarily by the U.S. government. Borglum continued his work at Mount Rushmore until he died suddenly in 1941. He had also hoped to carve inscriptions into the mountain outlining the history of the United States.