You are here

Mount Who? How Did This Famous Park Get Its Name?

Share
Mount Rushmore in 1905.

Mount Rushmore in 1905, before work began on the four faces. NPS photo.

The nearly 400 units of our National Park System include the names of some famous men and women, along with those of natural features and historical events, but the origin one of those monikers is a bit more obscure.

During a visit to Mount Rushmore National Memorial last summer, I overheard one of those classic tourist questions. A visitor walked onto the plaza behind the visitor center, gazed intently at the stone faces, and then turned to a park ranger standing nearby.

"So, which one is President Rushmore?"

Although the question may arouse despair among some educators and historians, it does give rise to an interesting inquiry. What notable achievement by someone named Rushmore resulted in the attachment of his or her name to an impressive natural feature? Was he a South Dakota pioneer, or a lesser-known military or political figure?

According to the park's website,

Mount Rushmore is named after a New York City attorney. Charles E. Rushmore was sent out to this area in 1884 to check legal titles on properties. On his way back to Pine Camp he asked Bill Challis [a local resident and guide] the name of this mountain. Bill replied, "Never had a name but from now on we'll call it Rushmore."

An interesting event, but other mountains around the world have probably acquired their names through serendipitous circumstances. I doubt that either of these men anticipated in 1884 that Mount Rushmore would eventually become a major tourist destination.

Four decades passed before a plan to attract more visitors to the Black Hills began to develop, but the original concept had nothing to do with presidents—or Mount Rushmore.

In 1923, South Dakota state historian Doane Robinson conceived the idea of a group of colossal carvings of western heroes such as John Fremont, Lewis & Clark, Sacagawea, and Buffalo Bill Cody. The goal was to "attract more people to the Black Hills of South Dakota," and the proposed location was not Mount Rushmore, but a nearby area known as the Needles.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum came to South Dakota in 1924 to survey the area for a suitable site for the carving. A park publication notes,

When Borglum inspected the Needles, he found them to be too thin and weathered to support sculpture on a grand scale. Borglum and the other carving supporters needed to find a new place to carve or abandon the project. It was then they were told about Mount Rushmore. When Borglum saw the mountain he pointed to it and said, "America will march along that skyline."

According to information from the American Folk Life Center at the Library of Congress,

Borglum was opposed to the idea of carving western figures, saying that it should be "a national monument commemorating America's founders and builders"... It was decided that the individuals who best exemplified the foundation, expansion and preservation of the Republic—Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt—should be the subjects of the memorial.

Anyone who visits the park expecting to find the face of President Rushmore will be disappointed, but I think it's safe to say that Charles E. Rushmore was proud of the transformation of the mountain that bears his name. He was reportedly one of the major donors for Borglum's project, and Rushmore's experience confirms that sometimes the key to fame is simply being in the right place at the right time.

Comments

Check out the Traveler article at this site, Frank C. Aren't you being a little harsh with us poor little overworked and underpaid Traveler writers?


Some sources credit David Swanzey with naming Mt. Rushmore. Swanzey was married to Carrie Ingalls, sister to Laura Ingalls Wilder.


Sure glad they decided to pass on using the Needles for the sculptures! They are a spectacular natural landmark that too many visitors to the area miss. In some parts of the country they might be considered "National Park worthy". But that's a well-worn topic...


As a descendant of Charles Rushmore, I know that Charles also did some of the legal paperwork and donated the largest donation of $5000 to get the project started. 


This is the true story of the mountain's naming.  It was named by David Swanzey, not Chellis.


Heidi- I had a Great Uncle named Charles Rushmore, from Michigan. Any chance we could be related?  I can be found on Facebook, AKA"Candi".  Contact me if you are interested. 


My husband and I just had the increadible experience of visiting Mount Rushmore, eager to find more information, I quickly got on the computer, unfortunately to my disappointment, opinions and imformation seem somewhat muddled to believe, or pass on to friends and family. All and all it is a moment in my life time, that I will cherish forever.


I know . That's the correct story .

 


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.