Mt. Rushmore and Keystone

In the heart of a geological upthrust, four presidents, memorialized in granite, gaze across the rugged country of South Dakota’s Black Hills. At the foot of the mountain lies Keystone, a small community indelibly linked to the carving of Mount Rushmore. In 1876, prospectors swarmed into the central Black Hills in search of gold. While they did find it, these early miners also found other minerals, such as tin and feldspar. By the turn of the 20th century, Keystone was well-known for its mineral riches, but also for the boom and bust cycles that often accompany mining. The town’s future was guaranteed in 1925, however, when Gutzon Borglum, a noted sculptor, arrived to secure a location for a monument to American democracy. Borglum drew heavily on the skills of Keystone miners, putting them to work on a mountain that would soon portray the images of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. In this book, readers will find vintage photographs—many never before published—that, along with engaging narrative, tell the story of Keystone and the carving of Mount Rushmore.