Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Carved into the granite face of the Black Hills are the towering likenesses of four of our presidential leaders. Visiting Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a ceremonial experience. Upon approaching the site, we walked the Avenue of Flags, with flags representing all U.S. states and territories. This walk takes us to the overlook where the monumental sculpture emerges from the mountainside.
The faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln were sculpted between 1917 and 1941 under the direction of Gutzon Borglum. The project transformed raw stone into a lasting symbol of American ideals representing the nation’s birth, growth, development and preservation. The scale of this project is a part of the message as the mountain itself is enlisted in the act of remembrance.
Read More From Nancy
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site in Williston, North Dakota, preserves the most important fur trading post on the upper Missouri River. Established as a National Historic Site in 1966, the reconstructed fort tells the story of a bustling commercial center where cultures met, friendships were formed, and commerce shaped the future of the […]
Big Hole National Battlefield
On the East Coast, we speak of conflicts with Native peoples. We reference King Philip’s War in town histories and on roadside plaques, but we have not preserved large landscapes in the same way. There are markers. There are monuments. There are footnotes in local museums. But there are few expansive, protected battlefields with visitor […]
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
I have traveled with intention, seeking out the place that tells the fuller stories of the Presidents of the United States. Over the years, I have visited all the Presidential libraries, along with many of their birthplaces, homes and the lesser-known sites that reveal who these men were beyond their public offices. It is often these […]
