Where Did This Name Come From?

That’s a good question! Is it named after someone? Here’s what we found out.

The iconic mountain that bears the giant stone faces of four U.S. Presidents is named after a lawyer from New York.

In 1884, Charles E. Rushmore was sent to the Black Hills in South Dakota to secure land for tin mining (on lands considered sacred by the Lakota Sioux). He spent many weeks exploring the area with guides, and at one point, he inquired as to the name of an impressive peak nearby. Since the mountain had no name, a prospector with him replied, “We will name it now, and name it Rushmore Peak.”

From then on, it was referred to as Rushmore Peak, Rushmore Mountain, or Rushmore Rock.

When the national memorial was finished in 1927, it officially became known as Mount Rushmore. 

Question no more!