George Washington, Father of the Nation

Gutzon Borglum, being very patriotic, was convince that a monument to the presidents would be better than a monument for western heroes. He also felt that it would draw more visitors.

On his first trip to South Dakota he had made a few sketches of ideas which he thought would represent the founding fathers and preservers of this nation. Those who said, "Man has a right to be free and to be happy." Therefore, he continued to work on ideas similar to his early sketches.

The first choice had to be George Washington, the commander in chief of the American army and the founding father who had led the nation in its fight for independence.