David Jones last NELL program for the season

David Jones, Historical Presentations, was the speaker for the last of the Spring 2026 Northern Exposure to Lifelong Learning (NELL) programs.  Mr. Jones program “Mt. Rushmore: The Carving of an Icon”. 

He shared a lot of information starting with assuring everyone that Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monuments have nothing to do with each other.  Mt Rushmore took 14 years to complete; 1927-1941. The sculptor was Gutson Borglum.  He died before completion and his son Lincoln Borglum worked the final drilling.  

Mr. Jones shared why each president was chosen.  George Washington representing the birth of the nation. Thomas Jefferson for the past expansion of the U.S. (Louisiana Purchase).  Theodore Roosevelt for the development of the country(Panama Canal). Lastly, Abraham Lincoln for preservation of a nation (Civil War).  

Additionally, Jones shared some statistics on the monument:  450,000 tons of rock was removed. 90% of the time dynamite was used, jackhammers the rest.  Pay was .50 cents to $1.50 for the more skilled carvers.  No hard hats were used. Workers transitioned from mining under ground to hanging off the side of the mountain 40 stories high carrying the jackhammers 40-60 pound jackhammers. There were only two accidents and zero deaths.  In the years after completion some worker came down with Silicosis, a lung disease caused from inhaling the fine dusts.  

Finally Jones remarked that the monument was never “fully finished”. The pile of rock at the base of the monument was supposed to have been removed but there was no money left.   

In addition to this being the final spring 2026 NELL program, David Jones has retired.  He is no longer booking speaking engagements.  After 30 years and more than 2500 presentations all over MN, the programs scheduled through November are his last.  Jones was a speaker for NELL at least 10 times.