In 1923, historian Doane Robinson thought of an idea to attract more people to the Black Hills of South Dakota - a huge sculpture honoring heroes of the west. The next year, sculptor Gutzom Borglum began work on Mount Rushmore. Borglum chose Mount Rushmore because it was the largest mountain in the vicinity and it faced southeast - where it would receive direct sunlight. Next, the subjects of the sculpture were chosen: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt (different from Robinson's plan). Each face of the sculpture was individually dedicated upon completion. Gutzom Borglum died in 1941 at which point his son, Lincoln, took over construction of the monument. It was finished in 1942. Today, over two million people visit Mt. Rushmore each year.