Saturday, October 12, 2013

Stone Mountain Facts



1. The historical carving on Stone Mountain is the only memorial to a trio of Southern Generals and their horses: Jefferson Davis on Blackjack, Robert E. Lee on Traveler and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson on Little Sorrel.

2. The carving measures 90 feet tall, 190 feet wide and is 11 feet deep. It spans three acres and is larger than Mount Rushmore.

3. Granite originally mined from Stone Mountain was used in the foundation of the Georgia State Capitol building, steps of the east wing of the U.S. Capitol, dome of the Federal Gold Depository at Fort Knox, locks of the Panama Canal, and Frank Lloyd Wright used this stone to build the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. Because it was constructed from Stone Mountain granite, the hotel was one of the few buildings to survive the powerful 1923 earthquake.

4. You can only see one third of the entire mountain. It is estimated that it extends up to seven miles below the earth’s surface and into parts of North Carolina.

5. Between 1942-1945 more than 20,000 amphibious military transport DUKW vehicles known as the “Ducks” were produced and built by women. Stone Mountain Park is the exclusive place to Ride the Ducks in the State of Georgia.