South Dakota historian Doane Robinson is credited with the idea of Mount Rushmore. Originally, he suggested using famous American West heroes like Bill Cody. The sculptor Gutzon Borglam ultimately chose to depict George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, four Presidents he felt played critical roles in both preserving the Republic, and expanding its territory. From his perspective, these four presidents were the driving force behind some of the critical historical events that helped shaped the United States.

Source