Willard Neal

Georgia's Stone Mountain Willard Neal

Every traveler, on first viewing Stone Mountain, has stood in awe at the foot of the looming monolith. Seasoned tourists and Georgia school children are affected just as pioneer explorers were. The towering rock is so impressive that each individual feels he is making the great discovery. Questions arise. How did Stone Mountain come to be? How old is it, and how high? Exactly how large is this biggest carving in the world. How was it done? Who did it? Who first saw Stone Mountain? What effects has it had on the development of our country?Thus, this book. It is dedicated to those who care enough to see and study the wonders of their country, and who, in their travels, have had the unexplainable and unexpected thrill of discovering Stone Mountain. Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock and the site of Stone Mountain Park, near the city of Stone Mountain, Georgia. The park is owned by the state of Georgia and managed by Norcross-based Herschend Family Entertainment. At its summit, the elevation is 1,686 feet (514 m) above sea level and 825 feet (251 m) above the surrounding area. Stone Mountain is well known for not only its geology, but also the enormous rock relief on its north face, the largest bas-relief artwork in the world. The carving, begun with aid from the Ku Klux Klan as a memorial to the Lost Cause of the Confederacy, depicts three Confederate leaders, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson-making it the subject of widespread controversy. The president of the NAACP called it "the largest shrine to white supremacy in the history of the world". Stone Mountain was once owned by the Venable Brothers, "as a memorial to the Confederacy." Stone Mountain Park officially opened on April 14, 1965 - 100 years to the day after Lincoln's assassination, although the park had already been in use for a few years. By 2015, it was the most visited destination in the state of Georgia. Stone Mountain is more than 5 miles (8 km) in circumference at its base. The summit of the mountain can be reached by a walk-up trail on the west side of the mountain or by the Skyride aerial tram.