The son of Danish immigrant, Borglum is best remembered for two grand projects, the carving at Stone Mountain and the carving at Mount Rushmore. Each story had vastly different outcomes. The carving at Stone Mountain, a tribute to the Confederate leaders, was under the control of the Ku Klux Klan. Borglum, who could be described as "headstrong," went into the project with his own ideas of how the mountain should be carved. While the Klan was willing to allow him control of how the carving was to be done they were not willing to cede creative control. As a result, Borglum ended his relationship with the group by fleeing the state, never to return. In 1927 work began on Mt. Rushmore and continued under Borglum's supervision for 13 years. It is considered an engineering marvel.