Statue # 3: Thomas Jefferson
Rapid City, South Dakota
Although Thomas Jefferson served two terms as President (1801-1809) and is historically regarded as one of America's best -- worthy of a spot on Mount Rushmore -- he preferred to be remembered for his authorship of the Declaration of Independence, which he'd written a quarter-century earlier. His bronze statue, by Edward E. Hlavka, shows him standing at a desk wearing big-buckled shoes, quill in hand, penning some final flourishes to his famous pre-President document.
Amazing Arcana of the Presidents
Jefferson was probably our greatest presidential nerd. One of his projects, which took eight years, was to track the first and last appearances of 37 different vegetables in the markets of Washington, DC.
[Discover more fascinating details in the Roadside Presidents iPhone app!]
City of Presidents
Since 2000, Rapid City has commissioned and installed bronze statues of every former U.S. President on its downtown street corners. Visitors are encouraged to take a walking tour of the City of Presidents and inspect the nation's metallic Commanders in Chief. Paper guides are available year-round at the city's main Visitor Center at 512 Main St.