For centuries, explorers and pioneers told of a place in Georgia where there was a gigantic mountain of solid granite resembling "a great gray egg lying half-buried on a vast plain." In time, Stone Mountain, 15 miles east of Atlanta, became a local landmark. In 1915, it was decided that the mountain's sheer north face would be a good spot to carve a lasting memorial to the lost cause of the Confederacy. This proved to be easier said than done. Before the project was completed, one of Georgia's top tourist attractions was established around Stone Mountain's base.