Mount Rushmore was made.
Ben Bradbury Cheney -LRB- 1905 -- 1971 -RRB- was an American businessman and sports enthusiast active in Pacific Coast states .. Cheney founded the Cheney Lumber Company and is credited with standardizing the size of wall studs at 8 feet long by 2 inches thick by 4 inches wide , commonly referred to as a 2-by-4 .. Cheney is also known for his efforts in constructing Cheney Stadium in Tacoma , Washington .. Cheney Stadium. Cheney Stadium. Tacoma. Tacoma, Washington. Washington. Washington ( U.S. state ). In the lumber industry , Cheney established mills in Tacoma , Washington , and in Medford , Oregon .. Tacoma. Tacoma, Washington. Washington. Washington ( U.S. state ). Medford. Medford, Oregon. Oregon. Oregon. He also constructed mills in Greenville , Pondosa , and Arcadia , California .. Greenville. Greenville, California. Pondosa. Pondosa, California. Arcadia. Arcadia, California. California. California. Cheney came up with the idea of standardizing an 8-foot 2-by-4 around 1937 as a way to use timber that was wasted when railroad ties were cut out of large logs .. By 1940 , large railroad car loads of 2x4s were beginning to be shipped and used in construction .. As a sports enthusiast , Cheney sponsored sports teams in all the towns in which he was in business .. He held an 11 % stake in the San Francisco Giants .. Cheney is most famous for helping build Cheney Stadium in Tacoma , personally contributing $ 100,000 to cover construction overruns of the stadium .. Cheney Stadium. Cheney Stadium. Tacoma. Tacoma, Washington. A grinning , life-size bronze statue of Cheney , complete with scorecard and peanuts , occupies a front row seat in the grandstand of Cheney Stadium .. Cheney Stadium. Cheney Stadium. In 1955 , Cheney established the Cheney Foundation , a charity which encourages the growth and prosperity of communities where the Cheney Lumber Company was once active .. Cheney died in 1971 , bequeathing $ 10 million to his ongoing charity .