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Episode Description
Sarah Beth Cox joins host Adam Camac to discuss the history and significance of Mount Rushmore. Sarah Beth is Lead Park Ranger Interpreter at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. You can find more information on the website for Mount Rushmore National Memorial and on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube under Mount Rushmore NPS.
1:23 – The origins of the idea for Mount Rushmore
2:25 – How Mount Rushmore ended up being the location that was chosen for the carving
3:33 – Where the name Rushmore comes from, who Rushmore was
4:17 – Background on the Black Hills of South Dakota, the area where Mount Rushmore is located, and the connection of the indigenous peoples of the area to the mountain
5:42 – The significance of the area to the indigenous peoples, who the indigenous peoples are living in the area
6:36 – Doane Robinson, Gutzon Borglum, Lincoln Borglum, who they were and their significance to the development and sculpting of Mount Rushmore, other people who were important to the development of the monument
8:55 – The original proposal to have the monument honor heroes from the American West instead of presidents, how and why the monument ended up honoring iconic American presidents instead of figures from the American West
10:40 – How the four presidents who are on Mount Rushmore were selected for inclusion on the monument
12:45 – Whether it is possible to add additional presidents to the monument or otherwise make significant adjustments to the monument
13:58 – The process of actually creating, carving, and sculpting the monument, the timetable and key milestones in the completion of the monument
18:39 – How many people worked on the project at any given time, how many people worked on the project in total across the entirety of its construction
20:36 – The backgrounds of the people who worked on the sculpting and construction of the monument, what the accommodations, conditions, and day-to-day processes were like for the workers once they got there and they started working on the monument
22:40 – Whether there were any deaths during the carving of Mount Rushmore
23:15 – Sources of funding and the amount of money spent on the construction of Mount Rushmore
24:23 – How the availability of funds and funding concerns affected the construction and development of the monument
26:22 – The Crazy Horse Memorial, how it fits into the area, how it compares to Mount Rushmore
28:59 – The impact Mount Rushmore has had on the economy, image, and tourist industry in South Dakota
30:18 – How many people visit Mount Rushmore each year
30:39 – Mount Rushmore in popular culture and movies, Mount Rushmore’s significance and role in American culture
32:32 – When Mount Rushmore began to be used as a measuring stick to measure leaders and presidents, Mount Rushmore’s role as a part of the great American road trip
35:19 – The experience of visiting Mount Rushmore, Mount Rushmore as a unifying location and symbol
37:16 – Resources where you can learn more about Mount Rushmore
Websites and Social Media Links Mentioned
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
The Associated Tribal Nations of Mount Rushmore National Memorial
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