Doane Robinson

Born in 1856 in Wisconsin, Doane Robinson moved west after working in journalism and eventually made South Dakota his home. He became a newspaper editor and later served for many years as the state’s historian, building a reputation as one of the most active champions of South Dakota’s past.

Robinson wrote extensively about the region and worked to collect documents, stories, and records that might otherwise have been lost. His interest in history was practical as well as scholarly: he wanted people to know the story of the state and to feel connected to it.

He is most often remembered today for suggesting in 1923 that a monumental mountain carving in the Black Hills could attract visitors to South Dakota. That early idea led to the creation of Mount Rushmore, linking his name permanently with one of America’s best-known landmarks. Robinson died in 1946.