Mount Rushmore still disputed on the basis of the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie (see section "Controversy" below). Among American settlers, the peak was known variously as Cougar Mountain, Sugarloaf Mountain, Slaughterhouse Mountain, and Keystone Cliffs. It was named Mount Rushmore during a prospecting expedition by Charles Rushmore, David Swanzey (husband of Carrie Ingalls), and Bill Challis. Historian Doane Robinson conceived the idea for Mount Rushmore in 1923 to promote tourism in South Dakota. In 1924, Robinson persuaded sculptor Gutzon Borglum to travel to the Black Hills region to ensure the carving could be accomplished. Borglum had been involved in sculpting the
Mount Rushmore in popular culture operates as the Hotel Alex Johnson. The "North by Northwest" appearance has been parodied in several venues. In "North by North Quahog", a 2005 episode of the animated series "Family Guy", Mount Rushmore's forested plateau was the location of the villain's home, and characters Peter and Lois are chased down the monument by Mel Gibson. In "Richie Rich", the Rich family's imitation of Mount Rushmore becomes the setting for the film's finale, echoing the finale of "North by Northwest". Alan Weisman, in his book "The World Without Us", suggests that the Mount Rushmore memorial could last up to 7.2 million