The installation of the Minutemen Silos in South Dakota was a smaller part of the larger Cold War economy. The economy at this time consisted of a large increase in government spending towards the military in order to increase its chances if nuclear war broke out between the U.S. and Russia. Another part of this economy, for example, was the freeway expansion backed by the federal government which was intended to aid the transport of military personnel and supplies (Heefner, 181). The Minutemen Silos were built in order to house nuclear missiles the U.S. military could launch in case of nuclear war, and in fact, the expanded freeways greatly aided the construction of these sites. These silos were planned to be built mostly underground, and the vast majority of the land chosen by the government was privately owned. This obviously caused much conflict with landowners, especially as the government was unwilling to negotiate the location of the silos or compensation for taking the land. In cases where landowners were unwilling to hand over their property, the government seized it by eminent domain.
The Minuteman itself was a prime example of what Eisenhower called the “military-industrial complex.” Through this combination of industrialization and military interests, the U.S. military was able to greatly accelerate progress in the field of missile development in South Dakota. In just four years, the missiles went “from the Air Force drawing board in 1958 to first deployment in the ground” (Heefner, 186). The creation of jobs through this project for residents in western South Dakota allowed the further industrialization of the military as well, since, despite conflicts regarding land ownership, many South Dakotans were eager for these opportunities.
I think a Minuteman silo was preserved both because there was a mandate to create a cold war park site (Heefner, 186), but also because of the efforts to preserve these silos beforehand. Heefner said that the NPS and Air Force personnel from South Dakota were the main people driving to preserve the silos, so the added interest on top of that likely allowed them to do so. I think the initial efforts to preserve them were perhaps the reason why one was left over in the first place, and it only took a mandate to create a national park for them to decide to hand it over. People also likely wanted a way to remember the war, as, even though there were no battles or military conflicts, there was still a sort of battle being fought in terms of technological power. The results of the military spending done in order to get ahead of the U.S.’s enemies was likely the closest America could get to having something of that sort. Lastly, with South Dakota already being a stopping off point for travellers along I-90 with sites such as Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, and the Black hills, it makes sense to add a Cold War memorial to the mix given its significance in the area.
Will Wright 