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Mar 21, 2023 44 min

The Wilderness Tool

from 99% Invisible Hosted by Lasha Madan

Vintage crosscuts that were made between 1880 and 1930 are often the tool of choice for trail workers who maintain the country’s roughly 112 million acres of protected land. That’s ahead of chain saws and newly made crosscuts. And the reason this old tool has stuck around so long -- even in an age when there’s a newer, better gadget coming out every year -- it goes way beyond the physical saw itself. The rise, fall, and unexpected second life of the crosscut saw is also the story of how America created the very concept of wilderness. The Wilderness Tool Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

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The rise, fall, and unexpected second life of the crosscut saw is also the story of how America created the very concept of wilderness.

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The Wilderness Tool

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This episode was published on March 21, 2023.

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