Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, North Carolina (where I live!) is essentially a whole other world. Some liken it to a "Disneyland" for the more historically-centered. Its history is wrought with questionable choices but its legacy teaches us much about economic history as well as class struggles. In this episode I explore the planning and building orchestrated by its creator, George Vanderbilt. In Part Two later this month I'll explore life at Biltmore and how it became the tourist Mecca we know it as now.

For further reading in environmental history around this time, as mentioned in the episode, I recommend: Natural Rivals by John Clayton.

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