Environment and Experience: Settlement Culture in Nineteenth-Century Oregon

Peter Boag challenges the conventional view of settlers as hostile invaders of the American frontier by presenting a history of the Calapooia Valley in Oregon that demonstrates how settlers viewed their new surroundings positively and attempted to create communities in harmony with the landscape.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 228 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

The hardy pioneer who braved hostile environments such as arid lands, droughts, dust storms, dense forests, and harsh winters is a familiar figure in Western American history. In his groundbreaking, multidisciplinary work, Peter Boag challenges the prevailing image of the settler against the frontier, contending that settlers viewed their new surroundings with positivity and sought to establish communities in harmony with the landscape. Through the lens of Oregon's Calapooia Valley, Boag presents a comprehensive history of land and people, showcasing the transformative process as settlers populated the land and adapted it to their own purposes. By amalgamating local sources, including letters, diaries, early maps, and local histories, and employing the techniques of geography, natural history, and literary analysis, Boag has crafted a richly detailed grassroots portrait of a frontier community. Most notably, he analyzes the interconnections between environmental, cultural, and social changes, shedding light on the frontier experience across the American West. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which celebrates the University of California Press's commitment to seeking out and nurturing the brightest minds and providing them with a platform to express their ideas, reach a wider audience, and have a significant impact. Voices Revived leverages print-on-demand technology to make high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again, drawing from a backlist dating back to 1893. Originally published in 1992, this title remains a valuable contribution to the study of Western American history and culture.

Weight: 318g
Dimension: 210 x 148 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520306165