This thesis documents a period of ecological and cultural change on a Willamette
Valley, Oregon landscape. In particular, this study examines the Peavy Arboretum area
and the cultural changes that accompanied the transformation of the landscape from an
oak savannah in the mid-nineteenth century to a dense Douglas-fir forest in the early
twentieth century. Culturally, the inhabitants of this period included late-prehistoric
native people, Euro-American based fur industry personnel, and Euro-American
settlers.
As a student of history and archaeology, I have used a combination of methods and
sources for this study including surface surveys for cultural materials and features,
archaeological excavations and analysis, and documented materials. Knowledge gained as
a result of surveys and excavations are studied within the context of other Willamette
Valley archaeology, and likewise, documented materials concerning this landscape and its
historic features and people are compared against larger patterns in the history of the
American West.
Geographically, the study area was in a fortunate position to witness cultural
events. Located along the edge of the foothills of the Willamette Valley, its many
desirable features attracted both native people and the first white settlers. The study area was also located along a main route of travel that was used by natives, fur company personnel, travelers, and Euro-American settlers. The section of trail has been a part of regional travel routes known at different times as the Hudson's Bay Company Trail, the California Trail, the Southern Route (Scott-Applegate Trail), and the Territorial Road.
The objective of this thesis was to see what kind of information could be retrieved for a given landscape using a variety of methods practiced in history and archaeology. I believe such a multi-disciplinary approach allowed me to be more flexible and open to all pertinent sources of information. This type of investigation also provided an example of the type of work that could be done professionally when determining the cultural significance of a property. My fascination with the study of landscapes and their cultural features was also influential in my selection of a thesis topic. / Graduation date: 1999
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/35214 |
| Date | 11 December 1998 |
| Creators | Hylton, Lindon B. |
| Contributors | Ross, Richard E. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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