Taming the Wilderness
Rivers, Roads, Canals, and Railroads
(This is an online version of a 1996 exhibit that was held in the Weaver Gallery at Conner Prairie.)
Introduction
The settlers of early America viewed "nature" and the "wilderness" in many ways. They saw the vast land stretching before them as both foreboding and inviting, equally a commodity and a gift. Depending upon their beliefs it could be the home of God or the dwellingplace of the devil. Cognizant that danger might lurk within the unknown, they were also certain that opportunity awaited.
Most of those venturing into the "new" land wished to "tame" it, to exploit its varied riches, to impose "civilization" upon it. Thus, the move west may be seen as both a moralistic andphysical attack on nature. Carrying their tools, possessions and beliefs, they set forth on trails they envisioned as roads, pushed forward into the forests they hoped to cut away to reveal towns.
This exhibit explores some of the rivers, roads, canals, and railroads which served as avenues of growth and facilitators of change. It looks at the pathways, people, and conveyances responsible for the fomenting of a transportation revolution and the "Taming The Wilderness."