In the authors words “ This book is an attempt to bring this period of American settlement and failure on the western Great Plains more fully into historical memory.”
The period the author is talking about is from 1854 to 1896. The region is southwestern Nebraska, western Kansas and eastern Colorado.This is region known as the High Plains.
This area is semi-arid shortgrass prairie – receiving about 10 – 15 inches of rain a year and in the words of American Geographer Warren Smith – rainfall is poorly distributed and droughts are frequent. Unfortunately for settlers in the mid to late 1800s Warren Smith wrote those words in 1920.
The author discusses how settlement of the west was encouraged - land grants were available through the well-known Homestead Act in 1863.
Before the Homestead Act there was other ways to encourage settlement.
- The Preemption Act of 1841 (kind of Homestead Act precusor).
Military bounty land warrants.
Morrill Act – also 1863 - gave states land to sell to finance colleges. States had an added incentive since more settlers on the land meant a larger tax base.
Railroad’s also received land as incentives – and wanted to sell.
The situation was setup where many parties were interested in encouraging settlement of the region – even by misleading potential settlers, among the ideas:
It was a widely held belief that “ …rainfall increased with settlement.” in the 1870s.
May be familiar with the “Rainfall follows the plow” idea – also the name given to episode 7 of PBS series THE WEST”.
Settlers were told that the planting of trees would bring more rain.
Samuel Aughey – one of my favorite foils – Minister and UNL professor of biology, stated in 1873 “ As civilization extends westward the fall of rain increases from year to year.”
The Neb Ag journal at the time – called Nebraska Farmer – predicted year-to-year increases in rainfall.
This book really displays a fascinating level of deception – some on which must have been self-deception.
After setting us up with background of the region and of the encouragement of settlements, author then plies us with the situation and stories of the settlers in the later years 1890-1896. The stories are of settlers up and downs (some heart breaking) and the ultimate downfall of most settlers and the abandonment of the region.
Points of interest, settlement:
Promotion of settlements and ease of access as more railroad lines were built, and the ending of the Civil War in 1865, increased the influx of people quickly. Example: Railroads reached North Platte Nebraska in 1866. Similar lines through Kansas reached the Colorado border in 1869.
Let me share a quick anecdote from the book that shows the speed of settlement: Wallace Wilcok: Left his family in the town of Benkleman Nebraska to stake out his land claim in the area. At that time he could see no other settlers from his claim. Having staked his 160 acres he returned to get his family and by the time they returned to the claim he could see 60 dwellings of other settlers around his claim.
The initial boom of settlers led to many being driven out due to low rainfall. High rainfall in other years would lead to another period of encouragement. So over several years there was a cycle of settlement. Periods of high rainfall in one year = more settlers trying their hand. Drought in other years devastated crops and people.
At the end of the book the author brings us up to date:
Though the region may be thought of as ‘successful’ with farming and ranching – at least more successful then early settlers found - the population of the region is small. The pattern of rainfall is unreliable – always waiting for the next drought. In the author’s word “…recurring drought, unreliable yet guaranteed.”
Dr. Wishart also wants us to realize that the shadow of global climate change, and its influence, hangs over the region.
I enjoyed the book – it displays the mindset of people and clears up much about a time and place that I didn’t know much about. If you’re interest at all in geography, the history of the Great Plains or simply wonder where the die-hard attitude of people of this region comes from, this is a great book for you. There is much more detail in this book than I have hinted at – this book is chalk full of facts – and let me just put a short cautionary note out there for those easily overwhelmed with facts, you might be overwhelmed. But don’t run away, stay for the stories and even the mood the book presents - it is worth it.