It was hypothesized that human locational decision tend to be consistent and,
more specifically, that pre-1830 pioneer settlers in southwestern Indiana selected
an identifiable locational niche for their farmsteads. As used here, the niche
concept implies only a portion of the landscape with specific locational qualities
rather than an organic model which suggests human parallels to a natural ecologic
system.
A total of 55 early farmsteads were located in a six county area of southwestern
Indiana (Gibson, Knox, Parke, Sullivan, Vermillion, and Vigo Counties). The assignment
of the sites to the pre-1830 period was based on either the documentation of an
early occupation or the presence of early site ceramics (creamware, pearlware,
refined white earthenware, or redware).
For each site, diverse physical and cultural/economic locational characteristics
were defined. While variation among sites occurred, some clear locational characteristics
could be identified. For example, the sites were generally located in the upper
part of the topography on slopes within the southern 180 degrees of arc, and on
soils which do not have severe restrictions for residential construction. They
are within a modest distance of navigable streams and early settlements, and much
closer to early road segments. In short, despite locational variations due to
individual isiosyncracy in selection as well differences in local environment,
consistent locational characteristics were apparent which defined elements of
the desired farmstead locational niche. [return to 1992 abstracts menu][continue to next]