Applied History

I am surprised that I had never heard of “odology” before this week’s reading on J.B. Jackson. It seems to encapsulate that clichéd American ideal of being footloose, and fascinates me on a personal level since I have always loved driving for the sake of sightseeing.

In Chapter 5, Timothy Davis speculates about the future of odology in light of the lack of contemporary “Jacksonian approach[es] to landscape studies in general” (76). (Maybe the fact that I had never so much as heard the term “odology” until now implies that Davis’ fears were well founded.) It is true that cultural landscapes and roads themselves have changed since Jackson’s time; however, these changes should not be the demise of odology’s significance to American cultural studies.

Perhaps Jackson’s approach is not now irrelevant, as Davis wonders, but evolving. I think that cultural landscapes can and should be studied on an ideological level in addition to the physical; while physical landscapes may change drastically over time, there is of course significance in how they change, and even behind the implication of change itself. More than just canvases for cultural expression as Jackson saw them, roads are also ideological symbols themselves. Old scenic byways and the interstate highway system, for example, denote different underlying American values, and their respective decline and development demonstrate how cultural ideologies have changed over time. George Henderson most clearly acknowledges this ideological approach to landscape studies in Chapter 11 in his identification of “landscape as discource”—“the idea that the landscape is an ideological expression” (182).

In Chapter 1, I was interested in learning background information about J.B. Jackson that included his education, traveling, and variety of people that influenced his life and his education.  Although he had experiences with wealth and privilege, he also valued the hard work of manual labor and balance in his own life.  He spent time at private boarding schools in the United States and Europe which resulted in him being fluent in Spanish, French, and German.  Jackson also tested the waters in college until he found the right fit.  He served in the U.S. Army, worked as a publisher and editor for his Landscape magazine, and taught college courses at Harvard, Berkeley, and other universities.

Jackson spent time in both Europe and the United States which gave him a somewhat new perspective on his interpretation of the American landscape.  He saw the importance in the everyday lives of Americans and how the architecture, countryside, shopping centers, and roadways represent us.  “Winston Churchill put it simply when he wrote, “We shape our buildings, and then they shape us”  (Jackson, 2003, p.15).

The Churchill quote reminds me of Jackson’s interest in the American highway landscape in chapter 5.  Professional publications found the roadside signs and silly architecture ugly, and low class.  However, Jackson viewed it as unique and fun.  In part he understood how some may view the large overpowering signs as ugly to the landscape, however he understood the economic reasons for roadside restaurants, hotels, and gas stations using that type of advertising to the masses.  Chapter 5 also touches on the socioeconomic climate during the 50s & 60s in which people had more leisure time and income that they could spend money on their automobiles and spend time traveling, or going on a scenic drive.  Henry Ford and the automotive boom greatly changed the roadways of America, and increased government spending on roadways.

Also, what kept coming to my mind after reading the text were the many connections or themes between American lifestyle, socioeconomics, advertising, leisure time, and how they influence modern architecture.



J. B. Jackson’s article “To Pity the Plumage and Forget the Dying Bird” provided a fascinating look at how class affects concepts of landscape and how those who attempt to address perceived problems do not look at the more serious underlying issues that affect those in poverty.  I found it interesting that Jackson could identify what seems like social problems as failures in landscape.  Using environmental designers to fight poverty sounds intriguing, and I wish Jackson would have elaborated more how solutions could come from rethinking neglected landscapes that fall victim to outdated and unwieldy planning or even the lack of planning.  He mentioned the problems of unpaved roads, outdated grid systems in rural areas, and dying city or commerce centers, but I would have been interested in how landscape could be used for social and economic justice.  This article gave landscape agency to help or hinder the lives of those who occupy specific regions and add more use and value to the concept of landscape beyond aesthetic appeal.

My family took the jingle “See the USA in your Chevrolet” to heart in in the 1960s and 70s. We logged thousands of miles in our Chevy Nova station wagon. By the time I graduated from High School I had driven through 41 states. Grady Clay’s description of his cross section method brought back lots of memories of our travels off of interstate highways. We were on the road to meet people and to see and learn about different places.

I like J.B. Jackson’s name the “Stranger’s Path” as a way to learn about an unfamiliar place. The “Stranger’s Path” could also be the “Insider’s Path” for those who live in a particular city. My family moved to Boise in 1973. I learned to drive here long before the construction of the roadway we call the Connector and I was a teenaged shopper here pre-Boise Towne Square Mall. I lived away from Boise for several years in the 1980s and when I moved back to Boise in the 1991 I had to decide how to deal with the change in traffic patterns and the emptiness of Boise’s downtown. I didn’t use the Connector because I still knew perfectly good ways to get places and driving so far out to the mall seemed inconvenient. Now I’m just stubborn. Friends who’ve never known Boise without the Connector or the Mall are always interested to ride with me and see which route I’ll take. I’m always surprised by their comments about how they’ve never seen certain parts of Boise.

I love reading travel books that include lots of history and human interest stories. Here are some of my favorite book titles about “roadtrips” in the U.S.:

Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo. The author revisits a “roadtrip” taken by Harry and Bess Truman after they left the White House. Harry Truman was the last President able to travel with freedom as a private citizen.

States of Mind : A Search for Faith, Hope, Inspiration, Harmony, Unity, Friendship, Love, Pride, Wisdom, Honor, Comfort, Joy, Bliss, Freedom, Justice, Glory, Triumph, and Truth or Consequences in America by Brad Herzog. The author and his wife traveled the United States visiting towns with these names.

On the Road by Charles Kuralt

Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

A book on my “to read“ list:

The Magic Bus: An American Odyssey by Douglas Brinkley. The author is a college professor and historian I heard speak at the Idaho Humanities Council dinner last fall. He takes students for on-the-road class experiences to historical sites and to meet people involved in politics and literature.