Cultural Landscape Proposal

1. The cultural landscape of Talbot County on Maryland’s eastern shore, for several years, has been populated chiefly by farmers and watermen who lived off of the land around them. They used the land for their own benefit, but were careful to preserve it and not change it into something completely different. The town of Easton in Talbot County served as a central location where a cross-section of the people that inhabited the surrounding area could be found. Key artifacts found here include boats, pickup trucks, and farming equipment such as combines and tractors.


2. In my investigation into the changing landscape of Easton and the Talbot County area as a whole, I will use the axiom of landscape as clue to culture as well as the historic axiom described by Lewis. I plan to use these to better understand the history of the area as well as reasons for the importance placed on objects, traditions, and practices used by the people of Talbot County. In addition, I will draw from Korr’s model. In particular, I will use the section on perceptions in an attempt to determine what people from the area as well as people from outside of the area believe the landscape means.




3. Works Cited
Burgoyne, Mindie. Easton. Grand Rapids: Arcadia, 2007.

(This source contains photographs of famous landmarks in and around Easton, including those that are not there anymore. This will help me explore the historic axiom detailed by Lewis and give me a sense of the how Easton’s landscape has changed over time.)

Claggett, Laurence. Easton. Grand Rapids: Arcadia, 1999.
(Similar to the above source, this book shows how Easton was in years past, giving an idea of how the area has changed over the years.)

Hunt, Shirley H. The Vanishing Landscape.
(This source takes a look at not only Talbot County, but the rural landscape of America and how it has been slowly disappearing, giving way to urbanization.)

Prade, Joy. "Easton backs east-west connector." The Star Democrat 26 Sept. 2008.
(This newspaper article is a current look at the politics and decisions being made to transform Easton into a larger, commercial business driven area as opposed to one driven by agriculture.)

Tietjen-Smith, Tara, Lee Waller, Jason Davis, and Michael Copeland. "Urban versus Rural Community Colleges: A National Study of Student Gender and Ethnicity." Empirical Research 6 (2008). 13 Oct. 2008. 7 Nov. 2008 .
(This academic journal examines several differences between rural and urban landscapes and why urbanization is a growing trend in several areas, not just Talbot County.)



4. The town of Easton has become the epicenter for a cultural shift in Talbot County, one that favors urbanization over rural areas. This trend can be seen across the United States, and is not limited to the Talbot County area.