Five hundred years on five thousand acres: Human attitudes and land-use at Nassawango Creek

Abstract

This study describes the environmental transformations that occurred on Nassawango Creek from 1500-2000 as it went from a Native American reservation to an industrial hinterland, and presently, to a preservation site. The purpose of this research is to compile, relate, and analyze the fragmented and turbulent history of Nassawango as it was altered by and reflects each respective stage. Humans were the driving force in determining the dramatic shifts in the ways in which the land was used. Understanding the relationship between the human perception of nature and the resulting land-use, allows for a more comprehensive appreciation of Nassawango as a historical place. Expanding the knowledge of the history of this landscape also makes the continued goal of historical, cultural and ecological preservation all the more significant.