History Of Town Research Articles

Reshaping a hero: The real life and times of Archibald Richards

Some time after 1964 the publication, Kampvegters was released by Nasou Publishers in Cape Town. Kampvegters (n.d.) is a collection of stories about Coloured individuals and organizations that the author, George Manuel, regarded as important figures in the history of Cape Town’s community affairs. Most of them are obscure in the annals of South African history writing and also do not feature in the popular consciousness of the broader public. One such character is Archibald Richards, a sportsmanwho contributed to the areas of trade unionism, physical culture, athletics and medicine in Cape Town. The purpose of this study was to move Archibald Richards from a historical marginal figure to the epicentre of research. It was envisaged to present a more accurate image of Richards and to highlight his strengths and weaknesses. In order to achieve this, a scientific-historical enquiry was undertaken so as to contextualize Richard’s contribution towards society in his lifetime. This entailed a literaturesurvey of published and unpublished material dealing with the social history of Cape Town and interviewing persons who lived during the time of Richards. The research focused on specific local contexts as well as the diversity of human experience through the life of Archibald Richards. The study found that George Manuel presented a selected image of Archibald Richards to suit his particular view on leadership. All Manuel’s subjects in the collection were outside the leftist political groupings thatemerged in the 1940’s in Cape Town. Further historical investigation reveals that Manuel left out important data and manipulated historical detail in order to present Richards under the title: ‘Die onoorwinlike’ (the undefeated) (p.11). Manuel was a journalist and a public figure who unambiguously expressed his opposition to what he viewed as communist activity. He therefore brought Richards to the attention of the broader public in terms of the capitalist “sport creed”. This creed includes the displayed traits of character development, loyalty, altruism, social and self-control, fortitude, advancement, physical health, mental alertness, educational achievement, religiosity (Christianity), and nationalismand patriotism (Hendricks, 1995:116).

Mining Developments and Social Impacts on Communities: Bowen Basin Case Studies

Mining activities in Australia tend to be cyclical, with boom and bust times impacting upon associated communities. However, little information exists to classify key impacts or to identify how they vary across mining service towns. In this paper, qualitative social impact assessment techniques have been used to independently assess post-development impacts of mining on six communities in the Bowen Basin in Queensland, following the boom in coal prices between 2003 and 2008. The communities are similar in that they all have at least one mine in the vicinity and have more male than female residents but they differ in town histories, and the size plus growth rate of both their permanent and temporary populations. While the mining boom has been generating social and economic impacts, the pattern of the impacts appears to vary across communities depending on the size of the impact, community structure and history, and the extent to which a non-resident workforce is involved.

Exeter and the question of Thomas Sharp’s physical legacy

Whilst Thomas Sharp’s intellectual role as a pioneer in the history of town planning thought is difficult to dispute, the physical legacy of Sharp’s work as a planner is more problematic. This is partly because Sharp’s plans for specific plans were only partially implemented in the febrile context of British reconstruction planning in the 1940s, but it also reflects the fact that although aspects of design were set out, the physical implementation of Sharp’s plans was largely left to others. Nevertheless, the issue of Sharp’s physical legacy opens up questions about what might be expected from Sharp’s planning practice, as well as judgements about the durability of those aspects of Sharp’s plans that were implemented. In this paper, we explore issues relating to Sharp’s physical legacy through a case study of the past, present and future of post‐war development in Exeter, focusing especially on the Princesshay area, often cited as one of the most coherent expressions of Sharp’s plan.

Comercio y finanzas en una ciudad castellana de la segunda mitad del siglo XVII: los negocios de Juan Mateo Gutiérrez en Soria

This is a contribution to the social and economic history of Castilian towns during the second half of the seventeenth century, based on the study of the financial and commercial activities of a merchant from Soria, a city with many owners of transhumant shee and consequently an active wool market. The author pays attention to his main economic activities: wool trade; wholesale distribution of imported merchandise; credit sales of bulls to cart-drivers; short-term loans; administration of collected royal taxes, and transhumant sheeprearing, among others. Attention is also paid to the social and political profile of this merchant, and proves that, although he attained a high economic position, as it can be deduced through the analysis of the composition of the patrimony he left at his death, that he to be accepted in the local oligarchy.

Salado, Texas: Frontier College Town (review)

454Southwestern Historical QuarterlyApril past.James E. Crisp argues that historians should not attempt to erase embarrassing depictions ofdie past from the historical record—that there is much to learn from those very depictions about the society that initially accepted them. Don Graham makes a case for artistic license in historical movies, arguing that the obsession with historical accuracy in the 2004 film The Alamo robbed it of its impact. The selections in LoneStarPastsare diverse, and its contents will appeal to various audiences. It is an important contribution to the study ofcollective memory in general, and for those interested in die topic, the editors and other contributors, including Randolph B. Campbell who writes the conclusion to die book, do an excellentjob offamiliarizing the reader with the literature on the subject and placing Texas within the context of that literature. For historians and others charged with preserving and shaping memories ofthe past, the collection is also instructive. Finally, Lone Star Pasts will appeal to readers interested in Texas history who want to think about the Texas past in a fresh way. Texas State University-San MarcosAngela F. Murphy Salado, Texas: Frontier College Town. By Charles Turnbo. (Salado: Yardley Publishing, 2007. Pp. 316. Illustrations, maps, appendices, notes, bibliography, index. ISBN 978-0-97174-391-5. $30.00, cloth.) The town of Salado, Texas, located midway between Austin and Waco, is currently one ofthe most popular tourist destinations in Central Texas. It is also one of the most historic towns in the region. With a population of5,000, diis Bell County community is located in a peaceful and picturesque setting along a spring-fed creek. Salado boasts upscale boutiques, gourmet restaurants, and bed and breakfasts situated in stately nineteenth-century homes. The town's history dates back to 1848, when the first permanentsetdementwas established at Salado Springs. Local author Charles Turnbo ably chronicles the story from 1848-1924 ofwhat was once called "The Athens of Texas." Turnbo, a former federal prison warden enchanted with his chosen place of retirement, decided to write a book chronicling die community's formative period. After four years ofresearch on the project, he realized that any authoritative study of the community would have to prominendy feature Salado College, as the story of both are closely intertwined. Indeed, some of the town's current cachet may be rooted in the cultured and refined citizenry who were drawn to Salado because of its private college. Salado College was one of the first in the state "to recognize 'the right of women to a higher education and to an intellectual companionship and equality with a man'" (p. xiv) . Never a financial success, die college folded and later became a high school. Over the years, the campus's main building burned on three occasions. Although arson was suspected in all three cases, no one was ever arrested. Visitors can still see die ruins ofSalado College, where the crumbling walls and natural scenery make for an atmospheric setting. Turnbo wisely frames his story of Salado within the broader context of the Lone Star State, avoiding the common pitfall ofwriting a narrowly focused history 2??8Book Reviews 455 with limited appeal. Texas's empresario period, along with the founding of Salado and its college by E. S. C. Robertson, son ?? Empresario Sterling Clack Robertson, is featured in a chapter on Robertson's Colony. In crafting this section of Salado, Texas, Turnbo relied upon the Robertson Colony Archives at UT-Arlington as well as input from longtime Robertson Colony historian Malcolm McLean . Texas politics and political figures are well represented in Salado's history. James "Pa" Ferguson was born in Salado in 1871, and later earned notoriety as one ofTexas's most controversial governors. Ferguson's wife, Miriam or "Ma," was also born in Bell County and attended Salado College. Ma Ferguson succeeded her husband as governor after he was impeached for financial improprieties. She later won re-election to two additional terms. Reverend George Washington Baines, Lyndon BainesJohnson's great-grandfather, moved to Salado in 1867 so that his daughter could attend college there. In addition, the first chapter of the Texas Grange, or farmers' political party, was organized in Salado in 1873. The Salado...

The International Commission for History of Towns. Lecce, Italy, 11-13 September, 2008

The International Commission for History of Towns. Lecce, Italy, 11-13 September, 2008

The study of urban form in Ireland

Urban form is studied in a variety of disciplines in Ireland, but it has not, until recently, been central to urban studies. Histories of individual towns have usually been preoccupied with political, socio-economic and cultural issues. Archaeological excavations have made an important contribution to the reconstruction of Viking and Anglo-Norman towns. Map evidence is good for early-modern plantation towns. The Irish historic towns atlas provides detailed cartographic and topographical information for a growing number of towns within a chronological and thematic framework. Urban form is often considered as a container for socio-economic processes or as a marker in the search for cultural identity. Architectural studies have focused by and large on buildings of importance. While no Irish scholar has in a strict sense adopted Conzen’s method of town-plan analysis, there is evidence for the emergence of a new focus on the fabric of the urban area rather than on the special event represented by the particular building. The ‘cultural turn’ in the social sciences has favoured discussions on town plans as ideological constructs and on the importance of urban space for civic society. There appears to be an increasingly strong morphological perspective in urban studies which is likely to be a reaction to the loss of historical fabric in the context of large-scale urban renewal schemes.

America's boardwalks: from Coney Island to California

Gaudy, intoxicating, bright, loud, lucrative, and altogether American: they are our nation's boardwalks. The boardwalk was first invented for utilitarian reasons - so that beach-goers could stroll along the shore in their evening wear without tracking sand into train cars or hotel lobbies. But it wasn't long before the imagination of a country just becoming acquainted with the concept of leisure time transformed the boardwalk into something much more. In James Lilliefors takes us on a journey along the edges of the country to twelve of its most famous beach towns. Starting in the Northeast with Coney Island, Asbury Park, Atlantic City, Wildwood, and Cape May, we continue south to Rehoboth Beach; Ocean City, Maryland; Virginia Beach; Myrtle Beach; and Daytona Beach. In California, we explore the exotic scenes at Venice Beach and Santa Cruz. Lilliefors traces each town's history from the building of a boardwalk to what are frequently ambitious plans to revitalize and redevelop today. In every case, he shows how the boardwalk has been integral to the area's economic growth, status, and appeal. This richly documented and illustrated tale, however, tells more than the story of the birth and development of boardwalks. Weaving together observations and conversations with business owners, planners, and strollers themselves, Lilliefors reveals the vitality of the boardwalk as an idea, rather than just as a place. Boardwalks, he argues, are living monuments to American enterprise, a young country's founding dreams, and its unwavering optimism. Born at a time when the country was busy rebuilding and reinventing itself as an industrial and economic power, these lively seaside destinations seemed to herald a new life of relaxation, recreation, and middle-class prosperity. On the nation's first boardwalk in Atlantic City, you could find everything from a home of the future, to diving horses, kangaroo boxing, and the world's largest typewriter. With no admission gate, boardwalks were also a thoroughly democratic idea, inviting visitors from all social and economic groups to join the same parade. Even today, these glittering coastal hubs, with their always unique blends of people, sea spray, shops, inventions, and oddities remain a last frontier - a testament to the power of individuality in an increasingly homogenized world. From Thrasher's French fries in Ocean City to Mack's Pizza in Wildwood and Nathan's hot dogs in Coney Island, people still visit these resorts for products and pleasures that break the otherwise mundane stream of chain restaurants and retailers. Evoking the spirit, tastes, smells, and sounds that have become a beloved part of our nostalgia and that continue to lure new generations, this book is a deserved tribute to America's iconic seaside wonders.

‘Sea, Sail, Steam and Emigration’: The imagining of a heritage tourist town in the Republic of Ireland

ABSTRACTThis article reports on an ongoing project in the harbour town of Cobh, Co Cork, Ireland. In recent years, this town has been re-imagined as a site for the consumption of selected heritage stories and much emphasis has been placed on its marketing as a heritage tourist end-destination. A ‘heritage signature’ based on the localisation of Ireland's wider emigrant experience runs central to the organisation of Cobh as a tourist space. The construction of this heritage tourism identity is considered here, as is the way in which ‘tourist product’ is marketed in the town. It is found that tourist product is built on a very specific imagining of place and that the town's history as it relates to its location on a transatlantic axis is elevated above all other histories.

The International Commission for History of Towns. London, UK, 13-14 July, 2007

The International Commission for History of Towns. London, UK, 13-14 July, 2007

2006年度 都市史研究国際委員会(国際会議報告)

2006年度 都市史研究国際委員会(国際会議報告)

The castle town of Hikone and its future

The author, Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University and the University of Shiga Prefecture , of which he is also ex-President, completed his studies at the graduate school of architecture in Kyoto University. He has specialized in the history of town planning and Planning for Conservation; he has carried out surveys on the history and design of historical towns and villages in Kyoto and the Shiga area; and he has been involved in archaeological excavations and restoration works on Buddhist sites in Gandhara. He has also acted as Visiting Professor, International Research Center for Japanese Studies. The text that follows was presented at the international symposion on "Globalization and Local Identity, " organized jointly by the World Society for Ekistics and the University of Shiga Prefecture in Hikone, Japan, 19-24 September, 2005.

The castle town of Hikone and its future

The author, Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University and the University of Shiga Prefecture , of which he is also ex-President, completed his studies at the graduate school of architecture in Kyoto University. He has specialized in the history of town planning and Planning for Conservation; he has carried out surveys on the history and design of historical towns and villages in Kyoto and the Shiga area; and he has been involved in archaeological excavations and restoration works on Buddhist sites in Gandhara. He has also acted as Visiting Professor, International Research Center for Japanese Studies. The text that follows was presented at the international symposion on Globalization and Local Identity, organized jointly by the World Society for Ekistics and the University of Shiga Prefecture in Hikone, Japan, 19-24 September, 2005.

Urban histories of the French wars of religion

Urban studies understandably dominate the historiography and our comprehension of the French Wars of Religion. Social, religious and, more recently, political issues have all been in vogue in studies of the wars and, therefore, in the histories of towns. Confessional conflict and coexistence, relations between royal and municipal authorities, affiliation to Protestantism or the Catholic League, have all exercised urban histories. Key moments during the wars highlight the importance of the towns and the trauma they experienced. Yet, despite tension and division, urban communities had a shared concern in the maintenance of civic order and the defence of local integrity.

The skewing of history in Mexico

In this article, I consider the attempt by a group of activists in west Mexico to uncover the history of their town. Attention focuses on how group members understood the genre of history and why they believed that mastering the genre would help to revitalize their community. I also look at the difficulties faced by the group in living up to its own understandings of that genre and particularly in obtaining the right kinds of evidence to substantiate history. I show that the genre of history in this instance was skewed such that the town's history could only be known by persons in more central places, and I conclude by arguing that this linking of knowledge, place, and authority is typical of modern society.

Teachers as memory makers: Testimony in the making of a new history in South Africa

This article examines the use of testimony in the making of a new history in South Africa, situating this phenomenon in the context of public construction of memory and identifying history teachers as critical to the process. Through an ethnographic study of 16 schools that illuminates the use of teacher testimony in Cape Town history classrooms, the authors explore the nuanced use of testimony as a pedagogic tool and probe the role of history teachers as memory makers. Finally, this article assesses implications of teachers creating space for dialogical memory making in post-apartheid South Africa and outlines lessons of this experience for other countries in democratic transition.

Studies on the Jazīra, II: Dunaysir and its History

This paper looks at the history of the small Islamic town of Dunaysir in the Diyār Rabī'a region of Upper Mesopotamia, which flourished especially in the 12th and 13th centuries A.D. as an agricultural centre and market town, with a lively intellectual and cultural life. A local physician and scholar, Abū Hafs 'Umar b. al-Khidr al-Turkī(d. ca. 1242-1243) wrote a history of the town's notable scholars and literary men. It is important for being the only known history of the town, for its rich biographical information and for being the sole authority for a large amount of Arabic verse by Jaziran poets. Biographical notes on these notables are given, and some illustrative sections of the history translated.

Il Rigestum comunis Albe : la struttura di un liber iurium dal progetto originario alla fisionomia attuale

The Rigestum comunis Albe is one of the earliest libri iurium in Piemonte and it has been used for a lot of papers about history and diplomatics; nevertheless, after the publication of the critical edition (1903) the codex was lost. Its founding, in 2003, allowed to analyse the book's structure, to reconstruct its original appearance, to trace the events of its life, so that the liber is not only the case of the sources for the history of the town, but also the protagonist of its own history. The first part (1215) is a faithful reproduction of the whole content of civic archive; after that, periodical updates have been added. Moreover, the scribes used to record on its pages also different kinds of documents, such as banishment lists or statutes’ articles. The form and content analysis of the unities composing the liber let us understand that, in comparison to the orginal project, both their sequence and their number have changed. The use of keeping fascicles unbound, so to make them easier to use in communal offices, was often the cause of their misplacing: because of that, they have been bound in the wrong order and material that was not part of the book has been included. It is likely that there have been some losses, but they are impossible to quantify. So we see a picture of the Rigestum which is different from today’s, but the constant element is the book’s identity: although in changed conditions, it succeedes in meeting the communal records’ conservation needs that led to its drafting.

Tikriti regional identity as reflected in two regional myths and a folkloric tale

The subject of regional identity in the Middle East in general and in Iraq in particular has not received sufficient scholarly attention. Studies on the social history of various towns and regions ...

Generating Urban Lifestyle: The Case of Hong Kong New-Town Design and Local Travel Behaviour

The urban design of new towns embodies a movement and exchange system that has been consciously developed in relation to a set of expected human behaviours. In the history of new towns, these expectations have been variously fulfilled, but with rare investigations into the design causes. This study of Hong Kong new towns examines differences in travel behaviour between one early town and two later ones. While the general plans were quite similar and travel was expected to be the same in the towns, considerable differences were observed. Features of the town-centre design, details of the movement system and local environmental design all explain the differences in local behaviour. Differences in the size of the town, distance from the town centre and public transportation alternatives are all relatively unimportant in explaining the differences in local travel behaviour of residents. These findings point to the need for more empirical investigation into the effectiveness of urban design generally, and local environmental design in particular. Such findings could be highly useful in the continuing development of new and satellite towns in China.