Historic Preservation and the Imagined West - Essay Example

Historic Preservation and the Imagined West Introduction With the passage of time, civilizationsbecome replaced by new generations and each new generation builds upon the developments of the previous one. It is because of the same reason that it is commonplace for old cities to become replaced by new cities. As time passes, old structures are replaced by new ones and eventually there comes a point when almost none of the new structures exist and the few that remain become famous as the city’s historical heritage. In the process, this paper will attempt to highlight the manner in which cities evolve over time and the causes that lead to the development of cities. It is essential to note in this regard that since the purpose is to present the major causes that lead to the development of the cities in question to their current forms, special attention will be given to the events of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Denver Denver saw population grow when it became known as a part of the Gold rush that came forth in the mid-19th century. The first hundred thousand that settled in the region that is now referred to as Denver were gold diggers and miners. It was common to find establishments designed to cater to the gold diggers and miners and it was not until a decade or two that the first attempts to populate Denver were made by General William Larimer (Ubbelohde, Smith and Benson). As the nineteenth century came to a close, the city became filled with the families and off springs of miners and the increase in influx of people continued as shouts of the discovery of silver became louder. Denver became the Las Vegas of late 19th century. This trend continued right up to the Second World War. The post Second World War era hailed the transformation of Denver into a modern day region (Morley). New housing projects were introduced to replace the ones that had been present in the 19th century as Denver moved from being a city that thrived on tourism and gambling, to a city that became known for being an important manufacturing hub in the region. It can be observed in the case of Denver that very little of the old Denver remained once the 20th century began to acquire momentum. As Denver became an economically and industrially active part of the region, it began to show potential that made people forget about the possibilities of gambling and hailed them towards the lucrative possibilities of manufacturing. Denver was one of the few regions that welcomed change and chose to relinquish the heritage that was rooted in the old structures that constituted Denver. As politics became intensive in the region, Denvers reputation as an industrial hub became reinforced. It took the region time in moving from a produce-based economy to a manufacturing based economy. This is because the transformation of the region into a manufacturing based economy required an increase in the number of factories and assembly plants. The city previously made use of the mining industry that had been going on since the time of the Gold Rush and the post-World War Two era required the region to shift to a more industrialized structure; thereby warranting the replacement of most of the regions structures. Seattle If the pages of history were to be explored for Seattle, then it can be observed that modern day Seattle began to peek through the pages after the Great Seattle Fire took place. Not only did the fire literally because a major part of the city to be replaced by new structures, but it also created jobs for people. This attracted individuals associated with the construction and design industry to come to Seattle and the expansive city became primed for the Klondike Gold Rush (Morley). One of the most notable characteristics of Seattle’s evolution is the fact that Seattle became a centre for immigrants. As the Gold Rush allowed the region to jump start out of the depression, immigrants from around the world flocked to Seattle to take advantage of the progress and development. The administration soon began to shape Seattle so that business could boom further and the city could thrive on. The developments that were made in this regard were mainly associated with the management of the citys expansion and the maintenance of the citys structures (Pomper). Regions in Seattle that had the capacity to accommodate them were furnished with parks under contracts from firms that were hired for this very purpose. The Olmsted Firm is frequently considered to be responsible for the designing of the skeletal structure of modern day Seattle. World War one saw Seattle experience an economic boom, followed by a slum that went on until World War Two started (Mann). However, it was not until companies such as Boeing and Microsoft set foot into Seattle that a stable economic flow was observed in Seattle. Albuquerque Perhaps none of the cities discussed above have experienced a preservation of heritage the way that Albuquerque has. The old town of Albuquerque can still be seen in the old part of town and has been kept alive to ensure that cultural roots are not forgotten or left behind (Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau). What saw origins as a military and farming outpost of the famous Spanish empire of the 18th century became part of the booming southwest as the 20th century saw dawn. Albuquerque has always been sensitive about losing its cultural heritage and old structures are rarely torn down. The city has a tradition of preserving old structures and creating new ones when required instead of replacing the old structures altogether. Some of the structures in Albuquerque that collapsed or wore out with the passage of time were rebuilt in order to preserve Albuquerques historical heritage. An example can be found in the San Felipe de Neri Church Chapel that collapsed in the 18th century (Morley). To this day the church remains a monument to the relevance that Albuquerque has always given to culture and heritage as the thick walls of the church stand as the highlight of the Old town of Albuquerque. Old Albuquerque remained isolated from new Albuquerque for nearly half a century and did not become a part of new Albuquerque until a few years before the First World War began. This allowed old Albuquerque to continue developing traditional values. Since the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad did not connect to the old Albuquerque at first, old Albuquerque managed to remain unaltered until the region eventually became a part of new Albuquerque on account of the rapid expansion of new Albuquerque. This led to the inception of what is known as the city of Albuquerque today; a mix of intact heritage and modern day development. Conclusion The above discussion is a reflection of the manner in which the cities discussed above evolved over time and old structures were replaced by new ones. It is not only an insightful reflection of history but it is also an indication of the manner in which cities evolve. The cities in question followed a slow, steady and highly structured route towards development. The men who were responsible for the development of these cities did not merely seek to build structures that could replace the old ones, but those that were meant to satisfy the needs of coming generations. It would not be unfair to bring this paper to a concluding note with the inference that the evolution of man is reflected most clearly through the evolution of cities. The evolution of cities represents the development of societies and social structures. This is because the replacement of each old structure with a new one does not simply indicate that the former structure was no longer adequate, but also indicates that the social structure that the former establishment was adhering to no longer exists with the same influence as it did before; change is in the air every time plans are made for the development of a city. Works Cited Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau. History of Albuquerque. 2010. 14 December 2010 . Mann, William A. Landscape architecture: an illustrated history in timelines, site plans, and biography. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1993. Morley, Judy Mattivi. Historic Preservation & the Imagined West: Albuquerque, Denver, & Seattle. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2010. Pomper, Steve. Seattle: Remarkable Events That Shaped History. Guilford: Globe Pequot, 2010. Ubbelohde, Carl, Duane A. Smith and Maxine Benson. A Colorado History. Boulder: Pruett Publishing, 2006. Read More