Common Fields; An Enviromental History of St Louis / Edition 2

by Andrew Hurley

Overview

The confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers supported some of the earliest settlements in America.  From the Cahokia Mounds civilization to the flood of 1993, residents of the St. Louis region have depended on this landscape even as they have threatened its bounty.

In Common Fields, thirteen original essays tell of the city's constant tension between urban growth and environmental sustainability.  Geographers, archaeologists, and historians examine the relationship between the city's diverse residents and the environment on which their well-being depends.  Whether channeling the river, laying streets, or clearing the air of coal smoke, St. Louisans have shown great ingenuity in overcoming the hazards of city development.

And yet, our solutions to making the best use of the environment have only highlighted more basic societal questions:  How do we ensure liberty while providing equal opportunities?  How do we recognize uniqueness while eliminating barriers that prevent others' success?  The answers have everything to do with our ability to make sensible use of our environment-just as the rivers, fields, and city streets will forever shape the character of this city.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781883982164
Publisher:	Missouri History Museum Press
Publication date:	01/28/1997
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	319
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

 

Andrew Hurley is associate professor of history at the University of Missouri-St. Louis where he teaches urban and environmental history.  He received his Ph. D. from Northwestern University.  He is the author of Environmental Inequalities:  Class, Race, and Industrial Pollution in Gary, Indiana, 1945-1980.

Editorial Reviews

"The Missouri Historical Society Press can take considerable pride in having published Common Fields. This is a book that should add much to the conversation among St. Louis area residents about the past and present condition of their environment. At the same time, it should enjoy a much wider readership as well." --Phillip V. Scarpino in Public Historian, spring 1998

"Common Fields may inspire a new genre in the field of environmental history that focuses attention on individual cities. In fact, other volumes are now being crafted with the organization of Common Fields as a model." --Martin V. Melosi in Journal of American History, March 1998

From the Publisher