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Just read a really interesting book pertinent to much people discuss here, called Visions of Paradise: Glimpses of Our Landscape's Legacy. It was written by a professor of Architecture and Natural Resources at Ohio State University, John Warfield Simpson.
I picked up this book just by chance, had no idea what it was about, and was soon spellbound as this tale of the development of our national attitudes toward land use began right in our backyards-- Franklinton, Worthington, central Ohio. For some who don't live in Ohio, this book might be a bit academic and fusty, but as for me, I couldn't put the thing down. It starts with Native American habitation of central Ohio, and follows the expansion of the US southward and westward, all the way to detailing early landmark environmental cases. Getting in depth into the lives of policy makers, businessmen, park planners, philosophers, pioneers, farmers, and prophets, I thought this was a ripping good yarn.
After reading this, I found myself beginning to recognize many street names in downtown Columbus as belonging to many of the prominent individuals I had read about, and now I'm really curious to tour Worthington and Franklinton with just that purpose in mind.
It also made me wonder why no one has ever made an epic film about Frederick Law Olmsted, who apparently did everything there was to do in the world from 1802-1903 (pretty racy times in America), from helping design Central and Prospect Parks, to helping establish national parks, to having a hand in establishing the Red Cross, to... on and on.
Check it out!
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