Ox Cart to Automobile Social Change in

This book explores changes in economic fortunes, social life, and political issues over two hundred years in western New York. Why did villages spring up in particular locations in 1820? Why did dairy farming expand during the 1850s and then contract in the 1920? Why have so many factories in western New York closed their doors since World War II?

Thomas Rasmussen is emeritus professor of political science and environmental studies at Alfred University. He has lived for thirty-five years in Allegany County, New York, where he enjoyed hiking the Finger Lakes Trail and walking the streets of local villages.

Preface	p. vii
Organizing Ideas: Central Place and Prisoner's Dilemma	p. 1
The Importance of Transportation Costs	p. 1
Specialization and Economies of Scale	p. 3
Politics and Game Theory	p. 5
Why Focus on One Western New York County?	p. 10
Distance, Elevation and Early Settlement Decisions	p. 13
The Legacy of Rocks and Ice	p. 13
Where Did Early Migrants Choose To Settle?	p. 15
Friends, Neighbors, and Early Settlement	p. 19
Early Farms and Distance from Commercial Centers	p. 20
Elevation and Early Settlement	p. 22
Local Villages as Central Places	p. 28
Road Building in Allegany County	p. 30
Making Farms and Raising Crops 1810-1850	p. 34
The Collapse of Iroquois Power in Western New York	p. 34
Creditors and Debtors: Land Speculators and Early Settlers	p. 37
Carving a Farm in the Wilderness	p. 44
Standard of Living in the Frontier Cabin	p. 50
Beginnings of the Dairy Industry	p. 52
Conflict and Cooperation: Games among Neighbors	p. 53
Politics: Local Factions, Whigs and Democrats	p. 58
Taming Nature and Building Home	p. 62
The Western New York Farm at Mid-Century	p. 68
Transition from Subsistence to Cash Crop Farming	p. 68
The Village as Commercial Center	p. 74
A Snapshot of Typical Farms in 1855	p. 80
Centers and Backwaters: Variation among Towns in 1855	p. 86
The Promise of Agricultural Life	p. 93
Politics and the Civil War	p. 95
Dairy Farming, Commerce and Rural Industry 1865-1900	p. 99
Dairy Farming in Western New York	p. 99
A Portrait of Two Allegany Towns in 1875	p. 102
Commercial Growth in Fillmore and Wellsville	p. 105
Farmers and Village Merchants: Another Prisoner's Dilemma Game	p. 109
Maintaining Community Values	p. 111
Women's Role as Manager of the Home	p. 116
Manufacturing in Western New York Villages	p. 120
Political Party Competition: Rum, Romanism and Rebellion	p. 124
The Automobile and Rural Decline: 1900-1950	p. 126
Quality of Rural Life	p. 126
The Decline of Dairy	p. 129
The Politics of Agricultural Decline	p. 135
Impact of the Automobile	p. 138
Housing Styles in the Automobile Age	p. 141
Life in a Barely Agricultural Western New York: 1950-Present	p. 146
Changes in the Rural Economy	p. 146
Future of the Western New York Dairy Farm	p. 150
Population Trends in Allegany County	p. 153
Measuring Economic and Social Well Being	p. 155
The Automobile and Housing Patterns	p. 157
Local Political Issues in a Larger Society	p. 164
The Changing Landscape: From Pasture to Forest	p. 171
Today's Economic Challenges and Opportunities	p. 178
Bibliography	p. 183
Index	p. 191
About the Author	p. 195
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

FREE SHIPPING

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Ox Cart to Automobile Social Change in Western New York

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials