Chapter One:

The map in Chapter One was created using the ArcGis Map Journal Builder template, and was inspired by Claudio Saunt’s “Invasion of America” project: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=eb6ca76e008543a89349ff2517db47e6. For the first chapter, I wanted to map the history of the earliest residents of the southeastern border between Cannon City and Faribault. After determining these residents to have been the Wahpekute band of the Dakota, I decided to trace their migration patterns before and after encountering white settlers/invaders. The biggest challenge was to decipher the precise locations of the Wahpekute’s various villages, largely because the Wahpekute did not create maps themselves, and because white settlers did not factor Native Americans into their understanding of what land was and was not available for settlement. I attempted to locate where the Wahpekute had lived by consulting a number of primary sources, such as the Treaty of Mendota, in which sites are described relationally, and the National Register of Historic Places Nomination form for Rice County, submitted in March of 1982. While my mapped understanding of where the Wahpekute lived is likely to be imperfect, this map should provide a geographical sense of their movement throughout the nineteenth century.

Chapter Two:

The interactive map in Chapter Two was created using Neatline. I chose this platform because it allows for a large margin of creativity, which was crucial for this chapter because I was looking to digitize a hand-drawn map. Neatline also works well for communicating “zoomed in” history by enabling the addition of photos, text, and links to outside sources from the base map. While Neatline is not as advanced a mapping program as GIS, it was better suited to this chapter of my project because it does not require digital sources to be in a CSV or other data-based format. As someone who has beginner-level skills in GIS, Neatline felt much more manageable and accessible despite its technical shortcomings. In addition to office hours, I figured out how to use Neatline mostly through trial and error.

While I’m pleased with the outcome of the map, I would have liked to integrate it within a larger story map. As I have it, the map is preceded by a lot of text, which is necessary for explaining the history of the Faribault State School and Hospital in full. However, I think this chapter could have been more visually appealing if I had figured out a way to introduce the textual components in a more interesting way than simply posting a text box into the Word Press site.

Chapter Three:

The map in Chapter Three was created using the ArcGIS Cascade Builder Template. I chose this format for my third chapter because I was primarily concerned with communicating a story through different images and maps as opposed to augmenting a series of maps with text (as was the case in the first chapter).

This chapter was the most difficult to create. I initially envisioned a more immersive, experiential “map” in which I would digitally recreate the feeling of being at the RBNC. My hope was to make something that exemplifies how it feels to be in a place that does little to recognize its history and that exists in sharp contrast to its surroundings. I was repeatedly reminded of Dennis Wood’s frustrations with deep-mapping while trying to accomplish this goal. I experimented with Google Tour Builder, but decided not to incorporate my tour because while it provided some nice views of the RBNC, it failed to adequately showcase the juxtapositions I was trying to get at. I was also cautious of including a 3-D map and of taking the “easy” way out, instead of continuing to try to locate an effective mode of relaying intangible qualities. If I had more advanced videography skills, I might have been able to produce something more in line with my initial goal.

I ultimately decided to set aside my original idea and focus instead on mapping the history of the RBNC as I did in the previous two chapters. I also wanted to include the primary sources I found, which I think elegantly explain the transfer in ownership of this land. I still included a note at the end of the map about the juxtapositions that underly the RBNC, but wish I could have done more to facilitate viewers’ metaphorical transportation.