Today’s quiz is inspired by the types of questions that Prof. Bob McCullough asks of his History on the Land students. He provides a picture and asks students to read the landscape. What do you see in this picture? What does it infer? What does it tell you about the landscape?
What can you decipher from this photograph? Click and zoom for additional clarity (this is a large file).
Have fun! I’ll post my interpretation, too. Other Preservation Quizzes from PiP:
- Preservation Pop Quiz: Architectural Material
- Pop Quiz: What is This?
- Another Roadside Quiz: New or Not?
- Drive-by Survey Quiz
- Preservation Photos #42
Note: The Sense of Place mini-series will continue on Monday.
Preservation in Pink 
I see a roadway running along a waterway which may indicate that the road has been there quite a while, possible even beginning as a native American trail. The stream itself looks like it is consistent enough to support water powered mills, an idea further supported by the close proximity of the road. If so there may be a very finely built early house nearby. Half way up the rise, just right of center, there looks to be the remains of some sort of foundation. Once again mill? Bridge? The way the power line crosses the stream almost looks like its following a road. So maybe a bridge? Well that is my two cents.
Okay, I’ll play, too. I agree with John, and I would add that the trees in the foreground all look very young, indicating that this area may have been logged or flooded at one time? Also, I see largely coniferous trees behind the foreground, and not as much hardwood, indicating it may have been logged quite a while back. Also, this may indicate it is a more acidic type soil, and I think trees like that tend to like sandier, well draining soils, so it doesn’t appear that this area was for sugaring or growing things that like a sweeter soil…
Broken branches, debris and large boulders indicate to me that this area was recently flooded, perhaps last fall when the state was so badly hit by a hurricane.
P.S. I love these pop quizzes, keep ’em coming!
Good point about the age of the trees in the foreground. However you can rule out logging because there aren’t any stumps. Something else to consider is that what ever was there may have been there, in some state, fairly recently; as in just prior to those trees taking root.
Excellent, everyone. I’ll leave this open for discussion a while longer.