Historical markers in the western United States: regional and cultural contrasts

摘要

The American West evokes many images in the minds of both its citizens and visitors. Historical markers are one way that regional historical identity has been preserved and displayed over time. Tourists interested in exploring the heritage of local areas can thus find a wealth of valuable site-specific information in these markers. Western states have 1000s of these official landmarks, which commemorate an event, a town, an old building, important individuals, or other past geographies. We compare the topical themes found in these markers among eleven states and the culture regions identified by Donald W. Meinig (1972). American wests: Preface to a geographical interpretation. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 62(2), 159-184. We find that the regional historical classifications of these extracts of public memory have some correlations to Meinig's identified cultural elements. Locals and tourists in the American West, who make the effort to stop and appreciate the historical markers they encounter, will have a more informed view of the cultural heritage of this region. This regional view can be valuable not only to tourists, but also to heritage promotion organizations, who can use large-scale classifications, such as those produced in this research, to identify how their state or region has been characterized by those who have erected markers in order to solidify collective memory.