Progress: Evolution along the Erie Canal

My DH project is interconnected with my research in Dr. Steet’s INTD 203: Social Foundations of American Education. I am looking into the impact of the Erie Canal’s construction on population redistribution in Western New York. Specifically, I am analyzing the connection between the construction of the canal, and the growth of the town of Perinton, which contains the village of Fairport. Known as the “Crown Jewel of the Erie Canal,” Fairport is a village which grew economically dependent on the manmade waterway. The Establishment of the canal led to the construction of numerous schools throughout the area, which eventually became centralized in the 20th century. I plan to use mapping and timeline tools to show the evolution of the village and town.

I am currently using arcgis online mapping to plot educational points of interest in my home town. A few notable educators of Fairport were educated at schools along the canal, and returned home to teach following teacher education at Geneseo Normal School. Perinton saw a few stages of development in education structure, from one room schoolhouses to one centralized district. These changes were brought about by multiple notable events, and I am making chronological maps to display these developments next to each other.

One area where I have encountered difficulty is the implementation of a timeline. I have not yet decided if I will make a separate, interactive timeline to present next to my maps. I am learning more about arcgis and will potentially download their software to use in place of their online hosting. Within arcgis online, a user can outline areas on a map and add layers to add metadata. I have added points to my map at the current schools in the district with various pieces of information. I have looked into layering a few maps on top of each other to allow for quick transitions. This is a work in progress, and I will continue to add to my maps as I collect more data.

 

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