July 26th, 2010
Dreaming West in Maps
Maps are more than just guides to a place as it is now, it’s a guide to how it came to be that way. There are routes and cities that reflect the population that’s been growing over the centuries, and there are also small towns, and points of interest, that remark on the way the routes developed.
A California map can certainly point the way, and make it easier to get around a state with some fairly complex streets in many places. But a little bit of historical knowledge can reveal so many other things as well. One can see, for example, the way the Gold Rush brought thousands west, in search of a better life through a sudden turn in fortune.
One can also find out a great deal about the history of Latinos in the state, where passageways and place names speak of the time, not long ago, when it was part of Mexico. The influence of other Latin populations as they’ve migrated to the state are also evident in the names of restaurants, and the history of the development of neighborhoods in all the major cities.
Even city maps can give hints about the larger picture, and comparing maps over time shows how populations change. There are mysteries in the world that can be revealed from maps, and more mysteries still to be revealed through walking the streets that they name.
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