Garden in the Grasslands: Boomer Literature of the Central Great PlainsThis presents a systematic account of boomer propaganda used in the central plains, especially Kansas and Nebraska, with peripheral attention to Colorado and Wyoming. The author asserts that the Central Plains region served as a model for other promotional activities elsewhere. He treats the various aspects of promotion, ranging from the efforts extended by railroads, newspapers, and state and territorial governments to a treatment of the safety valve implications, and the pseudoscientific arguments put forth to counter the image of the "Great American Desert." Basing his work upon a close study of the propaganda itself and a variety of other sources, including manuscripts, letters, and government reports, the author illustrates how vested interests tried to use various propaganda techniques to their best advantage, although the end-result sometimes served the public interest. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Railroad Promotion | 25 |
State and Local Promotion | 47 |
Copyright | |
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acres advertising agent American Desert Annual Report Aughey's Board of Agriculture Board of Immigration boomers Brockett Bureau of Immigration Burlington West cattle cattlemen central Great Plains Cheyenne civilization climate Colorado Colorado Territorial Commissioner Company Congress Denver East eastern effort Elliott emigration European farm farmers follows the plow Frémont frontier Furnas Garber Papers garden gazette Geological Survey German Gilpin Governor Hayden Historical Society Homestead Homestead Act ibid increased rainfall Industrial interest irrigation January John Kansas Pacific Kansas Pacific Railroad Kansas Pacific Railway KSBA KSHS labor Lincoln Mennonites nation newspaper NSHS offered official Omaha pamphlet Powell prairies promises prospective railroad promoter rain followed rain-follows-the-plow Republican Resources Russian Mennonites safety valve safety valve theory Samuel Crawford Senate settlement settlers soil Territory theory of increased Thomas tion Topeka Touzalin U.S. Geological Survey Union Pacific Railroad United Washington western Kansas Wilber William William Gilpin wrote Wyoming yeoman York