The Storied Environment of Bennett Place

Abstract

The story of Bennett Place is much more complicated than a moment in time when two generals signed a treaty, and this story is embedded in the Bennett Place environment. The narrative is both human and environmental, and so the methods used in the project matched that approach. Sources include both measurements of shortleaf pines and species observations, including both a list of tree species in the woods at Bennett Place compiled as a part of the project and interwoven images and observations of other species from iNaturalist. Other sources include historic census data, newspapers, maps, and other documents. All of these sources are interwoven into a narrative that spans the 19th century agricultural history of the site through the construction of relevant local land use changes, such as the construction of transportation networks and the changing paths of local creeks. Some of these key moments and themes match the growth patterns of shortleaf and loblolly pines on the site, and through this project, some shortleaf pines were identified as witness trees. Bennett Place may be composed of only a singular environment, but there are many intersecting narratives embedded within it. This study of this storied environment matters, not only because it can be used to improve environmental interpretation at Bennett Place, but also because it offers a specific example of regional environmental themes embedded in a specific place.