DOCSLIB.ORG

A History of the University of Illinois British Brass Band, 1981 to the Present

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A History of the University of Illinois British Brass Band, 1981 to the Present A HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS BRITISH BRASS BAND, 1981 TO THE PRESENT BY MAUREEN V. REAGAN DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Music with a concentration in Performance and Literature in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2019 Urbana, Illinois Doctoral Committee: Associate Professor Mark Moore, Chair Associate Professor Christina Bashford, Director of Research Professor Erik Lund Professor Jeffrey Magee ABSTRACT On November 15, 1981, the University of Illinois British Brass Band performed its first concert, conducted by University of Illinois Assistant Director of Bands James Curnow. The ensemble’s antecedents lay in the brass bands established in Victorian England that were populated by members of the working classes, while its 1980s founding occurred in the national context of an increase in British-style brass band activity in the United States that included the formation of the North American Brass Band Association, dedicated to fostering the British-style brass band movement in the US and Canada. Several key factors contributed to the success and longevity of the University of Illinois British Brass Band, including certain characteristics of the University of Illinois Bands program and the institutional support given to the ensemble. Through analysis and synthesis of personal interviews and archival research, this dissertation reveals the identity of the ensemble as modeled on the traditional British brass band and its typical sound and repertoire, modified by the University of Illinois British Brass Band’s own solutions for particular musical and logistical demands. Providing a significant educational experience for its players (as well as its conductors) and filling an important role in the ensemble offerings of the University of Illinois Bands program, the University of Illinois British Brass Band also represented the University of Illinois statewide by way of its periodic tours and propagated the British-style brass band performance idiom through its more than 90 known performances before its hiatus began in 2011. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am deeply aware of and grateful for the many people who gave of their time and knowledge to help make this dissertation a reality. Director of Research Christina Bashford struck a wonderful balance by keeping me constantly reaching for better thinking, deeper meaning, and clearer writing while also, through her steadfast encouragement and teaching, helping me believe I could achieve those goals. Committee members Erik Lund, Jeffrey Magee, and Mark Moore gave freely of their enthusiasm, time, expertise, and support over this many-year journey. Past conductors of the University of Illinois British Brass Band James Curnow, John Cody Birdwell, James Hile, and Peter J. Griffin generously conversed and corresponded with me and brought insights that would not otherwise have been revealed. Faculty and staff of the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, University Archives, University Bands, and the Music and Performing Arts Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign unfailingly provided ideas and assistance; thank you in particular to Scott Schwartz, Katie Nichols, Ellen Swain, Anna Trammell, Nancy Taylor, William Buss, Joy McClaugherty, Barry Houser, and Stephen Peterson. Locally and across the globe, members of the music community such as David Bilger, Amy Schumaker Bliss, Joel Collier, Paul Droste, Graham Duncan, Connie Fairchild, Chris Helme, Diana Droste Herak, Gavin Holman, James Keene, Angela Kindig, Lori Melchi, Vincent Novaro, Kevin Stees, Will Sugg, Mark Taylor, and Eric Wilson responded kindly and graciously to requests for information. Mike Ross and Krannert Center colleagues encouraged and supported me every step of the way, making the pursuit of my doctorate possible; I gained energy from countless friends and associates who simply, but meaningfully, inquired of me how my studies were progressing; and my family constantly inspired me. I am grateful beyond description to my husband, Bruce Zimmerman, for his love and wise iii counsel—as well as for keeping us supplied with warm food, clean laundry, and good humor throughout this long and amazing adventure. November 15, 2018 iv DEDICATION For Bruce, who encouraged me to begin, to continue, and to finish, and to do so with joy v PREFACE My experience earning a doctorate at the University of Illinois has been rich and satisfying, and this project has provided a wonderful finish to it. As a member of the University of Illinois British Brass Band from fall of 1986 through spring of 1990, I did not know a great deal about the brass band tradition, but I knew I loved playing the music and was grateful for the musicianship of the ensemble’s conductors and the inspiring skill of its members. I certainly did not know as I left the group and began a career in arts administration that almost thirty years later I would circle around to devote many hundreds of hours to research about the ensemble. As I sought a dissertation topic, several ideas presented themselves, usually emerging by way of conversations with my husband, but the notion of researching the University of Illinois British Brass Band persisted beyond others. Relevant to my focus on euphonium performance because of the magnificent opportunities brass band repertoire presents to euphonium players (though not only to them), the topic also provided a chance to research a University of Illinois initiative and thus make a small return to the institution that has provided me the opportunity not only for fulfilling employment but for continuing education, both formal and informal. In addition, and in another never-expected circular path, the project gave me the opportunity to reconnect with James Curnow, with whom I was fortunate to study at a young age and who along with other teachers such as Dave Peterson, Ron Makeever, Robert Gray, Fritz Kaenzig, and Micky Moore shaped my conception of, ability with, and enthusiasm for the euphonium. I am grateful to have had the chance to collect, compile, and discuss information from diverse sources, some of which presented itself at the most opportune times, such as a wonderful supply of otherwise unlocatable programs supplied by Connie Fairchild. Gathering this information into one document and its supporting structures (such as a performance database) honors the effort vi given and music made over the band’s thirty years, provides the foundation for this dissertation, and makes previously scattered and hidden data useful for future researchers. Whether read by alumni of the band or by those who are performing research on brass banding, the group’s conductors or members, or other topics, I hope that this dissertation both answers and raises questions, motivates further inquiries, and perhaps inspires fond memories. Maureen Reagan [email protected] Champaign-Urbana, Illinois December 19, 2018 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2: ORIGIN, TRADITION, AND EVOLUTION OF BRITISH BRASS BANDS, CA. 1840 TO 1980 .............................................................................................................................. 13 CHAPTER 3: THE FOUNDING OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS BRITISH BRASS BAND .................................................................................................................................... 41 CHAPTER 4: LOGISTICS, PROCEDURES, AND PERFORMANCES, 1985 TO 2011...71 CHAPTER 5: REPERTOIRE ......................................................................................................... 90 CHAPTER 6: BRITISHNESS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS BRITISH BRASS BAND .................................................................................................................................. 124 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 148 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................ 161 APPENDIX A: KNOWN PERFORMANCES ......................................................................... 165 APPENDIX B: KNOWN REPERTOIRE ................................................................................. 179 APPENDIX C: KNOWN PERSONNEL .................................................................................. 191 APPENDIX D: KNOWN RECORDINGS ............................................................................... 206 APPENDIX E: FANFARE FOR N.A.B.B.A. ........................................................................... 217 viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This dissertation explores the history of the British Brass Band at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, first looking into the band’s British antecedents, then examining the ensemble’s logistics, repertoire, national context, distinctive sound, and ideology from its founding in 1981 through its hiatus beginning in 2011. This group, one of multiple ensembles offered through the University of Illinois band program, was only the fourth British-style brass band to be established at an American college or university, and it stands second among British-style brass bands sponsored by American colleges or universities in its number of active years, according to a 2016 study by Mark Amdahl
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Open Research Online Oro.Open.Ac.Uk
    Open Research Online The Open University’s repository of research publications and other research outputs Disruptive Innovation in the Creative Industries: The adoption of the German horn in Britain 1935-75 Conference or Workshop Item How to cite: Smith, David and Blundel, Richard (2016). Disruptive Innovation in the Creative Industries: The adoption of the German horn in Britain 1935-75. In: Association of Business Historians (ABH) and Gesellschaft für Unternehmensgeschichte (GUG) Joint Conference, 27-29 May 2016, Humbolt University, Berlin. For guidance on citations see FAQs. c 2016 The Authors https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Version: Version of Record Link(s) to article on publisher’s website: http://ebha.org/public/C6:pdf Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. oro.open.ac.uk Joint Conference Association of Business Historians (ABH) and Gesellschaft für Unternehmensgeschichte (GUG), 27-28 May 2016, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany Disruptive Innovation in the Creative Industries: The adoption of the German horn in Britain 1935-75 David Smith* and Richard Blundel** *Nottingham Trent University, UK and **The Open University, UK Abstract This paper examines the interplay between innovation and entrepreneurial processes amongst competing firms in the creative industries. It does so through a case study of the introduction and diffusion into Britain of a brass musical instrument, the wide bore German horn, over a period of some 40 years in the middle of the twentieth century.
    [Show full text]
  • Composer Suggestions for the Euphonium
    Euphonium: 3-Valve, 4-Valve, and 4-Valve Compensating Euphoniums: (The low range and intonation will differ depending on how many valves you have) *see attached chart Breath capacity Articulations: staccato, accents, slurred, legato tonguing, no marking Trills and Tremoli Double and Triple Tonguing Extended Techniques: Flutter Tonguing and Multi-phonics Mutes (You MUST allow time to put the mute in and adjust tuning slide) Composer Suggestions: “The euphonium is often called the “cello” of the band or the “shortstop” of a ball team.” Counter Melodies are great! It can be treated as an individual or be combined with the Clarinets, Horns, Saxes and other brasses. Earlier band literature treated it as an a “cello”, but more recent composers and arrangers are often treating it in a “new and lesser” role. They often give it the upper octave of the tuba part or treat it like a 3rd trombone. It has many more capabilities! The Euphoniums role changes depending on what group it is in. (Orchestras, Jazz Combos, Chamber Ensembles, and British Brass Bands) For example, in a British Brass Band it is treated in this way: The euphonium part is flexible and is often compared to that of the `cello in an orchestra. It is equally at home doubling the solo cornet line an octave down, as a melodic or counter-melodic lead, doubling the Bb bass an octave up or occasionally with the 1st trombone. The range of the part is large: most players will be comfortable over more than two octaves, from low G to top A, with the occasional higher note.
    [Show full text]
  • Film, Television and Video Productions Featuring Brass Bands
    Film, Television and Video productions featuring brass bands Gavin Holman, October 2019 Over the years the brass bands in the UK, and elsewhere, have appeared numerous times on screen, whether in feature films or on television programmes. In most cases they are small appearances fulfilling the role of a “local” band in the background or supporting a musical event in the plot of the drama. At other times band have a more central role in the production, featuring in a documentary or being a major part of the activity (e.g. Brassed Off, or the few situation comedies with bands as their main topic). Bands have been used to provide music in various long-running television programmes, an example is the 40 or more appearances of Chalk Farm Salvation Army Band on the Christmas Blue Peter shows on BBC1. Bands have taken part in game shows, provided the backdrop for and focus of various commercial advertisements, played bands of the past in historical dramas, and more. This listing of 450 entries is a second attempt to document these appearances on the large and small screen – an original list had been part of the original Brass Band Bibliography in the IBEW, but was dropped in the early 2000s. Some overseas bands are included. Where the details of the broadcast can be determined (or remembered) these have been listed, but in some cases all that is known is that a particular band appeared on a certain show at some point in time - a little vague to say the least, but I hope that we can add detail in future as more information comes to light.
    [Show full text]
  • GRADUATE SCHOOL PROSPECTUS 2018 Entry
    GRADUATE SCHOOL PROSPECTUS 2018 Entry rncm.ac.uk/graduateschool The Royal Northern College of Music is a leading international conservatoire located in the heart of Manchester, with a reputation for attracting talented musicians from all over the world. The RNCM is in its fifth decade, but with a rich history spanning back to 1893 when Sir Charles Hallé founded the Royal Manchester College of Music. In 1973 the institution merged with the Northern School of Music, and the RNCM was born. Today, the College is a thriving conservatoire with around 330 teaching staff and 880 students from almost 60 different countries. Each year, RNCM leavers go on to forge successful careers all over the world, forming a global network of more than 6,000 alumni. 2 CONTENTS 4 WELCOME TO THE RNCM RNCM Headlines 6 Why Join the RNCM Graduate School? 8 Exceptional Graduates 10 Living in Manchester 16 International Students 18 World-Class Facilities and Learning Resources 20 Student Support 24 The Graduate School Experience 26 28 PERFORMANCE Performance at the RNCM 30 The Platform 34 Chamber Music 36 Historical Performance 38 Jazz 40 42 RNCM SCHOOLS School of Composition 44 School of Keyboard Studies 48 School of Strings 54 School of Vocal Studies and Opera 60 School of Wind, Brass and Percussion 70 Conducting 78 Popular Music 80 84 WHICH PROGRAMME IS RIGHT FOR ME? Master of Music (MMus) 88 Master of Performance (MPerf) 92 PG Dip: Advanced Studies in Musical Performance/Composition 96 Professional Courses and Vocational Courses 100 World-Class Research 104 Master
    [Show full text]
  • Boosey & Hawkes
    City Research Online City, University of London Institutional Repository Citation: Howell, Jocelyn (2016). Boosey & Hawkes: The rise and fall of a wind instrument manufacturing empire. (Unpublished Doctoral thesis, City, University of London) This is the accepted version of the paper. This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent repository link: https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/16081/ Link to published version: Copyright: City Research Online aims to make research outputs of City, University of London available to a wider audience. Copyright and Moral Rights remain with the author(s) and/or copyright holders. URLs from City Research Online may be freely distributed and linked to. Reuse: Copies of full items can be used for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge. Provided that the authors, title and full bibliographic details are credited, a hyperlink and/or URL is given for the original metadata page and the content is not changed in any way. City Research Online: http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/ [email protected] Boosey & Hawkes: The Rise and Fall of a Wind Instrument Manufacturing Empire Jocelyn Howell PhD in Music City University London, Department of Music July 2016 Volume 1 of 2 1 Table of Contents Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................... 2 Table of Figures......................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Hbbb Concert Repertory List
    HBBB (Humboldt Bay Brass Band) Concerts by date -- Repertory -- Works Performed ========================================= FRH = concert held in Fulkerson Recital Hall, on the campus of Humboldt State University ======================================== April 2, 2004 -- FRH 1- Prelude .......... Gregson, Edward 2- Moorside Suite (3 mvts)...... Holst, Gustav 3- Fantasy on British Sea Songs ...... Langford, Gordon (arr) 4- Ravenswood (March) ...... Rimmer, William ---intermission--- 5- Helden und Krieger ..... Newton, Rodney 6- Moon River ...... Mancini, Henry (arr Don Morrison) 7- Cousins (duet) ..... Clarke, Herbert L. 8- Blenheim Flourishes ...... Curnow, James =================================================== Nov 14, 2004 -- FRH (w/ Eureka HS Wind Ens) 1- L’Orfeo (suite) ... Monteverdi, Claudio (arr Michael Hopkinson) 2- Pageantry (3 mvts) ....... Howells, Herbert 3- Famous British Marches ..... Langford, Gordon (arr) 4- Slaughter on 10th Avenue ... Rodgers, Richard (arr Robert Bernat) 5- Nunc Dimittis ..... Gabrieli, Giovanni (ed Gil Cline) 6- March from The Great Escape ... Bernstein, Elmer (arr Martin Ellerby) =================================================== Feb 11, 2005 -- at McKinleyville HS 1- Four Dot Flourish ... Cline, Gilbert 2- L’Orfeo (suite) ... Monteverdi, Claudio (arr HBBB) 3- Pageantry (3 mvts) ... Howells, Herbert 4- Fantasy on British Sea Songs ... Langford, Gordon (arr) 5- Sequoia Carnival March ... Inman, J.L. (arr Gil Cline) 6- Nunc Dimittis ... Gabrieli, Giovanni (ed Gil Cline) ===================================================
    [Show full text]
  • Recital Report
    Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Plan B and other Reports Graduate Studies 5-1975 Recital Report Robert Steven Call Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Call, Robert Steven, "Recital Report" (1975). All Graduate Plan B and other Reports. 556. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports/556 This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Plan B and other Reports by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. RECITAL REPORT by Robert Steven Call Report of a recital performed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OP MUSIC in ~IUSIC UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 1975 ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to expr ess appreciation to my private music teachers, Dr. Alvin Wardle, Professor Glen Fifield, and Mr. Earl Swenson, who through the past twelve years have helped me enormously in developing my musicianship. For professional encouragement and inspiration I would like to thank Dr. Max F. Dalby, Dr. Dean Madsen, and John Talcott. For considerable time and effort spent in preparation of this recital, thanks go to Jay Mauchley, my accompanist. To Elizabeth, my wife, I extend my gratitude for musical suggestions, understanding, and support. I wish to express appreciation to Pam Spencer for the preparation of illustrations and to John Talcott for preparation of musical examp l es. iii UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC 1972 - 73 Graduate Recital R.
    [Show full text]
  • Soprano Cornet
    SOPRANO CORNET: THE HIDDEN GEM OF THE TRUMPET FAMILY by YANBIN CHEN (Under the Direction of Brandon Craswell) ABSTRACT The E-flat soprano cornet has served an indispensable role in the British brass band; it is commonly considered to be “the hottest seat in the band.”1 Compared to its popularity in Britain and Europe, the soprano cornet is not as familiar to players in North America or other parts of world. This document aims to offer young players who are interested in playing the soprano cornet in a brass band a more complete view of the instrument through the research of its historical roots, its artistic role in the brass band, important solo repertoire, famous players, approach to the instrument, and equipment choices. The existing written material regarding the soprano cornet is relatively limited in comparison to other instruments in the trumpet family. Research for this document largely relies on established online resources, as well as journals, books about the history of the brass band, and questionnaires completed by famous soprano cornet players, prestigious brass band conductors, and composers. 1 Joseph Parisi, Personal Communication, Email with Yanbin Chen, April 15, 2019. In light of the increased interest in the brass band in North America, especially at the collegiate level, I hope this project will encourage more players to appreciate and experience this hidden gem of the trumpet family. INDEX WORDS: Soprano Cornet, Brass Band, Mouthpiece, NABBA SOPRANO CORNET: THE HIDDEN GEM OF THE TRUMPET FAMILY by YANBIN CHEN Bachelor
    [Show full text]
  • Musical Athleticism: Victorian Brass Band Contests and the Shaping of Working-Class Men Denise Odello
    University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well Music Publications Faculty and Staff choS larship 2-12-2016 Musical Athleticism: Victorian Brass Band Contests and the Shaping of Working-Class Men Denise Odello Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/music Part of the Other History Commons, and the Other Music Commons Musical Athleticism: Victorian Brass Band Contests and the Shaping of Working-Class Men Denise Odello Department of Music, University of Minnesota, Morris In June of 1884, Brass Band News, published an anecdote about an apparent lack of drinking of a small village in Dorset. When the musical rector of the village noted that he “hadn’t a drunken man in the village,” the author responded by questioning how such a feat was possible. He asked, “Have you no public-house, and is all the village tee- total?” The musical rector answered: “Teetotal! [N]o, not at all; I have a band and choral society, and the members are too busy practicing to find time for immoderate drinking, and the village generally is musical, consequently music, as a means of relaxation and recreation, carries the day.” The Dorset rector’s faith represents the broader assumption of Victorians that music, in this case both instrumental and vocal ensembles, was not only an outlet for recreation but also an agent of morality, “the true end and aim of music” (2). The British brass band of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries is a particularly notable example of music as a morally edifying activity, as referenced in the anecdote above.
    [Show full text]
  • Ambassador Auditorium Collection ARS.0043
    http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt3q2nf194 No online items Guide to the Ambassador Auditorium Collection ARS.0043 Finding aid prepared by Frank Ferko and Anna Hunt Graves This collection has been processed under the auspices of the Council on Library and Information Resources with generous financial support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Archive of Recorded Sound Braun Music Center 541 Lasuen Mall Stanford University Stanford, California, 94305-3076 650-723-9312 [email protected] 2011 Guide to the Ambassador Auditorium ARS.0043 1 Collection ARS.0043 Title: Ambassador Auditorium Collection Identifier/Call Number: ARS.0043 Repository: Archive of Recorded Sound, Stanford University Libraries Stanford, California 94305-3076 Physical Description: 636containers of various sizes with multiple types of print materials, photographic materials, audio and video materials, realia, posters and original art work (682.05 linear feet). Date (inclusive): 1974-1995 Abstract: The Ambassador Auditorium Collection contains the files of the various organizational departments of the Ambassador Auditorium as well as audio and video recordings. The materials cover the entire time period of April 1974 through May 1995 when the Ambassador Auditorium was fully operational as an internationally recognized concert venue. The materials in this collection cover all aspects of concert production and presentation, including documentation of the concert artists and repertoire as well as many business documents, advertising, promotion and marketing files, correspondence, inter-office memos and negotiations with booking agents. The materials are widely varied and include concert program booklets, audio and video recordings, concert season planning materials, artist publicity materials, individual event files, posters, photographs, scrapbooks and original artwork used for publicity.
    [Show full text]
  • River City Brass Program
    presents Saturday, 25 March 2017 • 7:30 p.m. Smith Opera House 1 GENEVA CONCERTS, INC. 2016–2017 SEASON Saturday, 24 September 2016, 7:30 p.m. Garth Fagan Dance Tony Award‐winner Garth Fagan, described by The New York Times as “unfailingly original,” choreographed Disney’s musical The Lion King, the highest grossing Broadway musical in history. Friday, 14 October 2016, 7:30 p.m. Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Christopher Seaman, Conductor Laureate Andrew von Oeyen, piano Tobias Picker: Old and Lost Rivers Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B‐flat Major, Op. 19 Elgar: Symphony No. 2 in E‐flat Major, Op. 63 Saturday, 12 November 2016, 7:30 p.m. Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Stefan Sanders, conductor Julian Schwarz, cello Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1, Op. 25, “Classical” Haydn: Concerto in D Major for Cello and Orchestra Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550 Saturday, 25 March 2017, 7:30 p.m. River City Brass Celtic Concert This brass band is famous for its varied and entertaining programming. They’ll have you tapping your toes and dancing in your seat. “It’s not a reach to say that this may be the most fun with music you’re going to have all year,” touts the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Friday, 21 April 2017, 7:30 p.m. Symphoria Lawrence Loh, Music Director Jon Kimura Parker, piano Berlioz: Beatrice and Benedict Overture Grieg: Piano Concerto Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 Programs subject to change. Performed at the Smith Opera House, 82 Seneca Street, Geneva This concert is made possible by generous underwriting from the Williams Family Foundation, by a continuing subscription from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and with public funds from NYSCA’s Decentralization Program, administered locally by Finger Lakes Community Arts Grants (FLCAG).
    [Show full text]
  • Newton County Indian Trails and Pioneer Roads in This Issue
    Volume 22, Issue One A publication of the Newton County Historical Society, Inc. Winter 2016 $3.00 Newton County: Indiana’s Youngest County Newton County Indian Trails and Pioneer Roads In this issue .... by Beth Bassett The wilderness in the early days was marked by many Indian trails, caused by different parties of Indians travelling frequently over the same routes to hunt or trade. Their path usually Indian Trails and Pioneer Roads followed that of least resistance, avoiding swamps, bogs and stony places; choosing light and dry ground. Sometimes they would follow the traces made by buffalo and deer, going to salt The First To Arrive: Early Settlers licks and watering places. In peace times, hunting parties would follow those trails that afforded 1816, A Year Without Summer them the opportunity to camp and rest in the groves and woodlands. To the settlers, these paths were not always plainly marked. In places they would be lost in the expanse of the plains, or Newton County, Another Place disappeared into the marshes and lowlands. Another Time: Millinnea-1840 The general outlines of the larger trails were fairly well fixed. There might be two or three paths • The Northwest Territory in some places, but these may later converge and run together. And in others, the path could • The Land of the Potawatomi totally disappear, only to appear later down the path. • Potawatomi Facts In the pioneer era, they provided the most direct path to the early town of Morocco; to the settlers along the Iroquois and the first Jasper County Courthouse; thence onward east to • The Secession of Lands Rensselaer.
    [Show full text]