Off the top of my head, I think the classic "catchment area" (this is
not the right term) for a 19th century agricultural town with
dirt-surfaced roads and animal-powered transportation (horseback,
buggies, wagons) has a 10-15 mile radius, at the outside.  This distance
would, of course, apply more exactly in Christaller's concept of a
featureless plain, but be dependant upon topography and local historical
development in an actual place.

D. Babson.


-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of MARY
NIENOW
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 3:06 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Historical Distances question

What I am trying to determine is which town site to include within a
given distance for an individual on an agrarian frontier in SE Minn
during that period.  

Basically, if I associate a given population with a town at point A - I
want to include all those individuals that can make it to that town site
in a day.  Furthermore, I want to include in my model nearby towns that
a person on the maximum fringe of my central town could go to (I.e. in
an opposite direction) in a given day - hence the competitive
destinations part of my work.

Your point on technology is good to consider - in SE Minn. during the
1850-1870 people were moving (by wagon, horse, and on foot) around on
minimally maintained roads (native/contact period trails, some stage
lines, one military road), rail lines were just coming in, but were not
well established until a few years later - river travel (I.e. the
Mississippi) is possible - anyone have stats for river (up and down) in
a given day (assuming steamboat through canoe).

Any additional information (and actual studies/citations) would be
appreciated.

thanks,

Jeremy N.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David Babson<mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
  To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
  Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 1:18 PM
  Subject: Re: Competing Destinations Modeling - Historical Distances
question


  By 1850-1870, you have a technological factor to consider.  Were the
  people you are studying traveling by foot or with animal-powered
  transportation, or by rail?  If on foot/with animal power, they were
  probably making less than 20 miles a day, much less, if they were not
  traveling on an improved road.  By rail, they could move 100-200 miles
a
  day (on a mid-19th century railroad, probably closer to 100 than 200
  miles), on days that they were moving, not sitting in a yard, etc.
  Stopping and waiting would need to be figured into either mode of
  travel.

  D. Babson. 


  -----Original Message-----
  From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
MARY
  NIENOW
  Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 1:51 PM
  To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
  Subject: Competing Destinations Modeling - Historical Distances
question

  Hello fellow list members,

  I am curious if anyone has done any work in Competing Destination
Models
  (or gravity models) within an Archaeological/ Historical
Archaeological
  setting?

  Similarly, has anyone heard of using Institutional Diversity at a
  settlement as a gage of settlement success?

  Finally, I am working with Historic Period (1850-1870) distance
factors,
  has anyone done any research into the distance an
individual/family/etc.
  can travel in one day within a Frontier Setting - based on historical
  accounts?

  Please feel free to either post here or email me directly
 
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:
[log in to unmask]>>

  Jeremy Nienow
  PhD Student
  University of Minnesota