>Terry Yem has created a one-hour walking tour of Williamsburg which
>addresses environmental issues in the context of the 18th century capitol of
>colonial Virginia.
 > Now, I don't know what is in this tour, as Terry is not directly online.
>But, I'd like to ask the people on this list what sort of things would such a
>walking tour point out?
 
Judging from my experience with a 19th century  Alabama town site, I should
think that the removal of the forests, the cutting of trees and the general
openness of the landscape around towns should be stressed.  Often, in a quest
for firewood, almost every tree within sight was cut within a couple of decades.
 
 
My little 19th century town  did not survive because of the intensity of
flooding increased over time.  In the quest to plant more and more cotton, the
forests were cut, the sod was plowed up and erosion increased.  Less and less
rain water was being held by trees and more water and silt  flowed directly into
the rivers till they overflowed thief banks quite often.   I bet Tobacco around
Williamsburg had much the same effect on land as cotton did in Alabama's black
belt.
 
Linda Derry