Frederick Law Olmsted (1822–1903)

"A Journey Through Texas" is a travel narrative of brothers Frank Law and John Hull Olmsted, from Staten Island. Recommended for Texans curious about Texas history and for historians curious about Texas. And a few Louisianans. Otherwise please disregard some rating stars.

Proud Texans: beware that the brothers, despite their essentially positive and energetic spirit, were annoyed at much of what they saw, ate and endured, but they looked for accomplishment and potential everywhere, and the account is not without humor. And they found much to like, particularly traveling west into hill country, with its German immigrants and settlements, and reaching prairies yet further west.

Not highest rated only because it incorporates particulars on the economics of agriculture and commodities like cotton and slaves, and also some lobbying against slavery, however timely and persuasive in 1854 (and responsive to their commission from the New York [Daily] Times).

The Olmsteds were in Texas on horseback midwinter into late spring. They didn't get far north (above about 32º latitude, roughly Nacogdoches) or far west (past about 24º longitude, roughly Eagle Pass and today's San Angelo). But continuing west risked a bad death on the dry and mostly unpopulated Texas plains. They do relate some contemporary observations of others who had traveled further west, much of that occupied or menaced by native Americans, still a threat even where the brothers ventured. They describe some of southwestern Louisiana from the journey back home. The book has a good map.

The Olmsted brothers, in their 30's, one (John) facing death from tuberculosis, were well and widely educated and travelled as well as practical and unpretentious, and their frank perspective as curious and observant visitors over a large area of early Texas is surely unique and valuable. Frank went on to become something of a landscape architect and assisted in the design of New York City's Central Park, among many parks and commissions.

Larry McMurtry's introduction mentions only two other previous accounts, Bartlett's "Personal Narrative" (1854) and Kendall's "Santa Fe Expedition" (1844), which might compete with this for the attention of today's reader.… (mer)

LOA's compendium of Olmsted writings is a mix of biography, memoir, and essay -- unexpectedly expansive as a read, quite full of wonder really, but not matching any familiar reading experience. I found it made for a pleasurable read, so long as I let myself be guided where it went, allowed a different type of book to reveal itself to me.

My primary interest in Writings on Landscape, Culture, and Society was Olmsted's landscape & environmental writings. I knew of Olmsted as the architect for NYC's Central Park, and his influence on Chicago's White City. Included here is a wealth of writing on landscape architecture and design, but Olmsted's approach is far more holistic than anticipated, impressively so. His professional experience extended to executive of sanitary commission (read: Red Cross) for the Union in the US Civil War, journalism, and an abiding interest in nautical service. His outlook and principles amount to an American Renaissance Man, and his writings (including the many letters included here) reflect that broad, humanitarian concern.

Arranged chronologically, I expect it will be best to revisit the book by dipping into select pieces by topic. In my first reading (for which I completed perhaps three-quarters of the whole), I proceeded from first page and read straight through. This provides a pleasant introduction to Olmsted's interests and experience, but also means it's easy to lose the thread of particular themes as they are dropped for something else in the chronology.

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The point that I stand for is that no house is a fit place for a family that has not both public and private outside apartments. [458]

Themes of interest:
- Landscape architecture, not only design of public parks or private grounds but also ecology and conservation
- White supremacy and race relations in the US
- Proper role of public space in health and vitality of different settlements: village, town, city
- Education
- Influence of nautical tradition and ideal of gentleman farmer… (mer)

A fascinating collection of historical documents covering the period from the 1850s to the 1890s and the creation of New York City's Central Park, and the controversies that surrounded how the park was to be developed, managed and used by the public. To a certain extent, Frederick Law Olmstead, Sr. (one of the two original landscape designers) settles a number of scores with the Democratic "Tammany Hall" machine that made life very difficult for him, and for those that supported his particular vision of a bucolic park. This particular book is a reprint of a book that was originally published in 1928, at a period when Central Park was in decline; it would subsequently be the subject of much renovation work by Robert Moses in the 1930s, and another round of renovation work in the 1980s, after another period of decline. Many of the issues tackled in the book, such as political interference, lack of funding, and careless use by the public, still resonate today. Stretches of the book can be pretty dry reading, but there are other parts that are riveting. This particular edition, it should be noted, has a very nice fold-out map at the back.… (mer)

This is a two-volume history of the United States South during the period of slavery when cotton was king. It was his belief that the cotton plantations could be worked just as effectively with hired laborers and he offers many arguments to support this hypothesis. His facts come from personal observation and from government and commercial sources. Olmsted shows that the slave owners spent most of their time managing and controlling their workers who had no inclination to perform their tasks because of their virtual imprisonment. A man who is free and paid a salary could be expected to work harder to keep his job, especially if there is also the prospect of advancement and a greater share in the profits.… (mer)