I hope that author James Gilbert's conclusions about the "Burned Over District" origins of Chicago businessmen are based on sufficient analysis. The general path of westward migration to northern Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and beyond was indeed through Upstate NY. But what does Gilbert mean by "an uprooting experience"? This implies adversity, as indeed was the case with Oscar Handlin's "uprooted." But were these individuals just passing through NY? Were they reasonably well off people moving west who would have succeeded no matter where they settled? Did these individuals reside here long enough to pick up a "common geographical background" that "engendered a cohesion"? When in NY were they associated with each other as Masons, Mormons, Millerites, Shakers, members of the Oneida Community, etc.? Were they all merchants or farmers? Were they interrelated by birth or marriage? Did they share a common ethnic background, e.g., were they all Yankees or Germans? The author should have some analysis in his book that connects these individuals to a common origin, group or experience, or to each other; otherwise the Upstate NY connection may only be a geographical accident. David Palmquist NYS Museum >>> [log in to unmask] 01/11/04 12:52PM >>> 2004 Greetings, Just got the following query (I'm deleting the ' 's ) from a friend on Cape Cod. Think I answered the first part adequately. As to the second part, anyone care to speculate on the women and men's shared experience as a basis for their actions? I'll pass along any responses to my up-western friend. David Minor "I have just finished a (nonfiction) book by James Gilbert entitled Perfect Cities: Chicago's Utopias of 1893. In its pages I ran across several references to the origins of many of Chicago's 1893 elite as deriving from "the Burned-Over District" of upstate New York, including Oneida County, Rochester, etc. Apparently this common geographical background engendered a cohesion that led to the massive cooperative effort which made possible the Chicago World's Fair. As Gilbert puts it: "Besides the uprooting experience of moving from upstate New York and Massachusetts to Chicago, this generation of embers from the Burned-Over District shared a similar rise to leadership In Chicago's business, social and cultural worlds. By 1893 they had moved to the forefront of Chicago's new and raw elite: a second generation of institution builders and city boosters but a first generation of enormous fortunes. Query: Whence came the name (what got burned over and when)? And if you can answer that, tackle this: what in these men's shared experience prompted them to rise to such heights?" David Minor Eagles Byte Historical Research Pittsford, New York 585 264-0423 'dminor' 'at symbol' 'eznet.net' Visit the Canal Society of New York State page at http://www.canalsnys.org/ To be put on the mailing list for the weekly TimeMaster radio scripts (WXXI-FM 91.5), as well as a Quote of the Week and a URL of the Week, e-mail me at the address above. http://home.eznet.net/~dminor includes NYNY, a series of timelines covering New York City and State, from approximately 1,100,000,000 BC to 1991 AD. "I would undertake to supply your demands if your generosity is equal to them." -John Bartram, U. S. naturalist