Designing Landscapes of Environmental Potency: Macro- and Micro- Topographical Sewage Infrastructure Case Studies in Central Illinois

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Historical archaeology provides a unique insight into twentieth century critical infrastructure because it allows for a holistic analysis of the infrastructure as it was physically manifested within urban societies. This paper presents the case studies of three sewage treatment plants in Central Illinois during the twentieth century to understand how these infrastructures shaped their urban landscapes and how people experienced these landscapes. Using macro- and micro-level analyses, I argue that the sewage districts deliberately designed their landscapes as an attempt to enhance the positive, environmentally minded function of the treatment plants. It is through this positive imagery that the districts sought to divorce themselves from the negative aspects of intaking raw sewage, an imposed “purposeful forgetfulness” of the industrial function of the plant. Elucidating this landscape choice helps to contextualize the districts within the past, but also informs the contemporary public image of the treatment plants.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow