Transportation corridors exist wherever a person journeys from one place to another. Naturally, they include the medium of transport, such as a river, road, or railroad. Just as importantly, transportation corridors include the surrounding landscape, both natural and man-made.
The value of the landscape of transportation corridors is more than its function. It can be a clue to our society's culture and values. As historian D.W. Meinig claimed, “The man-made landscape – the ordinary run-of-the-mill things that humans have created and put upon the earth – provides strong evidence of the kind of people we are, and were, and are in the process of becoming.”
Central Illinois has its own unique transportation corridors. The following maps and graph give a sense of how mobility has evolved. Click on a thumbnail to see a larger version.
The images along the side of the Explore pages are details from actual objects in the exhibit. To see the image full-size and in-person, come to the Tarble Arts Center!
Curving Meadow Lane (detail)
by James Butler
