Who is this person?

[L Verge]

(08-27-2019 07:52 PM)Anita Wrote:  Laurie, not sure this fits all the clues. Is it Frederick Law Olmstead.? His son Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr. was hired by Frank Vanderlip to develop the master plan for the Palos Verdes Peninsula where I live in California. I'm a docent here and recall that Olmstead Sr. wrote on slavery and the South for the times.. I also lived near Central Park in NY.

All that said I still don't see his connection to yoeman. Have mercy!

Good going, Anita! You are absolutely correct. "Yeoman" was the pen name for Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. when he was assigned to travel through the South (on several occasions) in the mid-1850s to assess for the readers of the New York Times what life was like for all classes in the South as it became fairly obvious that things were going to blow.

Olmsted was a moderate abolitionist with a love of nature, and his writings described scenery as well as culture and led to his new interest in lifting up all classes through democratic landscaping in parks, cemeteries, etc. that were open to all peoples to enjoy.

I am currently reading a wonderful book, the last one written by Tony Horwitz (Confederates in the Attic) before his sudden death a few months back. It is basically a biography of Olmsted and his southern travels, but Tony actually retraced the various routes that Olmsted had taken and has incorporated his modern-day views of the countryside, the people, the morals (or lack there of), and the death of some of the principles of American culture.

As in true Tony style, it makes you laugh, reminisce, and even cry over what has been lost as well as worry about what could still be lost without strong-minded people keeping traditions alive (such as Creole and Cajun in Louisiana). Needless to say, I highly recommend it -- and I have only read about 200 pages (yes, it's thick). I am also inspired to read The Cotton Kingdom, which was the book that Olmsted produced on his travels.