Reviews for The Taming of the Wilderness: Indiana's Transition from Indian Hunting Grounds to Hoosier Farmland

The average rating for The Taming of the Wilderness: Indiana's Transition from Indian Hunting Grounds to Hoosier Farmland based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-10-27 00:00:00 David Pittman This book was of particular interest due to the fact that my family homesteaded in Indiana in the 1830s. Some of the family stayed while others, including my four times great grandfather ventured out further west. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is full of richly detailed snippets of the lives of early settlers of Indiana.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-08-16 00:00:00 John Smith I was disappointed in this book. I had highly anticipated reading this book for several years. I had the impression it was about a journey from Missouri to Oregon or California on the Oregon Trail. The author only traveled perhaps half of the trail and did not comment or even mention the iconic landmarks like Chimney Rock. Or what it felt like to ride in a Conestoga Wagon. Rather the author regaled us with reasons why the "white" man was so superior. Indeed he ranked in order men of the prairie thusly: 1. Whites 2. Indians. 3. Mexicans. Gave a biased snap shot of life on the prairie and demonstrated why there are no buffalo left: they were all shot- some for sport and trophies; some for food. The Native Americans depended in them to live. The book shows the beginning of the destruction of the prairie and the beginning of the displacement if the Native American.