The Tehachapi Mountains region lies at the confluence of 5 geomorphic provinces (San Joaquin Valley, Sierra Nevada, Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, and Mojave Desert), which supported indigenous cultures that specialized on their distinct natural resources. The first Europeans visited the region in 1772, and in subsequent years it became a major travel route between northern and southern California. Routes of travel and stopping points, which later grew into towns and stage/rail stops, were dictated by terrain, locations of water sources, and climate. Thus, for many cultures, the environment drove settlement and travel patterns through this landscape, and set the framework for future development of the region. However, because of technological advances (e.g., water distribution systems, energy production and distribution, road engineering) modern society has lost its connection to the natural environment and, as a result, its understanding of the historic development patterns of the region. Many of these historic locations have been lost to agricultural conversion or simply forgotten. This project would document the historic patterns of use of the Tehachapi Mountains region in relation to environmental drivers, and summarize the evolution of the human uses of landscape.
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