Digital Projects

Many of the Public and Environmental History Center projects involve a digital component. These include websites, social media, digitization of historic documents, and creation of Esri Story Maps. These projects serve as a unique way to use visual technology to share historic research and represent narrative through photographs, maps, and interactive media. Below are descriptions of the digital history projects that the PEHC has conducted. Contact us to discover how we can partner with you on a digital history project.

Digital Objects Management Internship

Partner: National Wildlife Research Center
Project Principal Investigator: Dr. Sarah Payne
Researcher: Emily O’Brien Ainsworth
Timeline: 2015-2016
This project facilitates the preservation, compilation, digitization and access to the Wildlife Services and National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) image collection using ContentDM software. The project includes organizing the current image database, creating public collections, organizing and uploading historic research images/slides with metadata, and preserving and processing digital images and slide collections.

Researcher Emily O'Brien Ainsworth digitizes images at the National Wildlife Research Center.
Researcher Emily O'Brien Ainsworth digitizes images at the National Wildlife Research Center.

 

"Confinement in the Land of Enchantment”—Historic Markers, Publication, and Website

Partner: Japanese-American Confinement Sites Grant Program, National Park Service
Additional Partners: New Mexico Japanese American Citizens League, private donors
Project Principal Investigators: Dr. Sarah Payne, Dr. Andrew Russell (Central New Mexico Community College)
Researchers: Tessa Moening (project lead; 2014-), Kellie Nicholas (2015-), Yancy Bush (2015)
Timeline: 2014-
This Phase II implementation project is an interpretation and education project to increase public education and outreach about Japanese-American confinement sites in New Mexico. An earlier Phase I planning grant received by the New Mexico chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (NMJACL) resulted in primary research, oral history interviews, and design plans. Phase II builds upon the research conducted in Phase I in order to place historical markers, compile an outreach publication, and design website pages and an Esri Story Map. This Phase II interpretation and education project focuses on the World War II Japanese American confinement sites located in New Mexico, including at Santa Fe, Fort Stanton, Old Raton Ranch (Baca Ranch), and Camp Lordsburg. The goal of the project is to educate a wide and diverse audience of New Mexicans about the experiences of detainees, and to inspire thought and conversation about the projects core theme of identity.
Press Documents:
-- “Project explores New Mexico prison camps for Japanese-Americans during WWII” by Elaine D. Briseno, Albuquerque Journal, December 20, 2015.
-- “CSU historians examine Japanese-American confinement camps in New Mexico” by Jeff Dodge, Source, Colorado State University, December 15, 2015.
-- “Japanese-Americans want remembrance of internment camps” by Robert Richardson, KOAT News, Albuquerque, December 10, 2015.
-- “National Park Service Grant Project: Confinement in the Land of Enchantment (CLOE) Updates” Sagebrush Shinbun, New Mexico Japanese American Citizens League Newsletter, September 2015.
-- “National Park Service Grant Project: Confinement in the Land of Enchantment” Sagebrush Shinbun, New Mexico Japanese American Citizens League Newsletter, June 2015.
-- “Past by” by Sarah Payne, TEDxCSU, November 7, 2014.
-- “CSU Assistant Professor Sarah Payne talks about Confinement in the Land of Enchantment” by Katie Schmidt, The Rocky Mountain Collegian, July 28, 2014.
-- National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program, JACS Grant Program FY2014 Awards - pages 5-6.

Researcher Tessa Moening and PI Dr. Sarah Payne at the project start-up meeting in December 2014.
Researcher Tessa Moening and PI Dr. Sarah Payne at the project start-up meeting in December 2014.

 

Kellie Nicholas, researcher and website coordinator for the CLOE project in Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2016.
Kellie Nicholas, researcher and website coordinator for the CLOE project in Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2016.

Historic Context Report and Interpretive Tools for Exhibits and Programs

Partner: Scotts Bluff National Monument
Additional Partners: Cooper Foundation, Peter Kiewit Foundation, and a third anonymous private foundation
Project Principal Investigators: Dr. Ruth Alexander, Dr. Adrian Howkins
Researchers: Hannah Braun (project lead; 2014-), Dr. Douglas Sheflin (lead researcher; 2013-), Maren Bzdek (2013-2015), Andrew Cabrall (2013-2015), Nicholas Gunvaldson (2014-2015), Joel Scherer (2013-2014), Jordan Cooper (2014)
Timeline: 2013-
This multi-year project involves a historic context report for Scotts Bluff National Monument, a project website, public outreach presentations, and collaboration with an exhibit design firm for new exhibits and interpretation in the monument visitor center. The first part of this project produced a historiographical essay on the overland trail period 1840-1860 with focus on the Scotts Bluff area. The team visited the monument and conducted archival research. The second phase of the project resulted in completion of a ten-chapter historic context report on thematic topics related to the history of the Scotts Bluff area, including geology, Native American history, overland trail migration, overland trail memorialization, rivers and irrigation, homesteading, mobility and settlement, and the relationship between the monument and the local community. The team created a website to share information and solicit public comment, and visited the monument to conduct research, meet with staff, and hold public outreach presentations. The team consulted on historical interpretation with an exhibit design firm hired to redesign the museum exhibits and displays in the monument visitor center. The third phase of the project will result in polishing of the historic context report, continued exhibit design consultation, and expansion of the project website and other digital tools to disseminate the findings from the historic context report.
Project Website: http://scottsbluffhistory.com/