I have thought that Walden Pond would be a good place for business... it is a good port and a good foundation.

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data & meta-data

clean tables, data-base codes, and original source notes for fellow researchers (csv and txt files)

Here, visitors will be able to download the original databases grounding Edge Operations infographics and research.  The general structure of each set of files will be based on the model set by the social sciences; in particular, I’ve adopted the packing, meta-data, and coding structures seen in University of Michigan’s Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). For those interested in finer details, a good example is found in “Philadelphia Social History Project: Manufacturing Data, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880”.

 

The posted comma-separate-value (csv) tables that should be viable across web, desktop, and statistical analysis platforms. Geographic locations (x,y), MA city codes, and amended, historic vector-maps (for Massachusetts) will be posted in shapefile and geojson format to ease the complications of dealing with ‘antiquated’ territorial names/boundaries.

 

Eventually, I will extensively cross-check all of the new files that have been parsed from optically recognized texts on Hathi Trust, Google Books, etc. The goal is to not only confirm reliable transcription, but to make such data available to sites like ICPSR. Currently, these tables have been developed by scraping digital texts and cleaning with custom designed programs in processing and python. In many cases, this has corrected for common errors in orc, irregularities in scanning, etc. I have done random spot checks and corrections for the materials incorporated in infographics (100% accurate; any mistakes reside in others’ original manuscript transcriptions). I cannot claim complete accuracy for all of the tables (1% error estimated) and recommend that fellow researchers either cross-reference entries base on supplemental links, to raster references pages, or work within that margin of error.

 

Once active, links should initiate automatic download of zipped folder.

 

 

 

 

Background data: digitization in process

markets measured

  • McLane Report (Ma. section) [executive doc. no. 308, v. 1.3]
  • all manufacturing facilities in Mass. includes: town, type of business, value of real estate, value of tools, value of material stock on hand, raw materials stocked (value, number, unit), raw material sources (native), raw material sources (foreign), goods manufactured (value, number, unit), sites of distribution/sale, males employed (wages), boys employed (wages), females employed (wages), other notes
  • added data: current town name, original print page #, scan page #

 

  • 1832 U.S. census of manufactures, conducted under & published by Sec. of Treasury Louis McLane
  • zipped folder: csv table, code definitions pdf
  • (page scans & stats available by request)

 

  • Ma. census of manufactures (goods tables, includes energy sources)
  • all manufacturing facilities in Mass. includes: county, town, type of manufacturing site or source of goods, goods manufactured, value, number, unit (includes agricultural production)
  • added data: current town name, MA town ID (for gis), original print page #, Hathi Trust link

 

  • 1837, 1845, 1855, (1865, 1875 in future) industrial census publications (manuscript returns not available)
  • zipped folder: csv table & code definitions pdf  (per year), conversion codes for units
  • (page scans & stats available by request)

 

  • Ma. census of manufactures (employment tables)
  • all manufacturing facilities in Mass. includes: county, town, type of manufacturing site or source of goods, males employed, females employed, all employees
  • added data: current town name, MA town ID (for gis), original print page #, Hathi Trust link

 

  • 1837, 1845, 1855, (1865, 1875 in future) industrial census publications (manuscript returns not available)
  • zipped folder: csv table & code definitions pdf  (per year), conversion codes for units
  • (page scans & stats available by request)

 

  • Misc lumber & coal stats (Boston import & Exports)
  • General trade statistics tracing wood (for goods & fuel) and coal in Boston: year, good, value, amount, unit, import, export, surveyed (port & rail movements)
  • added data: likely sources coal (anthracite vs. bituminous), likely sources lumber, Google & Hathi Trust links
  •  
  • 1855+ Boston Board of Trade, Statistics of Coal (1848)
  • zipped folder: csv table, code definitions pdf

 

  • census of manufactures (MA.)
  • (future additions) see/search icpsr repository

 

Series includes:

forthcoming 2016

Background data: to be started or cleaned/systematized for public use

all other series

eventual release

launch schedule

Databases will be posted as completed and cleaned. This will largely be in tandem with query-based mappings.

 

Beyond the initial series, "Re-Surveying Walden," under Material Metabolisms, new data, interactions, and infographics will be posted in May 2016.