“If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.”
– Michael Crichton
I’ve recently read two books that highlight the economic development history of North America. The Company is an excellent history of the Hudson Bay Company and the courageous risk-takers that developed much of Canada and portions of the upper Midwest. I also reread The Pioneers, which provides a great historical account of those who settled Ohio.
These explorers were also economic developers. They had to seek capital to begin and sustain their ventures, and they had to find ways to finance their ongoing operations and build an economy once they arrived at their destinations. They had to use the resources available to them and adjust to the limitations of their geography, and they had to invent “technological” solutions to solve problems.
I’ve also been thinking about the important legacy that the World’s Fair and the Olympics have had on cities around the world. The infrastructure built to serve these events and the leadership required to secure and execute these huge events are significant factors in the economic history of these cities.
It’s important to understand the economic development history of your community, from the time of its founding through its modern era. It will help you understand how infrastructure was built and the culture-shaping events that have created your opportunities and some of your challenges. Finally, it will put things in proper perspective. You are a steward of your area’s economic development for a time, and you stand on the shoulders of many others who have strived to make things better during their era.
Let’s have a great week, lift each other up, and move forward together!
Kenny McDonaldPresident and CEOColumbus Partnership