Esopus - An alternate history

[torgonius]

Esopus:
An alternate history explored in Banished
Chronicled by Torgonius
Backstory
Throughout the 1620s and 1630s traffic on the North River moved steadily between New Amsterdam-the capital of New Netherland, located on the island of Manhattan-and Fort Orange, the outpost 150 miles to the north, which would eventually become the city of Albany. But, as Henry Hudson discovered on first exploring the region in 1609, the river grew shallower about halfway up. Dutch sea captains soon realized it made sense to move cargo onto lighter vessels once they reached this point. In 1651, a group of Fort Orange settlers moved south to this spot and formed a village. They named it Esopus after the Esopus Creek, a waterway that fed into the river here, and along whose fertile banks they farmed.

Technical Specs
Map Seed: 31244676
Terrain Type: Valleys
Terrain Size: Extra Large
Climate: Mild
Disasters: On
Starting Conditions: Colony (A mod I created)

Mods in Use:
CC Maple Harpoon (BlackLiquid Team)
Start Conditions (Personal Mod)
RealTimeAging (Personal Mod)
Slink's Stacked Houses (SJGL)
XL Maps and Big Minimap (Alex Hockley)
More Climates Mod (Alex Hockley)
Font: Noto Sans (Admiral AnimE)
Flatten Terrain Tool (GimmeCat)
SuperMarket (Dantirya Snowpaw)

Starting Out
1 Barn and adjacent 8x6 storage pit
400 Logs, 100 Stone, 100 Iron. 100 Firewood
2800 Potatoes, 50 Iron Tools, 50 Hide Coats
8 Families, detailed in Chapter 1
Seeds: Corn, Squash, Cabbage
Orchard: Pear
Farm Animals: 8 Sheep

Tracking done via Uncle Torg's Banished Citizen Tracker spreadsheet and Family Echo family tree maker

Building will be done using a 20x20 master grid system, with main roads 20 tiles apart both north/south and east/west

[torgonius]

Artist's rendition of Esopus, Early Spring, 1652. One year from the date of the founding of the colony.

[rkelly17]

Nice, @torgonius. I like the alternate history, fitting in to real and with a good reason for a settlement at this location. Looking forward to your progress.

[Nilla]

I like to see it. too. But I have some problems with the graphic settings of your picture and that's a pity because it seems to look very nice. I have seen this before and I know that some other people have the same problem. (at least it was so the last time. Personally, I would prefer a normal jpg-file as attachment.

[torgonius]

The pictures have been photoshopped to look more like a painting. These are not representative of my actual graphics. I've attached the actual screenshot I processed for comparative purposes.

[torgonius]

The founding families of Esopus: (What we know so far)
Evelt de Jonckheer, Male, 20. Governor of the new colony by mandate of his father, one of the 'Nine Men' who govern all of New Netherland.
Roberty de Jonckheer, Female, 19. Wife of Evelt.

Ishaad Bakker, Male, 21. From a family of bakers. A close friend of Evelt in childhood.
Artha Bakker, Female, 20. Wife of Ishaad.

Ernice Carman, Male, 20. Self-made blacksmith who has found very little opportunity to date in the new world.
Saraina Carman, Female, 20, Wife of Ernice.
Armine, Carman, Male, 6. Son of Ernice and Carman

Ranson Aarden, Male, 19. Farmer
Reillye Aarden, Femaile, 20. Farmer
Laver Aarden, 7, brother of Ranson, now in his care following the death of their parents 2 years ago.

Thadd Eikenboom, Male, 19, A natural born explorer reined in by the results of a night of pleasure 5 years ago.
Jemmaline Eikenboom, Femaile, 20, Accompanied her husband against her will. Wants to live in New Amsterdam, not some backwater.
Galentice Eikenboom, Male, 4, son of Thadd and Jemmaline

Callison Fortuin, Male, 20. From a family of architects and builders, but didn't want to be in the family business.
Jerryl Fortuin, Female, 20,

Kings Geleen, Male, 19, ill-tempered, bad-mannered, but loyal to the death. He was encouraged to leave Fort Orange for less than reputable behavior. Looking for a new start in Esopus.
Maliya Geleen, Female, 20,
Vanesha Geleen, Female, 7, Sister of Maliya. Adopted by Kings and Maliya

Andro Haak, Male, 20, His grandfather sailed with Henry Hudson on his voyage of discovery
Earthena Haak, Female, 20

The Stories of Esopus:

We have reviewed and translated many communications and records from the settlement.

15 March, 1651
Greetings, Father. I trust New Amsterdam Is treating you well. A fortnight ago, my group of 20 colonists, 8 men, 8 women and 4 children, have arrived at a glorius bend in the North River where the Esopus joins. We are about 60 miles south of Fort Orange and 90 miles north of New Amsterdam. There is plenty of farmable land and we have established a foothold. Our first crops of corn and squash have been planted, and we've almost completed a fishing wharf.
The first houses have been started. We should have them completed by the summer. Our initial supplies will carry us through the rest of this year. We will build more infrastructure next year and hope to have a functioning port and be ready to accept more settlers within 5 years.
With love,
Evelt

20 October, 1651
Greetings, Father. Our first summer has ended, and the bounties of the harvest were beyond our wildest expectations. The fish jump into our nets, the sheep have taken to their new pasture, and we expect new lambs soon. But that is not all we are expecting. You'' be pleased to know that Roberty is also with child, and should deliver in the early spring. Most of the other wives are also expecting. Jemmaline Eikenboom should deliver late this year or early next year. The others have just recently learned their good fortune.
As we prepare for our first winter, all the homes are built. We have a tower at the point on the river which serves as a beacon and a lookout. We've also constructed a handful of homes from the good stone this land provides. We will work through the winter to clear new land. We have almost prepared two new fields and land for an orchard. In addition to new crops, we will also plant the seeds of our industry in the spring.
With love,
Evelt

The inhabitants of Esopus, in the Dutch tradition, kept meticulous records. While some of these have deteriorated and we can't decipher them, many have survived.

1651
First orders of business: Planting corn and squash fields, building a fishing hut, animal pasture, wood chopper, apiary and 8 houses.

Starting Population:
16 / 0 / 4             8 Sheep

Completed Construction:
Corn Field (10x13), Squash Field (9x13), Fishing Dock, Woodcutter, 1st Level House – Early Spring
2nd Level House, Stone House – Spring
3rd Level House, Stone House,– Late Spring
Pasture (20x20), Stone House x2 – Early Summer
Stone House – Summer
Storage Barn – Late Summer
Apiary – Early Autumn
Crop Field (20x7), Crop Field (20x6) – Late Autumn
Orchard (20x7) – Early Winter

Births:
Tamaran (F) to Evelt (21) & Roberty (20) de Jonckheer, Late Winter
Lutheridan (M) to Thadd (20) and Jemmaline (21) Eikenboom, Late Winter

Deaths:
None

Weather:
No late frost
First frost, Late Autumn but harvest completed

Production:
Corn:   924   Squash:   812   Fish:   792   Honey:   360   Wool:   12   Firewood:   828

[torgonius]

[irrelevant]

I like the oil paint effect.

[torgonius]

1652
The Stories of Esopus:

Summer, 1652

Dearest mother,

I cannot wait for you to come visit us and meet your new grandson, Glorin. He was born late this spring, part of the first wave of babies here in Esopus. All the children, 4 boys and 4 girls, are happy and healthy. The women take a turns in pairs for a couple of days each to watch all the babes as we go out to tend to the fields and the flock.
The men have been working as much as possible to clear land and get our industries built. The blacksmith shop opened this past weekend. Ernice Carman is a wizard with a hammer and forge. The tailor and herbalist shop should be finished just before harvest. We've enough wool to make warm clothes for everyone before the next winter arrives.
Evelt had wanted to build a grain silo and windmill, but he saw how hard the men have been working and decided they can wait. Maybe he just wants to spend more time with his daughter, but who could blame any of them? Even Kings Geleen seems to have lost that temper of his while playing with his new son. The man is an absolute giant and brute, but he holds that child with a gentle touch that any parent would envy.
I hope you and father will consider moving here once we've become more established. This is the most beautiful place in all of New Netherland. Please send Callison's parents our love. I know they are cross with him for not taking up the family trade, but they would be proud of the buildings he has designed here. If the men are able to build the grand windmill he's drawn up, it will be the envy of the new world.
All my love,
Jerryl

Patroon's Report:
Now that basic needs have been met, it's time to get industry started. Plans call for an Herbalist, Blacksmith, Tailor, Grain Silo, Windmill and Bakery. We also have much more land to clear. The men are working hard, but happy. The rest of the first group of children will arrive soon.

Starting Population:
16 / 0 / 6      Sheep: 8

Year Start Inventory:
Logs:   211   Stone:   74   Iron:   100
Firewood:   513   Coal:    0   Tools:   18
Food:   2,474   Herbs:   0   Clothes:   29
Health:   4.0   Happiness:   5.0   Alcohol:   0

Completed Construction:
Blacksmith - Summer
Herbalist – Late Summer
Tailor – Late Autumn

Births:
Lyndal (F) to Ishaad (21) & Artha (21) Bakker, Early Spring
Reynardo (M) to Ranson (20) & Reillye (21) Aarden, Early Spring
Ballan (M) to Kings (20) & Maliya (21) Geleen, Spring
Glorin (M) to Callison (21) & Jerryl (21) Fortuin, Late Spring
Macielo (F) to Andro (21) & Earthena (21) Haak, Late Spring
Regenie (F) to Ernice (21) & Saraina (21) Carman, Early Summer

Deaths:
None

Weather:
No late frost
First frost, Late Autumn but harvest mostly completed

Production:
Corn:   1,848   Squash:   644   Cabbage:   792   Honey:   888   Firewood:   396
Fish:    1,287   Herbs:   27   Iron Tools:   62   Wool:    36   Wool Coats:   30

[rkelly17]

Again, very nice @torgonius. Like @irrelevant, I appreciate the oil painting effect. Also adds verisimilitude that the first crops are corn and squash. All you need are beans! Were you just lucky on the seed or did you play around to get these crops? The letters also add an important dimension. Brilliant!

[Nilla]

Very nice. I will certainly follow the life in the colony. I find the letter-idea very good, too. It gives the story life. OK the pictures in oil paint style with these "loud" colors are not so to my liking, but I can understand the sense of it. So they too, give life to the story.

[torgonius]

Thanks! The crop seeds were a total fluke, though I did find that they are different with the different starting conditions. If you start the same map on Medium, you get 2 different seeds.

I was a little afraid the letters concept was not going to work well. To me, it just seems like it's one of those PBS historical reflection documentaries... but that is pretty much what I'm doing.

For the screen shots, I want to show life and the evolution of the colony, but screenshots just seem so anachronistic. My first attempt had been to go with the old school sepia and black and white pictures, but since this is the 1650s they really only had painting. The Hudson River School of landscape painting also originated in the area, so I wanted to bring that element in as well. I've played with the camera settings and have a couple exquisite landscapes coming in the next few years.

I have a personal connection to the area and culture. My father's father's line was part of the original Dutch colonization of the area, though they didn't move up the river until later in the 1600's. Perhaps a nomad clan will represent them eventually.

The surnames in use are all authentic period Dutch names. It's really too bad that we can't access the first names with mods to develop truly authentic regional towns.

I hope to get a few more years written up and posted tonight.

[torgonius]

1653
The Stories of Esopus:

Winter, 1653
Today was my first day in our new school. I'm the only kid here. At least it's warm in here. Mother was making a huge deal of it. She wouldn't stop crying. I don't know why she's sad. Father sat me down last night at dinner to tell me that this was very important for our family. He never went to school back in the old country. He said his family had always been poor dirt farmers. Father doesn't know how to read. I didn't know that. He told me that he wants me to teach him how. I love farming. I love being outside in the sun, watching things grow and celebrating with everyone after the harvest. Father says I could be more than a farmer when I grow up, but what is more than a farmer? Even that giant windmill that Mr. Fortuin made needs the corn we grow.
Mrs. Bakker is my teacher. She seems nice. She is smart. I was hoping it would be Mr. Haak. He tells great stories of the times his grandfather sailed with Henry Hudson. Lord de Jonckheer talks too much about his father and Mr. Geleen is always going on about the war that is coming with England and how we all need to be prepared. All the others are too busy building or farming to want to spend their time with a kid.
My friend Vanesha is supposed to start school soon, too. She says she doesn't want to come to school. She wants to stay with the women taking care of the babies. I'm glad I don't have to be around them, crying all the time. Maybe school won't be so bad.
Lavar Aarden,

Patroon's Report:
While the industrial base was completed, the agrarian infrastructure was not started. This is not a setback, however. This year, we want to build a grain silo and Callison's giant windmill while continuing to clear more land for use as crop fields. A school will also need to be built. The initial planning for a market, town hall, and trading port will begin. I am waiting for further word from the Nine Men about possible war with England. Some of our fleets have been raided by English Privateers. We have had no contact at all with the English, though father has told me of isolated incidents in New Amsterdam.

Starting Population:
16 / 0 / 12   Sheep: 12

Year Start Inventory:
Logs:   200   Stone:   75   Iron:   48
Firewood:   729   Coal:    0   Tools:   45
Food:   4.883   Herbs:   21   Clothes:   50
Health:   5.0   Happiness:   5.0   Alcohol:   0

Completed Construction:
School – Spring
Grain Silo – Late Summer
Windmill - Early Winter

Births:
None

Deaths:
None

Education:
Entered School - Laver Aarden, Winter; Vanesha Geleen, Late Winter

Weather:
No late frost
First frost, Late Autumn but harvest completed

Production:
Corn:   1,876   Squash:   712   Cabbage:   756   Honey:   864   Firewood:   144
Fish:    1,323   Herbs:   6   Iron Tools:   22   Wool:    48   Wool Coats:   0

[torgonius]

[torgonius]

1654
Patroon's Report:

The growth of the infrastructure of our colony continues. Our first children have entered school. The foundation for the market has been laid and construction should begin shortly. There is an abundance of food, tools and clothing in reserve.

Callison Fortuin is unlike any builder I have ever known. His windmill dwarfs our grain silo. You can see it for miles up and down the North River. He hopes to have the mechanisms inside completed by the end of the year. It takes very little wind to drive the sails. There's no telling how much flour we will be able to produce. We may need to grow more corn to keep pace.

We have completed our market. The foundations of the port have been laid. The land where the town hall will be placed has been selected, and will be prepared and marked next year. Callison has drawn up a plan for a new publick gathering hall, as well, to be built next door.

The general tenor of the community is strong. A second wave of babies has begun to arrive. There may soon be more children than adults here. Roberty is also with child again. She is expecting to deliver early next year. We are building all our children a home like few on this world have ever seen.

We have faced no adversity that could not be overcome by industrious work. The weather has been most temperate. We have known little but growth and prosperity. My only fear is that Geleen is correct, and that war with the English will soon be at hand. We have seen none of it here, and have only the reports that come from New Amsterdam on occasion where the English men can't hold their ale and act the fool in public. I pray divine Providence shields us from any clamor.

Evelt de Jonckheer

Starting Population:
16 / 2 / 10   Sheep: 16

Year Start Inventory:
Logs:   186   Stone:   177   Iron:   33
Firewood:   645   Coal:    0   Tools:   43
Food:   7,636   Herbs:   45   Clothes:   52
Health:   5.0   Happiness:   5.0   Alcohol:   0

Completed Construction:
Market, Late Summer

Births:
Saloma (F) to Ishaad (24) & Artha (23) Bakker, Early Summer
Bryanne (F) to Andro (24) & Earthena (23) Haak, Early Autumn
Aracey (F) to Ranson (23) & Reillye (24) Aarden, Late Autumn
Janaya (F) to Ernice (24) & Saraina (24) Carman, Late Winter

Education:
Armine Carman, Late Summer

Weather:
No late frost
First frost, Late Autumn but harvest completed

Production:
Corn:   1,904   Squash:   826   Cabbage:   812   Honey:   840   Firewood:   212
Fish:    1,305   Herbs:   6   Iron Tools:   12   Wool:    66   Wool Coats:   0
Pears:   585