Although many 19th-Century settlers in the Midwest did not have much formal education, they were intelligent, rational, and eager to learn. In constructing farmsteads and related farm features, they relied upon past experience and upon learning from each other. They took into account such factors as topography, winds, sunlight, existing technology, and the nature of their crops and livestock. They created farmsteads and related features that reflected rational guiding principles and that were remarkably logical and functional. Dr. Davis will discuss a theoretical approach to the geography of the farmsteads and will provide a working knowledge of the Wind Rose and the ability to apply it everywhere on earth.