On July 2, 2002, Jean and Harlow Cagwin watched as their home — the last remnant of their 118-acre cattle farm in Lockport, Illinois — was torn down clearing the way for a new housing development. Several years later, Ed and Amanda Grabenhofer and their four children moved into the new Willow Walk subdivision, their house just yards from where the Cagwin's home once stood.
Common Ground introduces us to the lives touched by this land, as photographer Scott Strazzante takes us on a visual journey exploring the differences and similarities of these two families while simultaneously asking us to look at what is common among us all.
After living on a farm in Lockport, Illinois, for 73 years, Harlow Cagwin sold his family land to a subdivision developer. Common Ground takes us on a journey exploring the differences and similarities of life in suburbia and life on the family farm.
Note: Not all comments will be posted due to space and time constraints.
Leroy P. -- Corona, CA
Jun 29, 2009 at 1:02 PM
It reminds me of the feeling when I realized that the home that my family left in Oklahoma for our current home in California was going to be someone's elses. I felt mostly empty, but I knew that it was an important step in my family's life and another family's life. I think what's so compelling about this story is the fact that a home had to be destroyed to be replaced by another, and not necessarily relinquished in a changing of hands. That's the ugly side of suburbanization. Strazzante did an amazing task of spending 14 years of observing two families. As Harlow Cagwin puts it, "That's the way it had to be."
Rahul -- Mumbai, India
Jun 18, 2009 at 2:48 PM
I come back to this website every now and then. I am a journalist myself and this piece and the evidence of my existence are my favorites. There are so many stories in everyday life - this website does a great job of doing what the pace of journalism cannot - wait, observe and narrate stories over time. I am a fan.
Eugenia Fernandes -- Paris, France
Jun 2, 2009 at 4:10 AM
Even if I am not as nostalgic as Strazzante, I have to say that image is a great tool for telling stories. The difference between television and multimedia reportage, as I see it, is that photos are closer to art and allow much more freedom of editing . Television is reality, that's all.
Marshall Hoyle -- Bogota, Colombia
May 10, 2009 at 9:54 PM
Phenomenal piece. The paralleled stories using the mirrored photos is outstanding. It is the true story of America these days, and unfortunately too many times there is the Wal-Mart that replaces the corn field. As a photographer with a background in video and animation, I find it compelling and motivating. Nice work.
Teresa Stuart -- Sandpoint, ID USA
Apr 13, 2009 at 10:10 PM
This was such a sad piece, documentiing the change from from creation and making with heart and and hands to consumption and buying from the cut-rate mass marketers. Perhaps the shallowness of this so-called progress will someday be met with backlash against the "consumer nation" and we can begin to cherish land for its ability to nourish us rather than how many Wal-Mart consumers it can hold per acre.
Peggy Hanlon -- Farmington, NM, USA
Apr 13, 2009 at 6:50 PM
Thank-you for sharing. I grew up in a northern Illinois community that was transitioning from rural to suburban. I had tears in my eyes at the end. of this piece. I now have the luxury of being able to walk my dogs off a leash as they run over country that rarely has a fence. My community in New Mexico now is growing, there are areas where I used to wander with my dog that are now neighborhoods or commercial property. I wonder how many years of hiking freely in the area remain.
Erik J. -- Southern, Ca. USA
Apr 13, 2009 at 12:39 PM
Sad for the Cagwins. People need to realize at what cost do we pay for losing that USA cattle/Corn/farm and replace it with A Wal Mart.? how do we sustain that way? The American Farmer, and skilled labor force have been sold out by our own Greed , to an extent me included, we must educate oursleves and make better sustainable decisions. Either way its a great piece well documented and put together. Great job.
Josh Chin -- Beijing, China
Feb 20, 2009 at 2:49 AM
It's interesting to read the criticisms and complaints from people who want more of a message, or a different message, from this piece. To me, it delivers exactly the right message: That different people can have deep, personal attachments to the same piece of land and that those attachments are equally valid, and sometimes comprised of remarkably similar experiences. It would have been all to easy for Scott, Wes and Chad to vilify the suburbanites. Far more difficult, and more valuable, for them to do what they did and humanize both sides of the land-use debate. Truly excellent work.
Nina Weinberg Doran -- Mount Kisco, NY, USA
Feb 5, 2009 at 12:35 AM
WOW is all i can say... tremendous piece.. the way you mimicked the then and now on split screens in such a poignant and dynamic way... this was extremely powerful.. deeply moved... good work..
J.Lee -- Vincent, OH, USA
Nov 29, 2008 at 9:10 AM
This is what you get when you put great talent and big hearts together. Scott Strazazante, Wes Pope, and Chad Stevens represent a dream team of documentary story tellers keeping up the good fight while the rest of the media world is focused on quanity that is "good enough," Media Storm is producing quality long form stories with real meaning. Thanks guys.
Barry Myers -- Bethesda MD USA
Oct 23, 2008 at 6:10 PM
Scott: Beautiful work and impressive dedication on a longitudinal study. Middle America as well as the middle class everywhere are often left out of social documentary photography which gravitates to the poor, opressed, and victims on the one hand and to the very unusual or extreme social types on the other. I liked the merging of the video with your stills as well as the commentary and "narration". Your attention to letting the viewer reach their own opinion is noteworthy.
Jon -- london
Oct 14, 2008 at 7:44 PM
tremendous piece, congratulations to Scott for an amazing documentary, Brian and all those who worked on the piece. a subtle and moving photo story with that brings out the quality of the photography combined with video and does this story proud.
David Lackey -- Tivoli, New York
Sep 15, 2008 at 11:57 PM
Common Ground is a very dramatic portrait of the shift from farmland to suburbia, and certainly works as a heartfelt story. I admire the 14 years that the photographer spent documenting this transition. In the end however, it fails to offer an alternative that is more ecological sensitive and sustainable. It is time to re-evaluate the developers approach to subdivisions and look at new ways of preserving open land, community based agriculture, while offering our middle class a "piece of the earth." This is, of course, another story to be produced, and I commend Scott for spending his time to follow the two families and to introduce them in the end. I'd love to see, read or hear more of what happened following the encounter. We have, indeed, a lot to learn from what Scott has documented. Thanks to MediaStorm for making this effort accessible in a format outside of the mindless and giddy YouTube.
Kenny Budgell -- Ontario
Sep 20, 2008 at 12:31 AM
Very very impressive work Scott. Such an incredible dedication to a project and a great use of similar images to show the similarities and differences. My two favorite quotes were 'when the houses go up, you don't get any more beef or corn... its gone' which was nicely contrasted by 'I could complain that the corn fields are gone but I'm using [the walmart] that's there now... it's the next step in evolution that farm land turns to sub-urban.'
David Lackey -- Tivoli, New York
Sep 15, 2008 at 11:57 AM
Common Ground is a very dramatic portrait of the shift from farmland to suburbia, and certainly works as a heartfelt story. I admire the 14 years that the photographer spent documenting this transition. In the end however, it fails to offer an alternative that is more ecological sensitive and sustainable. It is time to re-evaluate the developers approach to subdivisions and look at new ways of preserving open land, community based agriculture, while offering our middle class a "piece of the earth." This is, of course, another story to be produced, and I commend Scott for spending his time to follow the two families and to introduce them in the end. I'd love to see, read or hear more of what happened following the encounter. We have, indeed, a lot to learn from what Scott has documented. Thanks to MediaStorm for making this effort accessible in a format outside of the mindless and giddy YouTube.
melissa noble -- Houston Texas
Sep 6, 2008 at 10:50 AM
Too bad the developer did not factor in leaving soem land for farming as a self sustaining area. a no brainer. We are loosing more and more farm land and leavign a bigger foot print and destroying our eco system. It is all out of balance. While one family is forced to see their house/land, a sense of security destroyed does the new one relate to them? She stated she could never leave as it was now her home. Has the community honored what the Cagwins created for them and recognized what they gave up? They call this progess? One less farm and yet a bigger and mulitplying population. What will happen when gas is so high, food is so expensive due to transport etc? Bring back local growers and community gardens. Bring back mindful consciousnes.
Brenda Tharp -- Novato, CA USA
Aug 27, 2008 at 2:59 AM
Powerful, heart-tugging work, Scott. Your dedication to the concept for 14 years is truly amazing and the story is so heartfelt. You touched on the contrast that LIFE itself is , many times, with progress. Thank you for this great story. Adding a comment to the previous comment posted on the site, the fact that we don't know what happens next after they meet is exactly the way it should be. Possibly a new storybegins here... but it's another story, not part of this one, IMO. Excellent job.
D.J. Ellis -- Fresno, CA, USA
Aug 18, 2008 at 8:26 AM
Fascinating work. It really puts into perspective how similar our lives are to one another. Thanks for sharing.
Jayme -- Knox, IN USA
Aug 10, 2008 at 9:47 AM
I cried watching this. I felt so bad for Harlow and his wife. I can't image if my family had to go thru what his family did. I honestly can't image looking out my window and not seeing corn.My father is a farmer and I am documenting him for the year 2008 as a family project. I will use the images to make a coffee table book for each of the grandkids. I want to make sure they know how hard my dad works. It has taught me alot also and made our relationship stronger even though we have always been very close. Thanks for sharing this!
Kev Ladden -- Hull, East Yorkshire, UK
Aug 9, 2008 at 7:48 AM
Beautiful, moving, real pathos and joy in the images. Love it.
Petra Hall -- Pitea, Sweden
Aug 9, 2008 at 7:44 AM
I find the story amazing. And the mirroring of the new and old is a great way to tell the story about then and now. And I don't agree that the meeting with the new and old is something me as a viewer needs to see. I've alreeady seen the stories they will tell each other.
Matteo Zaggia -- Padova, Italy
Aug 9, 2008 at 6:43 AM
Very touching and quite inspiring for a photographer.
Frankie Martin -- St. Petersburg, FL, USA
Aug 8, 2008 at 9:02 PM
"It will take a lot for me to move from this house."What happens when gas hits 5$ a gallon and these people realize that life in the exurbs is unstainable? Or when we can no longer afford to import our food from other countries because transport costs and the carbon footprint are too high?Nicely shot, well produced - but the message behind this film is completely false. As a long time fan of Storm, I'm disappointed he's put up a piece that gets it so wrong.
Jeanna Duerscherl -- Roanoke, Va
Aug 6, 2008 at 3:25 PM
Wow. This was such a compelling project and an amazing way to compare and contrast the daily lives of two very different families. Great work.
Ben K. -- New York, NY, USA
Aug 5, 2008 at 8:24 PM
Amazing work--the photography was stunning and the story fantastic--but wish that the piece had done more to explore differences between the two families....particularly the economic and social dimensions of the changes.
Adam Lau -- San Francisco, CA, USA
Aug 4, 2008 at 4:38 AM
Beautiful, killer work. But wait... what happens at the end when the two families meet? Ending where it does, the piece feels incomplete, imho. If we don't find out what happens in the interaction between "old" and "new"... I almost feel it would have been better to close earlier, or in a different way. Maybe no pictures happened there. But it might have been nice to state, even in text, "The two families met, nothing happened, and they went on about their lives..." (or something to that effect). For a more weighty conclusion? Unless we're to expect a Part 2? No objections here.
Alexander von Spreti -- Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Aug 2, 2008 at 7:10 AM
Congratulation to the great piece of journalism work. Its well seen, really touching and impressive realized. Chapeau, Scott
Simon Christen -- Berkeley, CA, USA
Aug 1, 2008 at 4:55 PM
Very beautiful story with wonderful pictures. I really like the split screen before/after photo comparison. It's amazing to see how similar, yet so different it is. Thank you.
Marcy Nighswander -- Athens, Ohio USA
Jul 31, 2008 at 4:08 PM
Scott's project has evolved and expanded over the years. Parts of it have been published in the Chicago Tribune, the National Geographic Society magazine and now MediaStorm. This is an excellent example of great photographs, great editors and producers at mediastorm.org working together to produce a very compelling story.
Stephen Haas -- Monticello, IL USA
Jul 30, 2008 at 8:10 PM
Fascinating work as always... The photos that Scott has published were great, but the audio and video help tie the whole project together.
Kevin Weinstein -- Chicago, IL
Jul 30, 2008 at 5:54 PM
I have seen thjis piece many times, in different formats. While I am diggiing audio interviews, the format has one huge limitation. The size of the pictures are way too small. One aspect of this piece that struck me the most, were the images when placed face to face -- old and new -- side by side. it is errie and terrifying to see how these people, from different ages, economic backgrounds and ways of choosing to live out their lives, are truly identical. Those images, placed face to face, were so small, you can't see what is happening in each picture. And that is the point. Each of those sets is an echo of time and place mixed with joy and sadness. I would not have felt that if I had not seen this piece elsewhere before.
Mikko Takkunen -- Swansea, Wales, UK
Jul 30, 2008 at 12:50 PM
great story. thanks for sharing.
Juston Teach -- Carbondale, Illinois USA
Jul 30, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Kudos Scott! This is a wonderful piece you have done. It is this attention to detail, as well as your ability to get close to the subjects that makes me want to become a better photojournalist. Truly inspiring
Anjali Pinto -- Columbia, MO, USA
Jul 30, 2008 at 2:21 AM
This piece is so inspiring. The photographer's dedication to his subjects is remarkable and made such a profound impact on me. His ability to view in pairs made the message so much stronger. Bravo!
Michael Nix -- Chicago, IL
Jul 30, 2008 at 1:33 AM
Beautifully shot and written, but it seems a little lacking in true meaning... Why did the Cagwins have to sell their farm and what does the "Wal Mart dependent" family do? Other than extremely similar photography, I see very little common ground. I suppose that's the journalist hook. One one final note, I also find it highly amusing, ironic, yet sad that the Google ads you have in your sidebar include one titled "Illinois Land: Search Our Free Listings of Land for Sale by Price, Size, and Location."
Jessica Dimmock -- Brooklyn, NY USA
Jul 29, 2008 at 5:26 PM
Great piece. I really love this work, it was so nice to see it in this full form.
Mykal McEldowney -- Greenville, SC, USA
Jul 29, 2008 at 5:01 PM
BEAUTIFUL. I remember seeing this probject before it was completed when Scott came to Ohio University. It is amazing to see it now. You all did a wonderful job.
Claire Fortier -- South Lake Tahoe, CA
Jul 29, 2008 at 4:42 PM
Riveting. A superb piece of photography and journalism.
