Administrative divisions of Ingerish Asperia

36.0999°S, 131.0312°E
Lampfield County
County of Ingerish Asperia, Deodeca
Caulfield Plains east of Culverden
Flag
Named for	Arthur Lampfield
• County Seat	Culverden
• Country	Deodeca
• Province	Ingerish Asperia
Founded	TBD
Ethnic Groups	90% Ulethan, 5% Indigenous, 5% Other
Government
• Chief Commissioner	John Lampfield
• Sheriff	Amy Horton
• County Treasurer	Kevin Hamilton
Area
• Land Area	1683.70 km2 650.08 sq mi
Population
• Estimate (2022)	35,000
• Census (2018)	32,875

Lampfield County is a landlocked county of Ingerish Asperia in Deodeca. Situated on the Caulfield Plains that stretch from Beaufield to Baptist Bay, Lampfield County is a major agricultural area for Ingerish Asperia. The county historically had a sheep-focused economy, but over time, gradually transitioned to wheat, barley, and canola agricultural sectors. The county seat is the town of Culverden, with a population of around 12,000 people. Other population centres include Georges Bank, Bison Creek, and Emissary Creek.

The land around Culverden was first settled by Arthur Lampfield in TBD and sheep were imported from Ingerland. The county's seat, Culverden, was formed by Thomas Culver and quickly became an important agricultural and manufacturing centre for the Caulfield Plains. Copper deposits found nearby further fuelled expanding settlement of Culverden and Lampfield County.

In the present day, Lampfield County is characterised by its rural farm industries, forestry plantations, and friendly local populace. The county continues to recieve heavy traffic flow due to the Baptist Bay highway, and is considered a midway stop between the cities of Ingerfort and Baptist Bay.

Etymology

Lampfield County was named after prominent settler and pastoralist, Arthur Lampfield. The provincial government approved the name for the fledgling county given the investment and effort of Lampfield in establishing early sheep pastures and settlement of the area. He holds his legacy also in the names of some roadways, monuments, and other placenames.

History

Lampfield County was initially formed by the early division of the surveyed land by the provincial government. The governor expressed a desire for the inland plains (Caulfield Plains) to be settled and farmed at the earliest convenience. The government formed the Caulfield Committee, a collection of interested pastoralists and local officials, to draw in settlers and farmers to this region. This involved offering low-cost land prices and extensive compartmentalizing of the county, the effects of which can still be seen today. These low-costs of farming land attracted mainly Ingerish settlers and a brief "Land Craze" occurred as people raced to purchase land first.

As the county's population rose, early settlements began to grow too. Culverden, named after prominent pastoralist Thomas Culver, rapidly grew as the economic and cultural centre of the county and arguably the greater Caulfield Plains. Other population centres remained relatively low in size due to the prominence of Culverden. However, the towns of Hammond Corner and Copper Hill briefly overtook Culverden in population during the early "Copper Rush", as copper deposits were found in the hills in that area, but as transportation methods improved, prospective miners found Culverden to be a suitably close place.

The transition from a sheep-focused farming economy to a more grain-focused one occurred as arable land was becoming overgrazed by sheep and other animals, leading to the provincial government placing a tariff on these products and an economic program to support crop farming instead. This succeding in both improving soil erosion and the grain economy of the province. This early presence of sheep farming can be seen in the historic flag and emblem of Lampfield County.

Sheep flock near Hammond Corner in 1913

In recent history, Lampfield County was selected as the location for a maximum-security men's prison (Caulfield Men's) near Upper Culver, which caused some protest by local residents of Culverden. A military airbase adjoined to the present civilian one was opened in 2010 and caused an influx of military personnel to relocate to Culverden, which has promoted new development (such as Campton Gardens).

Caulfield Men's Prison near Upper Culver in 2020

Geography

Lampfield County sits mainly upon the Caulfield Plains of Ingerish Asperia, which are relatively flat and suitable for a wide range of agricultural farming. There are many forestry areas (some of which are artificial plantations) that cover a portion of the county. A small range of hills are present in the northern part of the county, the most prominent being Surveyor Hill. The major rivers are the Culver River, the Shed River, and the Umbra River (forming the southern border). Copper, gravel, and some minor gold deposits in the hills used to be more prevalent but have since been reduced due to mining by humans.

Culture

The mainly farming-focused economy of Lampfield County has given it a largely rural culture that focuses on labour, outdoor leisure, and a preference for a quiet lifestyle. The traffic of the Baptist Bay highway and the notion of Culverden being the highway's "halfway point" means that most tourists are focused within the Culverden area and Lampfielders there have developed a friendly, welcoming attitude. Lampfielders in more rural parts where there is not much outside travel are considered more secluded and less inclined to interact with other people outside their community.

In the 1990s, Lampfield County was the location of a series of grizzly murders, dubbed the Gore Flat Butcherings by local media. The perpetrator has never been caught. The murders involved women, who are believed to have been hitchhikers, being driven to a remote area known as Gore Flat. There, they were murdered and buried in inconspicuous areas such as woods, unused pastures, or under trees. As farming developments moved into the area in the 2000s, their bodies were uncovered years after their disappearance. This event shook the county and has continued to cause locals to become suspicious of each other, as the perpetrator is likely still alive and active given the relative recentness of the murders. Psychologist Andrew Carmichael of New Reydon University refers to this phenomenon as "Lampfield Paranoia" and is a term used to describe community-wide paranoia in rural communities.