The Archaeology of the American Dream: Topics in Historical Archaeology West of the Mississippi

DOCUMENT Citation Only Molly E Swords.

Hotels are often overlooked when studying the settlement of the American Frontier, although they played a pivotal role in shaping the West.  Frequently doubling as restaurants and taverns for locals and visitors alike hotels were established to accommodate the numerous settlers, travelers, salesmen and others who headed the call "Go West!" One such hotel, the Pend d’Oreille, in Sandpoint, Idaho is an example of an early nineteenth century hotel that offered accommodations, entertainment, food,...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Lindsay Kiel.

The neophyte housing complex of Mission Santa Clara de Asís, one of the five Spanish missions established in the San Francisco Bay region during the California Mission Period, was excavated between 2012 and 2014. Excavations unearthed numerous refuse pits that contained a variety of faunal remains. Feature 157 was made up of three distinct multi-use pit sub-features that contained the remains of a variety of fauna. The assemblage dates to approximately 1777-1837 and contains several thousand...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Thomas Jones.

Arizona is renowned for the well-preserved cultural remains of its prehistoric indigenous peoples. Cultural Resource Management companies have identified thousands of archaeological sites over the last 50 years. However, during this time, a growing number of historical archaeological sites have also been documented, including linear sites; waste-pile sites; homestead, farming, and ranching sites; and mines. Unfortunately, many archaeologists schooled and trained in prehistoric archaeology, are...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Sara C. Ferland.

Railroads, roads, canals, and utility lines are becoming an increasingly common type of historical site in Arizona.  Such components of historical infrastructure are important because of their role in the settlement and development of the state. However, project-based archaeological survey often results in these sites being recorded in piecemeal fashion, and their significance evaluated by segments within a given project area rather than the resource as a whole. This session will focus on...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Renae J. Campbell.

Japanese ceramics from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries have been recovered from a variety of archaeological contexts throughout Western North America, but large collections or in-depth analyses of these materials are relatively rare.  As a result, standardized formal, temporal, and functional typologies are only just emerging and site comparisons are often difficult.  This paper presents the preliminary results of a synthesis of ceramic data from several large collections of...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Greta Rayle.

One of the "Five Cs" on the Arizona State Seal, cattle ranching has contributed greatly to Arizona’s growth and prosperity since Father Francisco Kino first introduced cattle in the 17th century. Ranching continues to influence the economic and cultural heritage of Arizona today, with nearly 4,000 ranches spread across the state’s 15 counties. This session will briefly summarize the archaeology of Ranching in Arizona, with emphasis on the San Rafael Ranch. Formally established as a the San...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Margaret R Clark.

For four decades, Hanford reactors produced plutonium, generating the fuel for America’s first atomic bombs. In 1950, as the Arms Race increased, the Department of Defense established Anti-Aircraft Artillery sites throughout Hanford to protect the nation’s top secret nuclear facilities. Under the Army’s command, these AAA batteries, base camps and battalion headquarters were home to the men that were "the last defense." This paper will present the historical artifacts recovered from a refuse...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Robert Schuyler.

Examination of the site of a 19th century drug store (ca. 1877-1889) at Silver Reef, a ghost town in southwestern Utah, involved excavations in both the ground and in the archives. Established and run by Julius Wagner (1877-1882) and then taken over by Charles H. Case (1884-1889), the site was the primay pharmacy for this mining community. Excavation under the floor of this former false-fronted, wood frame building recovered a small but informative assemblage of pharmaceutical items.. Many years...