The Glen Eyrie Middens: Recent Research into the Lives of General William Jackson and Mary Lincoln “Queen” Palmer and their Estate in Western Colorado Springs, Colorado.

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "The Glen Eyrie Middens: Recent Research into the Lives of General William Jackson and Mary Lincoln “Queen” Palmer and their Estate in Western Colorado Springs, Colorado.," at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

As a result of flooding in 2013, significant Victorian-era archaeological deposits have been uncovered on the western side of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The deposits are associated with the occupation of the Glen Eyrie Estate by railroad magnate William Jackson Palmer, his wife Mary Lincoln Palmer, their daughters, and the estate staff between 1870 and 1916. Research has identified an extensive artifact assemblage that demonstrates the wealth of the Victorian-era industrialist family, including construction debris from the estate, importing of foreign and exotic foods (including a variety of seafood and European-produced goods), cutting edge Victorian technologies (such as early fire suppression equipment and electrical power), and vices including various tobacco products and a variety of European wines and liquors. This symposium describes the recent work conducted by Alpine Archaeological Consultants, Inc., the City of Colorado Springs, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to mitigate and research these unique historic middens.